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CAREER COUNSELOR’S CORNER
Practicing In: Chicago [Keith Grace] Big firms, cheap living, killer pizza.
Two bits of advice for rookie Chicago visitors.
for first-years). There’s a good reason why
of the rabidly beloved Cubs, is just up the
First, snag the window seat. The glittering
the street by which many jurors arrive at the
street. If you prefer neighbors who eschew
skyline rising from the shores of massive
Cook County courthouse is named Philip H.
baseball caps, try trendy Bucktown or boom-
Lake Michigan is one of the architectural
Corboy Way: Personal- injury lawyer Corboy,
ing Wicker Park-both have huge SoHo-esque
wonders of the postindustrial world. Then,
of the litigation boutique Corboy & Deme-
lofts for sale or rent.
on your way in from O’Hare, chat with the
trio, has hundreds of million-dollar verdicts
cabbie, but use the phrase Second City only
and settlements to his name. And scrappy
Hot Restaurants
if you mean to praise the early improv work
Adler, Murphy & McQuillen is known for
The landmark Berghoff Restaurant is a
of Belushi, Murray, et al. Otherwise you’ll get
rolling up its shirtsleeves to defend aircraft
lawyer’s lunch tradition. The butter-smooth
an earful about how Chicago is homier than
manufacturers in air disasters (senior part-
bratwurst is like nothing you’ve ever abused
New York, less flaky than San Francisco, and
ner John W. Adler co-owns a racing plane
your waistline with. MK is the current scene
compared to Los Angeles ... well, screw L.A.
himself). Want to use your legal superpowers
for dinner-the reservation list is full of big-
for good? The Legal Assistance Founda-
name patrons (Sting, Tom Hanks, Benicio
Chicago may trail its coastal cousins in
tion of Metropolitan Chicago is one of the
Del Toro) who come in search of the smoky
glamour, headlines, and supply of Baldwin
nation’s largest providers of free civil legal
grilled quail and delightful desserts. Mirai
brothers, but consider this: The Cook County
services to the poor. For advice on just about
Sushi flies in yummy raw fish daily. Gene &
Circuit Court is the largest unified court
anything, look up legendary trial attorney and
Georgetti is Chi-town’s quintessential steak
system in the nation. The Chicago metro
oracle Michael W. Coffield, whose career-
house.
area boasts 45,000 practicing lawyers and
long hobby has been helping young lawyers
six law schools, two of which (the University
determine the “highest and best uses” for
Hot Tickets
of Chicago and Northwestern) rank among
their skills.
Now that M.J.’s long gone, you’d be lucky to
the nation’s best. The city’s location makes
trade a Bulls ticket for a bus pass. But the
it the business and legal hub of the midwest.
Hot Bars
annual Bears-Packers game (on November
The cost of living is crazy cheap. And besides,
Ghost Bar, an eerily lit lounge with egg-
11 this year), the oldest rivalry in the NFL,
Chicago’s deep-dish pizza makes other
shaped chairs, is the new haunt for hipsters.
is always worth a seat at Soldier Field, even
cities’ taste like Wonder bread dipped in
If Mork and Mindy had owned a bar, this is
in the post-Ditka era. The Art Institute
Clamato. Sorry-did that sound defensive?
what it would have looked like. Spy Bar is the
of Chicago has a track record of sold-out
place to move, with D.J.’s spinning everything
impressionist shows; its main fall event “Van
Hot Jobs
from R&B to light trance. For something less
Gogh and Gauguin: The Studio of the South”
The big-firm experience in Chi-town is as
spooky, infuse with blues at Kingston Mines,
should be no exception. No matter what time
demanding and lucrative as it gets. Home-
a touristy but excellent fixture of the city’s
of year, look for the next John Malkovich or
grown Kirkland & Ellis boasts clients like
famous music scene.
Gary Sinise at the innovative Steppenwolf
and the recent merger between Chicago’s
Hot Neighborhoods
out tomorrow’s Smashing Pumpkins at the
Sidley & Austin and New York’s Brown &
If you’re just out of school and still craving
renowned Metro.
Wood creates a 1,300-lawyer global power-
action, Lincoln Park is the answer. Don’t let
General Motors, Dow Corning, and Motorola,
Theatre (both men started there), or scope
house-the ninth largest firm in the world.
the stately brownstones fool you-on Friday
Hot Shopping
As usual, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &
nights there’s a keg being iced in virtually
If your wallet’s too fat to sit on, Michigan
Flom takes compensation honors ($140,000
every apartment. Rowdy Wrigleyville, home
Avenue offers world-class places (Bloom-
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CAREER COUNSELOR’S CORNER
ingdale’s, Gucci, Louis Vuitton) to empty it. Or head west on Oak Street to drop unwanted green at Prada, Barneys New York, and Kate Spade. For shoes to housewares to cosmetics, take a stroll down eclectic Armitage Avenue in Lincoln Park. In the mood to set off some pacemakers at the firm’s holiday party? P.45 in Bucktown will make you look like a rock star-literally. Local indie queen Liz Phair is a model for the shop. This article originally appeared in the November 2001 issue of JD Jungle.
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