Why University of Illinois?
The University of Illinois College of Law is one of the oldest public law schools, known for its rigorous and innovative legal education, cutting-edge interdisciplinary programs, and a collegial student body.
University of Illinois is a very selective JD program with an acceptance rate of approximately 34.7%. The median entering 1L profile is a 3.81 GPA and 166 LSAT, with the 25th–75th percentile bands at 3.55–3.92 GPA and 162–167 LSAT. The full-time first-year class is approximately 163 students. Recent graduates have placed most heavily in Illinois, Michigan, and California — useful context if your geographic preference shapes your school list. In the 2025 ABA reporting cycle, University of Illinois admitted 2 transfer students into the 2L class. 5 1Ls transferred out.
Specialty strengths
Class profile
- US News rank
- #46
- Median GPA
- 3.81
- 25th–75th: 3.55–3.92
- Median LSAT
- 166
- 25th–75th: 162–167
- Acceptance rate
- 34.7%
- Class size (FT 1L)
- 163
- Transfers admitted (2025)
- 2
- ABA 2025 reporting cycle
2025 transfer admit profile
Actual GPAs of students University of Illinois admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.
- 25th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
- Median
- —
- 50th percentile
- 75th percentile
- —
- Suppressed (small cohort)
5 1Ls transferred out of University of Illinois in the same cycle — context for how portable University of Illinois's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.
Top employment markets
- 1Illinois
- 2Michigan
- 3California
Where the most recent graduating class concentrated employment, per the school's ABA 509 employment summary. Use this as a signal of where the alumni network and OCI recruiting pipeline are strongest.
Signature clinics
Clinical programs that define University of Illinois's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why University of Illinois" essay where they align with your interests.
- Family Advocacy ClinicProvides legal services in family law matters.
- Immigration Law ClinicAssists clients with various immigration legal issues, including asylum.
- Medical Legal Partnership ClinicAddresses health-harming legal needs of low-income patients.
- Veterans Legal ClinicOffers legal assistance to veterans.
- First Amendment ClinicFocuses on issues related to freedom of speech and press.
Notable journals
Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.
- University of Illinois Law Review— General legal scholarship, one of the preeminent law reviews in the country.
- Elder Law Journal— The oldest scholarly publication in the country dedicated to elder law issues.
- Journal of Law, Technology, and Policy— Interdisciplinary publication devoted to cutting-edge issues of intellectual property, technology, and policy.
- Illinois Law Update— A column focusing on recent developments in Illinois law, published in the Illinois Bar Journal.
Faculty highlights
Well-known faculty grouped by primary specialty. If a professor's scholarship aligns with your interests, name them in your essay and reference a specific paper or course.
Immigration Law
- Lauren R. Aronson· also Clinical Legal Education
Business Law
- Amitai Aviram· also Antitrust
Criminal Law
- Kenworthey Bilz· also Law and Psychology
- Margareth Etienne· also Race and the Law
Bankruptcy Law
- Ralph Brubaker
Law
- Dov Cohen· also Behavior, and Social Science
Health Law
- Sara Gerke· also AI and Law
Jury Behavior
- Valerie Hans· also Law and Social Science
Constitutional Law
- Jamelle C. Sharpe· also Criminal Law
What makes University of Illinois distinctive
Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.
- ·The Chicago Program allows third-year students to take classes in Chicago, the nation's third-largest legal market.
- ·Offers 8 joint degree programs, allowing students to combine their JD with other graduate degrees.
- ·Home of the founding chapter of the Order of the Coif, a national law honor society.
- ·Features a strong interdisciplinary culture, with approximately 39% of faculty holding advanced degrees beyond their JDs in fields like economics, engineering, and psychology.
- ·The Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Memorial Library is a 58,000 square foot facility with a spacious reading room and student collaboration areas.
- ·The Intensive English + LLM Pathway Program provides international students with a structured pathway to enhance English proficiency while preparing for the LLM degree.
Using this for your "Why University of Illinois" essay
Strong "Why X Law School" essays are concrete and specific to the school — not interchangeable templates. Use these facts to anchor your essay, then layer on what you've found from the school's own faculty pages, clinical program descriptions, and journal listings.
Important note: admissions committees actively reject AI-written personal statements and "Why X" essays. Use this page as research material to write your own essay — never as a template to copy. Authentic, specific, personally-grounded reasoning is the only thing that wins these essays.
Frequently asked about University of Illinois
What is the median GPA and LSAT at University of Illinois?▾
University of Illinois's most recent entering 1L class had a median GPA of 3.81 and a median LSAT of 166. The 25th–75th percentile range was 3.55–3.92 GPA and 162–167 LSAT. Per ABA 509 disclosures.
What is University of Illinois's acceptance rate?▾
University of Illinois's most recent reported acceptance rate was approximately 34.7%, per ABA 509 disclosures.
What clinics does University of Illinois offer?▾
University of Illinois's notable clinical programs include: Family Advocacy Clinic, Immigration Law Clinic, Medical Legal Partnership Clinic, Veterans Legal Clinic, First Amendment Clinic. Visit the school's official clinical programs page for the full list.
What journals does University of Illinois publish?▾
University of Illinois's notable student-edited journals include: University of Illinois Law Review, Elder Law Journal, Journal of Law, Technology, and Policy, Illinois Law Update.
Where do University of Illinois graduates work?▾
University of Illinois graduates concentrate employment in Illinois, Michigan, California, per the school's most recent ABA 509 employment summary.
How many transfer students does University of Illinois admit?▾
University of Illinois admitted 2 transfer students into the 2L class in the 2025 ABA reporting cycle.
Schools similar to University of Illinois
Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.
About to start at University of Illinois?
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Try Case Cub free →Sources (7) — verify any fact above
- https://law.illinois.edu/faculty/profiles/
- https://law.illinois.edu/academics/journals/
- https://law.illinois.edu/academics/specialty-programs/
- https://law.illinois.edu/academics/clinics-experiential-learning/
- https://www.lsac.org/schools/university-illinois-college-law
- https://law.illinois.edu/about/college-profile/
- https://law.illinois.edu/academics/degree-programs/
Generated from public sources via search-grounded AI on 4/27/2026. If any fact looks wrong, click through to verify and let us know.