Academic Excellence

Born and raised in Chicago, Evan McLaughlin (LAW '21) decided to pursue law school while earning his bachelor’s degree in political science at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

“In college, I did a lot of reading, writing, and in-depth analysis of political philosophy, policy, economics, etc. and I enjoyed that kind of work, so I thought law school would be a great place to continue doing that,” he recalls.

A few alumni judges and attorneys he knows went to Chicago-Kent and highly recommended the school. He also liked Chicago-Kent’s three-year legal writing program. “Aside from that, I really enjoyed the people I met at Chicago-Kent while I was making my decision,” McLaughlin says. “Since then, I’ve met many more interesting, friendly, and personable people here.”

At Chicago-Kent’s he has excelled. As the full-time student with the highest first-year grades, he earned the 2019 Harold J. and Nancy F. Krent Excellence Award.

In between his first and second years of law school, McLaughlin externed for Judge Margaret Brennan of the Cook County Circuit Court. At the beginning of the second year, he was invited to join the staff of the Chicago-Kent Law Review.

In addition, McLaughlin is a barback at Cork and Kerry, an Irish bar in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood.