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Client Challenge

Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), has become one of the leading law schools in the Midwest, in part on the strength of its curricular innovations, nationally recognized faculty for high quality scholarship and teaching, and strong programs in burgeoning fields such at Intellectual Property. Disinclined to rest on its laurels, Chicago-Kent leadership was determined to continue improving its market position. In concert with IIT’s institution-wide strategic-planning initiative, Chicago-Kent began development of its own strategic plan focused on strengthening its competitive position with regard to student recruitment and career placement. Recognizing that the most effective strategic plans are built on a solid empirical foundation, the Law School turned to Art & Science Group to provide the evidence needed to make sound planning decisions.

Our Approach

We conducted comprehensive qualitative and quantitative market research with prospective law students as well as with the hiring partners and recruitment coordinators at major firms in Chicago and other metropolitan cities across the country. The goal was to understand the impact of various positioning strategies and messages on the recruitment of prospective students and to develop strategies that would increase Chicago-Kent’s interest and appeal to students, as well as its effectiveness in engaging with prospective employers. Throughout the process, we worked closely with the strategic-planning steering committee and shared the results of our work through a series of presentations to the committee and the broader faculty.

The Results

Our research findings helped shape a number of strategic-planning initiatives and guided the development of strategies to enhance regard for the School among prospective students and potential employers. Based on our study, for example, Chicago-Kent pursued efforts to more coherently package its highly reputable skills-based programming and redesigned its web site to present a more connected community.