NIU College of Law students Neil Michling and Johnisha Sterling and Interim Dean Mark Cordes enjoy a light moment in the NIU Law Library.
Over the past six months, the Northern Illinois University College of Law has received “Best of” accolades from the National Jurist and PreLaw magazines in three important areas:
- Best Value
- Best at Delivering Public Service Graduates
- Best at Delivering Small Law Firm Graduates
As part of the National Jurist’s latest Best Value Law Schools study, NIU Law was named among the 64 law schools featured on the list, based on employment, tuition, cost of living and indebtedness upon graduation, with employment the most important factor in the rankings.
NIU Law was also recognized by both the National Jurist and PreLaw magazines as one of the top law schools for delivering graduates to public service careers (specifically in the category of prosecutors/public defenders).
In this study, the magazines recognized 49 law schools in three categories – public interest, government and prosecutors/public defenders – based on curricular offerings, employment placement, starting salaries, the amount of debt upon graduation and Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPs).
In addition, National Jurist and PreLaw magazines recognized NIU Law as one of the best law schools for launching its graduates into small-firm practices.
In its “Back to School” issue, in an article titled “Best Schools for Big Law & Small Law,” the National Jurist magazine ranked NIU Law eleventh in the nation based on graduates being hired by firms with 100 or fewer attorneys. The article focused on a shift in law firm hiring practices as the market for “Big Law” graduates has slowed in recent years – and further highlighted how schools like NIU Law have positioned their placement services to well-align with the evolving marketplace for law school graduates.
“We are very proud of being recognized for excellence in these important areas,” NIU Law Dean Mark Cordes said, “delivering value to our students and the legal community in ways few other Illinois law schools can match.”
