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Saturday, December 3, 2022

With Penn And University Of Washington, 14 Law Schools Are Not Participating In U.S. News Rankings; Georgia Is 4th School To Resist Boycott

With Penn and the University of Washington, 13 law schools (including 10 of the T-14) will not participate in the U.S. News Law School Rankings:

Penn Carey Law, U.S. News Participation:

Penn Logo (2022)After careful consideration, the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School will not submit the U.S. News & World Report institutional survey for this year as part of the ranking process. In the interest of greater transparency, we will make relevant data public so that anyone can see the inputs that make Penn Carey Law a leading law school and how our alumni launch careers in every sector of the legal profession.

As has been expressed and discussed elsewhere, the current U.S. News ranking methodology is unnecessarily secretive and contrary to important parts of the Law School’s mission, including Penn Carey Law’s increasing investment in need-based financial aid and public interest lawyering. We have directly and frankly shared these concerns with U.S. News and hope they will consider significant and meaningful changes in how data are calculated and published.

Tamara F. Lawson (University of Washington), Why UW Law Will Not Participate in U.S. News Rankings:

University of Washington (2023)In consultation with law faculty, institutional leadership, students, alumni and key stakeholders at the university, I have made the decision that the School of Law will no longer participate in the U.S. News and World Report rankings process. We arrived at this decision because the current methodology undercuts our mission, values and commitment to an equitable and inclusive vision for legal education and society.

Since its founding, our school has prided itself on preparing lawyers to work for the public good while expanding access to the legal profession and justice for underserved communities. The rankings undermine these efforts. Instead of rewarding schools that emphasize public interest work, the methodology penalizes them. Instead of incentivizing increased student diversity, the methodology fails to capture the full merit of candidates. The factors used in determining rankings do not weigh the student experience, and, in fact, discourage investments in critical areas such as wellness, experiential learning, interdisciplinary opportunities, cultural competence, and professional development.

I echo the critiques expressed by our public law school peers, such as UC-Berkeley, UCLA, UC-Davis, and UC-Irvine, and also embrace the leadership provided by Yale on this issue. Our school remains committed to transparently sharing relevant data with prospective students and the legal community. We will continue our efforts to foster an environment where all students feel welcome and empowered to thrive.

Our priorities remain clear: an unwavering commitment to public service, a pedagogy grounded in excellence and equity, and an innovative educational experience built on partnerships across our global university. Ultimately, the rankings do not measure the impact and value that the School of Law provides to the world, and we must direct our energy to what truly matters — our students and our ability to prepare the next generation of leaders.

With the University of Georgia, four law schools will not boycott the U.S. News Law School Rankings:

University of Georgia School of Law News, School of Law to Participate in U.S. News Rankings:

Georgia Law LogoSchool of Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge announces the University of Georgia School of Law's intent to participate in the current U.S. News & World Report rankings cycle and provides his views for the school’s decision.

“Agreeing with other law schools about the value of multiple sources of information to students and their families, the University of Georgia School of Law will not withhold information from U.S. News & World Report,” Rutledge said. “U.S. News is ultimately just one source of information among many that help consumers make informed choices. Amid a squabble about a magazine, let’s not lose sight of the big picture: Tuition, cost, debt, jobs and bar passage are the topics that students and their families discuss around the kitchen table when deciding whether and where to pursue a professional degree. Tackling those issues is one of today’s great moral imperatives for leaders in higher education, and what we’re doing by guaranteeing financial aid to all first-generation college graduates and veterans.”

Law.com, No. 29-Ranked University of Georgia School of Law Says It Will Stick With US News Rankings

U.S. News coverage:

Boycott

U.S. News Response to Boycott

https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2022/12/with-penn-and-university-of-washington-13-law-schools-are-not-participating-in-us-news-rankings.html

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