Illinois Institute of Technology - Chicago-Kent College of Law

The Chicago-Kent School of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology weaves theoretical instruction with practice, offering more than 700 students a blend of legal writing and trial advocacy in its curriculum with 11 certificate programs and an impressive 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Those programs include 1L Your Way, which allows students to defer the required first-year Legislation course to the second year so they can take an approved, upper-division elective instead. They can also enroll in a clinic with the option to rotate through two additional sections. This flexibility offers a “number of opportunities to engage in practical lawyering,” which even extends to the school's own fee-generating, in-house teaching firm the C-K Law Group. The group has 14 full-time practicing attorneys and 3 off-site adjunct attorneys, which helps students gain real-world experience in litigation and transactional matters. Additionally, the legal writing program “is an intense learning experience” that “prepares everyone quite well for summer internships.” Students can also take part in the school's externship program, which provides academic credit through a specialized law placement in areas ranging from private to public to civil to criminal. Students love that they have “so many different experiences” to choose from. As for resources, the classrooms “are equipped and driven by technology.” Plus, “if no one is in there, [students] are free to use the classroom,” which aids in student collaboration and productivity. Overall, “the resources [and] facilities are top-notch.” The library is “beautiful, located on the tenth floor with high ceilings and large windows that look out [onto] the city,” and the librarians are “always making presentations in the legal writing courses in order to introduce students to all the resources available.” They're reliably available to help students find “all the necessary information … needed to complete our assignments successfully.” With resources like this, the school “does a great job at helping students go down the correct path” and “focuses on helping every individual succeed, not just the top 10 percent.” As one student shares, “Chicago-Kent prepares you for practice. I feel ready to enter the legal field today because of my academic experiences.”

Here, “professors and their backgrounds span a broad range of fields,” and many “have been esteemed in the working world before coming to Chicago-Kent.” Faculty “continue to get published and make themselves known in the legal community.” Plus, teachers “are always available to meet with students if needed.” The school even “has a mentorship program which matches students to professors, in order to give you access to professors in specific areas of law.” Chicago-Kent's location is a huge asset that allows the school to find plenty of guest speakers, so “there are always panels, … alumni connection events, and programs going on.” The school's bustling surroundings also offer “connections to judicial externships, internships, jobs, and more,” and there is “a very strong and loyal alumni base.” Thanks to the school's strong reputation, “employers know that you can research and write.”

While the school has “a large group of students from Illinois and the Chicago area, … the majority is made up of students from across the country.” This is “a culture that emphasizes inclusiveness and helping each other succeed.” To that end, “campus life is super active,” and there are “lots of fundraisers, panels, and social events [that] are mostly organized by students themselves.” The law building has a “prime location in the heart of downtown Chicago,” and it also allows students to “hang out outside of class and often go to bars casually after night classes.” Overall, “student relations are great,” and “all students can speak their opinions and [are] allowed to express themselves.” As one enrollee sums it up, “You make friendships with everyone, from other 1Ls to 2Ls and 3Ls.”