The Most Diverse Law Schools

preLaw, Most Diverse Law Schools:

[W]e honor the nation’s Most Diverse Law Schools, which we do every other year. ... Methodology: Our grades are based on how well each school matches with the U.S. average for each minority population. For students, we look at Asian (which includes native Hawaiian), Black, Hispanic, Caucasian and American Indian populations. For faculty, we compare overall U.S. minority percentages with the percentage of minority faculty. A school receives full credit when it matches the national average and can receive up to 40% added value when its percentage is higher than the national average for each population. Faculty accounts for 25% of the final grade, with each student population accounting for 16.67%, except for American Indian, which accounts for 8.32%. We’ve used this methodology since 2013. All data is from the American Bar Association. ...

The study rewards schools for providing a mix of races. That is why Howard University, with a student body that is 94.2% Black, does not make the list. It’s the top law school in the nation for Black students and racial justice, but it fares poorly when it comes to overall diversity. ...

Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, which just missed our honor roll with a grade of B, recently created a scholarship for students who are graduates of a Historical Black College or University (HBCU). Qualifying students who choose the Malibu, Calif., school get a 50% scholarship. Five will receive full scholarships.  ...

Taking Initiative. “Increasing the diversity of our community has been one of my top priorities as dean. That goal will be supported by improving access to a Pepperdine Caruso Law education for students from historically underrepresented communities. The high cost of legal education is one of the biggest roadblocks these students encounter. My hope is that the establishment of this scholarship guarantee and the Caruso Excellence Scholarships will help overcome that obstacle.” —Paul Caron, dean, Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Pepperdine Caruso Law Builds Pipeline For Historically Underserved Students
• Pepperdine Caruso Law Announces Guaranteed Half To Full Scholarships For Students From Historically Black Colleges And Universities
• Pepperdine Caruso Law Makes Financial Commitment To Black Students