Engaged students and factuality; professors committed to teaching; great employment prospects

Intellectually elitist; little emphasis on clinics and pro-bono opportunities

Come if you want an intense, intellectually rigorous experience in a tight-knit environment

Yes

famous for Socratic method

Other

Socratic method in most classes. I have a workshop on judicial behavior tought by Judge Posner. Judge Easterbrook has attended every class just because he is interested in the subject. It is amazing.

The facilities are excellent.

I applied as a transfer. U of C is one of the few schools that allows for an early transfer application (after 1st semester of IL year).

2

2011

Class sizes are relatively small which means that sometimes there are not enough courses offered and a really popular one can get crowded easily. But on the other hand you can always get whatever class you want it just might be in a larger room. The small seminar classes with prominent faculty are outstanding and sometimes as small as ten students to a professor. The faculty are some of the most brilliant in their field and are truly challenging and inspiring. The legal writing course is pretty terrible, but I don't know of any law school who has a good one. There is no study abroad which is unfortunate. There are many many research opportunities because of the student faculty ratio. I find the competitiveness is very low, because you know all of your fellow students so well it's hard to be competitive against anyone but yourself.

Chicago is a city and more expensive than most places, but incredibly cheap compared to cities of it's size (LA, NY, Boston, Miami). The campus is very beautiful but it is kind of removed from the rest of the city in Hyde Park which is both good and bad. The law building is very nice with lockers and a small cafe inside. The library is fantastic with computers and wireless throughout. Crime does happen around the neighborhood, but I have never had a problem (knock on wood) and I walk around at night without a problem but I do carry MACE just in case. If you are not lazy like me there are also Safe Ride buses you can call or police umbrella services available 24 hours. The neighborhood of the law school is definitely lacking but it only takes a 20 min bus to get to the heart of downtown Chicago, and the public transportation here is phenomenal. I think it is a very, very happy place to be even with the cold :)

LSAT and essays are very important. I think there was one optional essay. The scholarship and financial aid is sparse, but the school has one of the best loan forgiveness programs for those that are public interest bound ($10,000 forgiven per year worked in the public interest sector!) and other students can count on generous firm salaries to pay back loans quickly.

2

2011

Students are competitive with themselves, but collegial with each other. Grades are not discussed to ensure this collegial environment. There is a focus on economics and theory, but we are all aware that we are also somewhat interested in practical learning. Grading is done on a curve. The class size is small, which is a huge advantage for job prospects, getting to know the faculty, and getting the full experience. Notable faculty include Baird, Geoffrey Stone, Nussbaum, Epstein, etc. Work load is no worse than other top ten schools, although we have a reputation for being more rigorous (which is great for employment prospects).

Many housing opportunities available, safe neighborhood plenty of police around.

Typical LSDAS application, no extra questions. Limited personal statement.

2

2011

It's definitely more theoretical than practical, but if you want a more hands-on approach, there are plenty of seminars that are more practical. So basically it's up to you. There's a big range in terms of how Socratic professors are. In general, most 1L classes are pretty Socratic and later classes less so. The classes and professors are amazing. The faculty is well-respected scholars who are also approachable, and there are a lot of young professors who seem like they'll be the "next big thing." People often label the school as competitive, but that's false. People never talk about grades here, it's just an unspoken social norm that it's not cool to talk about. Workload is typical of a top-tier school.

Cost of living is pretty good, especially near campus in Hyde Park. It's a boring neighborhood though and has quite a bit of crime, typical of a big city. If you move farther north, there's a lot more to do, and some neighborhoods are safer, but it is more expensive than Hyde Park. The facilities are nothing special, but there's lots of space to study, and the library has lots of windows, which is nice. The adjoining undergrad campus is beautiful and gothic if you miss that atmosphere.

Pretty standard. I received an answer after about two months (waitlisted) and then heard that I got in the day after decision day.

3

2010

The professors are excellent; they are prepared, enthusiastic, and interested.

1

2012

lots of theory - but very informative hilarious lecturers

1

2012

Individually, most students are laid back and cooperative with discussion and ideas, but in class, the high admittance standars show with prepared students and exceptional answers. The quality of the student body, however, pales in comparison to the brillance of the faculty, which is filled with up and coming academic elite as well as old-school law and econ notables. Every professor enjoys teaching and approaches it with a sense of humor.

1

2012