Paul L. Caron
Dean





Saturday, November 4, 2023

The U.S. News Rankings Of New York's 14 Law Schools

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, A Look at the U.S. News Law School Rankings From NYU to Touro:

US News (2023)The recent law school rankings by U.S. News have delineated a broad spectrum of legal education institutions across New York, with Brooklyn Law School holding its own amidst a highly competitive landscape. The rankings are a testament to the varying academic experiences and opportunities offered  by these institutions:

  1. NYU Law (4)
  2. Columbia Law (8)
  3. Cornell University (13)
  4. Fordham University (29)
  5. St. John’s University (60)
  6. Cardozo University (69)
  7. Albany Law School (105)
  8. Brooklyn Law School (111)
  9. Syracuse University (122)
  10. New York Law School (125)
  11. Pace University (131)
  12. Hofstra University (140)
  13. CUNY School of Law (154)
  14. Touro University (167)

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November 4, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

U.S. News Recalculates Ranking Of 213 Colleges Due To 'Code Anomaly'

Robert Morse (Chief Data Strategist. U.S. News), Corrections to the 2024 Best Colleges Rankings:

US News College (2023)U.S. News has recalculated the numerical ranks of 213 schools due to a code anomaly.

After publication of the 2024 Best Colleges, an anomaly in the code used to output those rankings was discovered. As a result of correcting the anomaly, the rankings of 213 schools have changed from what was published on September 18, 2023. We therefore published updated rankings for those schools on October 27, 2023.

Below is a listing of each school impacted by the anomaly in the code and a notice of what that school’s rank was upon publication and what its rank is after the correction. The schools are sorted by their category and then by their corrected rank. Note that some schools in this list whose individual ranks changed continue to only have their ranking ranges display on usnews.com, which is the practice followed for schools placing in the bottom 10% of the rankings. ...

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November 1, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Scholarship, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

July 2023 Ohio Bar Exam Results: Ohio State #1

July Ohio Bar Exam Results for first-time test-takers by law school:

Bar Pass
Rank (Rate)
School US News Rank
OH (Overall)
  1 (92.0%)  Ohio State 1 (22)
  2 (88.1%)  Cincinnati 3 (84)
  3 (86.3%)  Dayton 4 (111)
  4 (77.9%)  Capital 9 (175)
  5 (76.6%)  Case Western 2 (80)
  6 (73.3%)  Akron 8 (150)
  7 (70.0%)  Toledo 6 (141)
  8 (69.4%)  Cleveland State 4 (111)
  9 (61.3%)  Ohio Northern 7 (146)

Prior TaxProf Blog Coverage:

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October 31, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Harvard Resident Used AI To Create Medical School Ranking Alternative To U.S. News

Inside Higher Ed, AI Med School Rankings Tool Offers Alternative to Traditional Metrics:

As the backlash against traditional college rankings continues to gain momentum, one physician has used artificial intelligence to create an alternative ranking system for prospective medical students.

Instead of relying on U.S. News and World Report’s widely recognized rankings, which consider factors such as medical schools’ research profiles, acceptance rates and the grades and test scores of their students, the new AI-powered ranking tool allows aspiring doctors to include—and choose the weight assigned to—numerous additional factors, such as diversity of students and cost of attendance.

Med School Rankins

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October 31, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Monday, October 2, 2023

After Adding Graduate Debt And Salaries, And Faculty Research, To Its College Rankings, Will U.S. News Overhaul The Law School Rankings Methodology Yet Again?

Following up on my previous post, 2024 U.S. News College Rankings Released With Biggest Methodology Changes In History, Including First-Ever Measure Of Faculty Research

US News College Law School (2023)In the law school rankings released in May, U.S. News made the most significant changes in the methodology in the history of the rankings. Similarly, in the college rankings released in September, U.S. News again made the most significant changes in the methodology in the history of the rankings, including (1) graduate debt, (3) graduate salaries, and (3) faculty research:

Borrower debt (5%; up from 3%) assesses each school's typical average accumulated federal loan debt among borrowers only. Graduates who covered their expenses without borrowing did not help or hurt schools. New this edition, the data was sourced from College Scorecard instead of the U.S. News survey for all schools, and was of median debt instead of mean debt. The calculation averaged 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 data. ...

2. College grads earning more than a high school graduate (5%, new) assessed the proportion of a school's federal loan recipients who in 2019-2020—four years since completing their undergraduate degrees—were earning more than a typical high school graduate salary, as determined by and reported in the College Scorecard. The website documented that the median wage of workers ages 25-34 that self-identify as high school graduates was $32,000 in 2021 dollars. This means the vast majority of jobs utilizing a college degree, even including those not chosen for being in high-paying fields, exceed this threshold. Schools were assigned a perfect score if at least 90% of graduates achieved this threshold, and the remaining schools were assessed by how close they were to 90%. The data only pertained to employed college graduates; meaning nongraduates, or graduates who four years later were in graduate school, working part-time or simply not in the workforce did not help or hurt any school. ...

3. Faculty research (National Universities only):

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October 2, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

2024 U.S. News College Rankings Released With Biggest Methodology Changes In History, Including First-Ever Measure Of Faculty Research

US NewsU.S. News & World Report has released its 2024 College Rankings. In the most recent law school rankings released in May, U.S. News made the most significant changes in the methodology in the history of the rankings. U.S. News followed suit with the most significant changes in the methodology in the history of the college rankings:

U.S. News & World Report made refinements to this year's rankings formula by dropping five longstanding factors, modifying the weights of several other factors, and introducing a few new ones. ...

[S]chools' eligibility to be ranked was not contingent on their participation in U.S. News' surveys. But the vast majority of schools U.S. News surveyed did report data to U.S. News – including 99 of the top 100 ranked National Universities and 97 of the top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges. ...

Five ranking factors totaling 18% of the previous edition's rankings were removed from the formula completely. These factors and their corresponding weights last year were class size (8%), the proportion of a school's faculty with terminal degrees (3%), alumni giving rate (3%), the proportion of graduates borrowing (2%) and high school class standing (2%).

Faculty research (National Universities only): To be grouped in the National Universities ranking, an institution must be classified in the Carnegie Classifications as awarding doctorate-level degrees and conducting at least "moderate research." In alignment with these schools' missions, U.S. News introduced four new faculty research ranking factors based on bibliometric data, such as publications and citations, in partnership with Elsevier. They each reflect a five-year window from 2018-2022 as well as the strength and impact of the faculty instead of the scale of the university.

  • Citations per publication (1.25%) is total citations divided by total publications. This is the average number of citations a university's publications receive. The metrics are extracted from SciVal based on Elsevier’s Scopus® Data.
  • Field weighted citation impact (1.25%) is citation impact per paper, normalized for each field. The metrics are extracted from SciVal based on Elsevier’s Scopus® Data.
  • The share of publications cited in the top 5% of the most cited journals (1%). The metrics are extracted from SciVal based on Elsevier’s Scopus® Data.
  • The share of publications cited in the top 25% of the most cited journals (0.5%). The metrics are extracted from SciVal based on Elsevier’s Scopus® Data.

Universities with fewer than 5,000 total publications over five years were discounted on a sliding scale to reduce outliers based on small cohort sizes, and to require a minimum quantity of research to score well on the factor. Each indicator is calculated at the school level.

In February 2019, U.S. News announced it would publish a law faculty scholarly impact ranking in the 2019 law school rankings based on 5-year citation data from HeinOnline (FAQUpdated FAQAdditional Guidance; A Defense And Explanation Of The U.S. News 'Citation' Ranking). In November 2020, U.S. News announced it would be publishing the scholarly impact ranking in 2021. After much criticism of the proposed ranking, in June 2021 U.S. News abandoned its effort to rank law faculty scholarly impact.

For more on the methodology changes in the 2024 U.S. News college rankings methodology, see:

Here are the Top 25 National Universities:

Rank

National Universities

1

Princeton

2 MIT
3 Harvard
3 Stanford
5 Yale
6 Penn
7 Cal-Tech
7 Duke
9 Brown
9 Johns Hopkins
9 Northwestern
12 Chicago
12 Columbia
12 Cornell
15 UC-Berkeley
15 UCLA
17 Rice
18 Dartmouth
18 Vanderbilt
20 Notre Dame
21 Michigan
22 Georgetown
22 North Carolina
24 Carnegie Mellon
24 Emory
24 Virginia
24 Washington University

Prior Years' U.S. News National University Rankings:

Here are the Top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges:

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September 19, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Do Devout Law Schools Take A Hit In The U.S. News Peer Reputation Rankings?

Following up on last Sunday's post, 2023 Religious Law School RankingsDo Devout Law Schools Take a Hit in the U.S. News Peer Review Rankings, preLaw (Winter 2023):

Devout + PeerLiberty University School of Law ranks No. 1 on our list of Most Devout Law Schools. It also has the dubious distinction of being ranked last in peer assessment by U.S. News & World Report, receiving a score of 1.2 out of 5.

It's not alone. Ave Maria School of Law, which is No. 3 on our list, is tied with Liberty for last place. Regent Law and Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, are not far behind, with a 1.3 in peer assessment. In fact, the 20 schools on our Most Devout list average 1.96 in the peer rank­ing, while the average for all law schools is 2.51. ...

Most all schools of faith seem to see their U.S. News ranking dragged down by peer assessment. Brigham Young University - J. Reuben Clark Law School, for example, is ranked 23rd overall by U.S. News, but it comes in 52nd for peer assessment. It is one of only two schools on our Most Devout list have peer assessments higher than the national average {Pepperdine is the other].

Some law professors feel the poor scores for religious schools is a vestige of religious bigotry. They say it takes longer for schools of faith than it does for other schools to build a strong reputation.

Mike Simkovic, a professor at USC Gould School of Law and longtime com­mentator on the U.S. News rankings, said the peer rankings move slowly. "They probably reflect perceptions based on the past and do not update quickly as schools improve or decline," he said.

Simkovic said it is hard to determine bias in the rankings, and he points to Georgetown University Law Center, Notre Dame Law School and Fordham University School of Law as schools of faith that rank high.

But none of those schools make our Most Devout list.

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September 17, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The Most Diverse Law Schools

Most diverse law schools2preLaw, Most Diverse Law Schools:

Legal education stands at a crossroads. For years, law schools have sought to match enrollment with the real world’s makeup of race, gender and other underrepresented groups.

Yes, the American Bar Association requires law schools to demonstrate a commitment to diversity in both students and faculty. But many schools have gone above and beyond that accreditation requirement.

In 2018, law schools hit a zenith for diversity. With minority enrollment numbers higher than ever, an unprecedented 80 law schools out of 204 made preLaw’s honor roll for diversity. Inclusion on the honor roll was based on how well enrollment matched national averages for various races.

But a different ABA requirement began chipping away at diversity. The ABA passed a new rule stating that law schools must attain a bar passage rate of 75% within two years of graduation.

Several law schools found themselves with bar passage rates either below the mark or dangerously close.

The new standard contributed to the closing of three law schools that had honors for diversity in 2019. Two other law schools dropped ABA accreditation to avoid a similar fate.

The loss of those schools meant a hit to diversity. At the same time, racial protests in 2020 brought diversity to the fore, with law schools doubling down on their commitment to enrolling a diverse student body. Law schools across the nation raised money for scholarships and created endowments to support diversity. 

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September 13, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Monday, September 11, 2023

2023 World Law School Rankings

QS RankingsQuacquarelli Symonds has released the 2023 World Law School Rankings as part of its World University Rankings. The methodology uses five indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, h-index, International Research Network (IRN).  The rankings consist of 352 law schools, 55 in the United States.  Here are the U.S. law schools, along with each school's position in the latest U.S. News rankings):

QS Ranking School US News Ranking
1 Harvard 5
4 Yale 1
5 Stanford 1
6 NYU 5
8 Columbia 8
9 UC-Berkeley 10
10 Chicago 3
21 Georgetown 15
22 UCLA 14
27 Penn 4
29 Duke 5
34 Cornell 13
34 Michigan 10
51 Virginia 8
63 Northwestern 10
74 Texas 16
91 George Washington 35
98 American 89
101-150 Boston University 27
101-150 Notre Dame 27
101-150 UC-Davis 60
101-150 University of Washington 49
151-200 Arizona State 32
151-200 Fordham 29
151-200 Illinois 43
151-200 Michigan State 111
151-200 Penn State-Univ. Park 80
151-200 UC-Irvine 35
151-200 USC 16
151-200 Vanderbilt 16
151-200 Wisconsin 40
201-250 Boston College 29
201-250 Emory 35
201-250 Indiana-Maurer 45
201-250 Minnesota 16
201-250 University of Arizona 54
201-250 Washington University 20
251-300 CUNY 154
251-300 Florida 22
251-300 Florida State 56
251-300 Illinois-Chicago 159
251-300 Miami 71
251-300 North Carolina 22
251-300 Ohio State 22
251-300 San Diego 78
251-300 Tulane 71
301-350 Cincinnati 84
301-350 Colorado 56
301-350 George Mason 32
301-350 Houston 60
301-350 Loyola-Chicago 84
301-350 Northeastern 71
301-350 Temple 54
301-350 Tufts N/A
301-350 William & Mary 45

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September 11, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Sunday, September 10, 2023

2023 Religious Law School Rankings

Most Devout Law Schools Photo + RankingThe Most Devout Law Schools, preLaw (Winter 2023):

Religion has long played a significant role at many of the nation’s law schools. Here we highlight the top 20. ...

While 46 of the nation’s 200 law schools have ties to religious organizations, there is a big difference between them when it comes to acting on that faith.

While the 28 law schools associated with the Catholic religion stay true to a mission of serving the public good and educating the whole person, many provide few, if any, services or curriculum related to faith. And at many of those schools, few students ever talk of faith.

That’s not the case with the schools on our list.

To determine the top 20, we gathered information from the schools and from other sources. We looked at the percentage of students and faculty who belong to the faith; the number of religion-focused courses and other ways the school incorporates faith into its curriculum; religion-related journals, centers and clinics; religious services and clergy at the law school; and the mission of the law school.

This year, for the first time, we present the schools in one ranking, as opposed to best schools by denomination. Liberty University School of Law, a Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia, is No. 1. ... Regent Law practically tied for No. 1 on our list. ...

“The relationship between law and faith affects both what we do and how we do it,” [Regent Dean Brad] Lingo said. “While others might tell students that lawyers are sharks, we teach that lawyers can be healers of conflict. We teach that law, at its best, provides opportunities to walk with someone during what might be one of the darkest, scariest, loneliest times of their lives.” 

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September 10, 2023 in Faith, Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education, Pepperdine Legal Ed | Permalink

Saturday, September 2, 2023

U.S. District Court Dismisses Whistleblower's Claim That Rutgers Created Fake Jobs For Graduates To Raise Business School Ranking

Following up on my previous post, Whistleblower Claims Rutgers Created Fake Jobs For Graduates To Goose Business School Ranking:  Law360,  Rutgers Beats Suit Over Inflated MBA Job Data, For Now:

Rutgers Business (2022)Rutgers University defeated, for now, a proposed class action by a part-time Master of Business Administration student accusing it of inflating its business school's rankings by misrepresenting post-graduate employment statistics, after a New Jersey federal judge found the plaintiff based his claims on a program he wasn't enrolled in.

In a 16-page order issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner dismissed, without prejudice, Lorenzo Budet's proposed class action against Rutgers Business School and Rutgers University, accusing the university system of inflating its rankings in publications like U.S. News & World Report by hiring MBA graduate students for "token permanent positions" through a temp agency called Adecco. ...

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September 2, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

The Best Law Schools For Human Rights Law

Leaders in Human Rights Law, preLaw (Fall 2023):

Leaders in human rights law Protecting human rights is one of the world’s most vexing challenges. Name a nation that hasn’t faced struggles in doing so. Therefore, helping defend human rights around the globe has long been a vital mission of many law schools.

HR 1

Methodology:

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August 29, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Monday, August 14, 2023

The Fall 2023 Admissions Season: Applicants Are Down 1.9%, As Law Schools May Reduce Enrollment Due To Dramatic Changes In U.S. News Rankings Methodology

We are now 100% of the way through Fall 2023 law school admissions season. The number of law school applicants reported by LSAC is down -1.9% compared to last year at this time:

LSAC 1

122 of the 198 law schools are experiencing a decrease in applications. Applications are down -10% or more at 34 law schools:

LSAC 2

Applicants are down the most in New England (-7.0%), Mountain West (-5.8%), and Far West (-5.7%); and are up in Other (+17.7%):

LSAC 3

Applicants' LSAT scores are up +1.6% in the 170-180 band, down -4.0% in the 160-169 band, down -4.5% in the 150-159 band, and up +0.2% in the 120-149 band:

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August 14, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, August 10, 2023

The Best Law Schools For Practical Training

The Best Law Schools For Practical Training, preLaw (Spring 2023):

You may have heard the phrase “Learn by doing.”

Aristotle highlighted this idea when he said, “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”

It’s a theory that speaks to the lovers of hands-on learning and posits that students must interact with their environment to learn best. For many law schools, this theory becomes reality through clinics, externships and simulation courses — or what is commonly known as practical training.

Best schools for practical training

Practical Training Methodology
We graded schools on a number of data points, focusing on key practical training offerings such as clinics, externships, simulation courses, pro bono hours and moot trial participation.

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August 10, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education, Pepperdine Legal Ed | Permalink

Monday, August 7, 2023

Incoming Class Of 2026 Relied Less On The U.S. News Rankings In Choosing A Law School

ABA Journal, Doing Their Homework: These Incoming Law Students Relied Less on School Rankings and More on Other Factors—Including Comfort Level:

For many [law school applicants], the U.S. News & World Report annual law school rankings played a significant role in their decisions—despite longtime criticism from many in legal academia who advise applicants not to rely on the rankings.

Established in 1987, the rankings have historically been able to make or break a law school’s reputation and driven the hiring decisions of elite firms, many of which would hire new lawyers only from top-ranked schools.

But in 2023, rankings critics finally may have gotten their wish: Law school applicants relied less on the list because it was not published until May, and many by then already had taken acceptance offers, which usually arrive between December and April.

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August 7, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Boycotts, Race, And Rankings: Howard Law School's Peculiar Position

Michael Conklin (Angelo State University), Boycotts, Race, Rankings, and Howard Law School's Peculiar Position:

Howard Logo (2022)Novel research was conducted in 2020 to measure disparities between the U.S. News & World Report overall rankings and the peer rankings of law schools. The research uncovered a stark outlier—Howard University School of Law—whose peer rank was consistently twenty to forty spots higher than its overall rank. Another article was published in 2023 using updated rankings data from 2022 and 2023. This update found that the disparity has been growing in severity in recent years. The present Article updates the research with the most recent 2024 data released in May 2023. With Howard’s overall ranking of 125 and peer ranking of forty-nine, the trend of increasingly disparate overall–peer rankings continues.

Because the overall rankings are largely based on objective factors, such as Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, bar passage rates, and after-graduation employment, and the peer ranking is purely subjective, the overall—peer deviation provides valuable insight into potential bias in how law schools are viewed. Howard’s increasingly pronounced disparity between how it is viewed by its peers and its objective performance measures strengthens the original explanation in the 2020 paper: As racial salience increases in society, so does the unique standing of Howard—the most prestigious historically Black college or university (HBCU) law school. This Article investigates potential non-racial explanations that could result in peer rankings that are seventy-six spots above the overall rankings. These include an exceptional law review, use of promotional materials, location, political ideology, notable alumni, professor quality, unwillingness to game the system, and statistical noise. All of these non-racial explanations come up short.

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August 3, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Ed Scholarship, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Constructing Inclusive & Current Scholarship Impact Rankings

Rob Willey (George Mason; Google Scholar), Melanie Knapp (George Mason; Google Scholar) & Ashley Matthews (George Mason), Constructing Inclusive & Current Scholarship Impact Rankings, 44 Women's Rts. L. Rep. 1 (2022): 

Women's rights law reporterMost legal scholarship ranking metrics focus on all-time publications — even rankings that purport to identify the top legal scholars of today, consider decades-old papers in their tabulations. This reliance on all-time publications leads to an underrepresentation of women. It also presents, scholars past their peak publication years as the current leaders in legal scholarship. Given the weight rankings carry within the legal community, skewed rankings could have an impact that extends beyond the exclusion of worthy scholars. Rankings may also affect tenure and career trajectories. Their power means we should do all we can to improve them.

While most legal scholarship rankings underrepresent women, research indicates that within the legal field women tend to be cited at the same or higher rates than men.

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August 1, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Ed Scholarship, Legal Education, Scholarship | Permalink

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Can Law School Rankings Predict Future Career Satisfaction?

Law.com, Can Law School Rankings Predict Future Career Satisfaction?:

US News (2023)Christopher D. Iacono graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School a little over four years ago. In 2019, he said in an interview with my predecessor, Karen Sloan, that U.S. News & World Report Law School Rankings greatly influenced his decision to go to Penn Carey Law instead of to Temple University Beasley School of Law even though Temple has a part-time program and cost less.

Iacono worked as a full time police officer in Philadelphia while attending law school, and said, “At the end of the day, I would have been the same Chris going to Temple as the Chris at Penn. But I was willing to fork out an extra $100,000 and crush my body for three years, probably because of the rankings. If it weren’t for the rankings, I would have gone to Temple. It would have been a no brainer.”

In 2021, Iacono published Legally Unhappy: How US News and Law Schools Have Failed and How This Can Be Fixed How This Can Be Fixed in the Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center Law Review.

“So, US News, here is a guide to fixing the problem. The interviews have been done and the research had been completed; thus, the roadmap has been generated.” Iacono wrote in his paper’s conclusion. “Why not force schools to compete with each other over meaningful categories that ultimately lead to greater professional satisfaction?” ...

On June 15, I had the pleasure of participating in a panel on the U.S. News & World Report Law Rankings during the Association of American Law Schools’ Institutional Advancement conference to see if we could make sense of what has happened with the rankings of late and what the future might hold for them.

Paul L. Caron, dean of Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, was moderator and the two other speakers were William Treanor, dean of Georgetown University Law Center, and Mike Spivey, founder of Spivey Consulting Group. The discussion centered on the changes to U.S. News’ methodology after 63 law schools ceased cooperating with the survey.

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July 29, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, July 27, 2023

The Top 100 Law Schools, Based On 5-, 10-, And 15-Year Rolling Average U.S. News Rankings

Bradley A. Areheart (Tennessee), The Top 100 Law Reviews: A Reference Guide Based on Historical USNWR Data:

US News (2023)The best proxy for how other law professors react and respond to publishing in main, or flagship, law reviews is the US News and World Report (USNWR) rankings. This paper utilizes historical USNWR data to rank the top 100 law reviews. The USNWR rankings are important in shaping many – if not most – law professors’ perceptions about the relative strength of a law school (and derivatively, the home law review). This document contains a chart that is sorted by the 10-year rolling average for each school, but it also contains the 5-year and 15-year rolling averages. This paper also describes my methodology and responds to a series of frequently asked questions. The document was last updated in June 2023.

Here are the Top 75 law schools based on their 5-year rolling average overall U.S. News ranking:

Rank School 5-Year Rank
1 Yale 1.0
2 Stanford 1.8
3 Harvard (4.6) 3.6
4 Chicago (4.5) 3.6
5 Columbia 5.0
6 NYU (4.5) 6.0
7 Penn (4.3) 6.0
8 Virginia 8.0
9 UC-Berkeley 9.4
10 Michigan (4.4) 9.6
11 Duke (4.2) 9.6
12 Northwestern 11.0
13 Cornell 13.0
14 Georgetown 14.0
15 UCLA 15.0
16 Texas 16.0
17 Vanderbilt (3.9) 17.0
18 Washington University (3.7) 17.0
19 USC 18.0
20 Minnesota 20.0
21 Boston University 21.0
22 Notre Dame 23.0
23 Florida 24.0
24 George Washington (3.4) 26.0
24 North Carolina (3.4) 26.0
26 Georgia 27.0
27 Arizona State (3.3) 28.0
28 Alabama (3.2) 28.0
29 Emory (3.4) 29.0
30 Iowa (3.3) 29.0
31 BYU 30.0
32 UC-Irvine (3.4) 31.0
32 Boston College (3.3) 31.0
34 Fordham (3.3) 33.0
35 Ohio State (3.2) 33.0
36 Washington & Lee (3.1) 35.0
37 Wake Forest (3.0) 35.0
37 Illinois (3.0) 35.0
39 William & Mary 36.0
40 Wisconsin 37.0
41 George Mason 38.0
42 UC-Davis 40.0
43 Indiana-Maurer (3.2) 41.0
44 Utah (3.1) 41.0
45 University of Arizona (3.2) 46.0
46 University of Washington (3.1) 46.0
47 Pepperdine 48.0
48 Colorado (3.1) 49.0
49 Maryland (3.0) 49.0
50 Florida State 50.0
51 SMU (2.7) 53.0
52 Baylor (2.5) 53.0
53 Texas A&M (2.9) 54.0
54 Richmond (2.8) 54.0
55 Temple 55.0
56 UC-San Francisco (3.1) 56.0
57 Cardozo (2.9) 56.0
58 Villanova 57.0
59 Tulane 58.0
60 Connecticut (2.9) 59.0
61 Houston (2.7) 59.0
61 Tennessee (2.7) 59.0
63 Kansas 63.0
64 Seton Hall 64.0
65 Loyola-L.A. 65.0
66 Missouri (2.5) 66.0
67 Penn State-University Park (2.4) 66.0
68 UNLV 67.0
69 Northeastern (2.6) 68.0
70 Penn State-Dickinson (2.4) 68.0
71 Miami (2.7) 70.0
72 Kentucky (2.5) 70.0
73 Oklahoma 71.0
74 Wayne State 72.0
75 St. John's 73.0

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July 27, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Ed Scholarship, Legal Education | Permalink

Friday, July 14, 2023

U.S. News Law School Rankings Fraud

Geoffrey Rapp (Toledo), Fraud on the Rankings, 74 Baylor L. Rev. 583 (2022):

US News (2023)The professional school Dean did not take the stand in his own defense, but character witnesses testified that he was a person of integrity. One witness said of the Dean, “I would trust him with my life, my children, my anything.” The Dean was “a ‘magnet, our inspiration,’” a “loyal friend” of “noble character,” and a beloved companion for “long walks on the water” involving “deep conversations . . . on books, movies and other topics.”

The prosecution’s witnesses painted a different view. The Dean “managed through fear and intimidation,” making staff members “tremble” and leaving them “downright scared.” The Dean directed staff members to take questionable positions in reporting data requested in external rankings by ordering staff members to submit inaccurate information about the program. In one case, when a staff member wrote to the Dean to express discomfort with a proposed rankings input submission, the Dean called the staff member in and told her not to send him emails “like this.”

The Dean felt pressure to improve and maintain rankings, as the University’s internal investigation concluded, and this contributed to the reporting of inaccurate information. The professional school viewed rankings as a “key priority” and embraced a “concerted, rankings-focused strategy.” Faculty had been alarmed even before the fraud was revealed that the school had “fostered the culture of pursuing higher rankings at all costs.”

The jury found the less flattering view of the Dean more persuasive. He was found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in “a scheme that falsely boosted the school’s position on the much-revered lists published in U.S. News and World Report.” The Dean faces up to twenty-five years in prison.

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July 14, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Ed Scholarship, Legal Education, Scholarship | Permalink

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

U.S. News Took A Hit On Rankings. Its Competitors Say They’re Doing Just Fine.

Chronicle of Higher Education, ‘U.S. News’ Took a Hit on Rankings. Its Competitors Say They’re Doing Just Fine.:

U.S. News Generic Rankings (2023)Since last fall, as dozens of colleges boycotted U.S. News & World Report’s lists of best lawmedical, and undergraduate programs, other publications and companies that craft college rankings have been watching.

But they’re not worried by what they see. They say their rankings are different. ...

Money magazine is the only college ranker that told The Chronicle it had made changes this year as a result of public criticism of U.S. News. Money published star ratings for colleges for 2024, rather than rankings, a move that some rankings critics have long suggested would be more accurate and helpful to prospective students.

Leaders at Forbes, Niche, the Princeton Review, QS, and Times Higher Education all said they had no plans to change their ways because of the U.S. News rankings revolt of 2022-23. ...

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July 11, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Muller: Law Schools Should Rethink Admissions In Light Of The U.S. News Rankings Methodology Changes

Derek T. Muller (Notre Dame; Google Scholar), Law Schools Have an Extraordinary Moment to Rethink Law School Admissions in Light of USNWR Methodology Changes:

US News (2023)The USNWR law rankings undoubtedly affect law school admissions decisions. A decade ago, I chronicled how law schools pursue lower-quality students (as measured by predicting first year law school GPA) to achieve higher median LSAT and UGPA scores to benefit their USNWR status.

While there is a lot of churn around the world of graduate school admissions at the moment—”test optional” or alternative testing policies, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, among other things—there’s a tremendous opportunity for law schools in light of the changes in the USNWR methodology changes. Opportunity—but also potential cost.

Let’s revisit how USNWR has changed its methodology. It has dramatically increased weight to outputs (employment and bar passage). It has dramatically decreased weight to inputs (LSAT and UGPA). Peer score also saw a significant decline.

But it’s not just the weight in those categories. It’s also the distribution of scores within each category. ...

Moving from 100 to 50 in employment is larger than the gap between a 153 median LSAT score and a 175 LSAT score (category (7)). It’s larger than an incoming class with a 3.42 median UGPA and a 3.95 UGPA (category (8)). It’s the equivalent of seeing your peer score rise from a 1.8 to a 2.9 (category (4)).

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July 6, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Fordham Dean Diller: New U.S. News Law School Rankings Methodology Is 'Deeply Problematic'

National Law Journal Op-Ed:  Problem Not Solved: A Closer Look at the New US News Law School Ranking Formula, by Matthew Diller (Dean, Fordham):

US News (2023)My school benefited from the new U.S. News & World Report law school ranking formula [Fordham ranks #29 this year, up from #37 last year], and I still don’t like it.

After more than six months of intense scrutiny and debate, the rankings will hopefully recede into the background, seen as just another data point in the constellation of information and opinions about law schools. But before we move on, I wanted to offer a few observations about the new formula unveiled this spring and why going forward the rankings should continue to draw skepticism.

U.S. News has stressed that its new formula emphasizes employment-related outcomes to a much greater degree than had been the case. Indeed, the metrics around employment and bar passage now make up almost 60% of a school’s score. At first blush, this seems to make perfect sense—prospective students care deeply about both of these things and the ability of a school to successfully launch students’ legal careers is obviously critical. However, the way that U.S. News focuses on these two issues is deeply problematic. ...

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July 1, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Muller: Academic Attrition And The U.S. News Law School Rankings

Derek Muller (Iowa; Google Scholar), USNWR Should Considering Incorporating Academic Attrition Rates to Offset Perverse Incentives in New Methodology:

US News (2023)Last year, 41 schools have 0 students who faced academic attrition. Another 70 schools had academic attrition at less than 1% of the law school’s overall total JD enrollment. ...

USNWR has now done a few things that make academic attrition much more attractive to law schools.

First, it has devalued admissions statistics. ...

Second, it has dramatically increased the value of outputs, including the bar exam and employment outcomes. Again, a sensible result. But if schools can improve their outputs by graduating fewer students ... the temptation to dismiss students grows. That is, if the most at-risk students are dismissed, the students who have the lowest likelihood of passing the bar exam and the most challenging time securing employment are out of the schools “outputs” cohort. ...

I would submit that USNWR should consider incorporating academic attrition data into its law school rankings. As it is, its college rankings consider six-year graduation rates and first-year retention rates. (Indeed, it also has a predicted graduation rate, which it could likewise construct here.) While transfers out usually reflect the best law students in attrition, and “other” attrition can likely be attributed to personal or other idiosyncratic circumstances, academic attrition reflects the school’s decision to dismiss some students rather than help them navigate the rest of the law program. Indeed, from a consumer information perspective, this is important information for a prospective law student—if I enter the program, what are the odds that I’ll continue in the program?

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June 28, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Monday, June 19, 2023

Forward Looking Academic Impact Rankings For All U.S. Law Schools

Following up on my previous post, The Most-Cited Law Faculties: Sisk-Leiter (Westlaw) v. Sag (HeinOnline):  Matthew Sag (Emory; Google Scholar), Forward Looking Academic Impact Rankings for U.S. Law Schools, 51 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. ___ (2023):

Although the very concept of law school rankings is currently under fire, rankings abolitionism is misplaced. Given the number, diversity, and geographic dispersion of the more than 190 law schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association, rankings are essential to enable various stakeholders to make comparisons between schools. However, the current rankings landscape is dire. The U.S News law school rankings rely on poorly designed, highly subjective surveys to gauge “reputational strength,” rather than looking to easily available, objective citation data that is more valid and reliable. Would-be usurpers of U.S. News use better data, but make other arbitrary choices that limit and distort their rankings. One flaw common to U.S. News and those who would displace it is the fetishization of minor differences in placement that do not reflect actual differences in substance. This information is worse than trivial: it is actively misleading. This Article proposes a new set of law school rankings free from all of these defects.

The Forward-Looking Academic Impact Rankings (“FLAIR rankings”) introduced in this Article are based on data that shows how many times law review articles by each of 5,139 individual faculty members at 191 American law schools have been cited by other law review articles in the last five years. The FLAIR rankings can be used as an objective guide to the relative academic impact of law schools, or as a component in broader objective rankings. The FLAIR rankings are based on publicly available, reliable, and objective data obtained from law school websites and the research platform, HeinOnline. The FLAIR rankings include all fully ABA accredited law schools, unlike alternative rankings of academic influence that are selective, often arbitrarily so. Moreover, the FLAIR rankings are designed to impart meaningful information by clustering schools into tiers based on their distance from the mean of all schools and deemphasizing ordinal rankings. Thus, the FLAIR rankings enable readers to make rational comparisons between law schools, rather than simply creating a hierarchy for hierarchy’s sake.

FLAIR Tier 1

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June 19, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, June 15, 2023

U.S. News Law School Rankings Panel At Today's AALS Institutional Advancement Conference

AALS

I am moderating the final panel today at the first-ever AALS Institutional Advancement Conference: Making a Difference in a Changing World (registration):

U.S. News Law Rankings (4:30 PM ET)
It’s a whole new world with changes to the US News Law Rankings. Or is it? We’ll hear from those who are covering the U.S. News changes and are grappling with what it all means for law schools.

Moderator:  Paul L. Caron, Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean and Professor of Law, Pepperdine University, Caruso School of Law

Speakers:

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June 15, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Conferences, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education, Pepperdine Legal Ed | Permalink

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Muller Critiques The 7% Weighting Of Ultimate 2-Year Bar Passage Rates In The U.S. News Law School Rankings

Following up on my previous post, Methodology Changes In The New 2024 U.S. News Law School Rankings:  Derek Muller (Iowa; Google Scholar), Does a School's "Ultimate Bar Passage" Rate Relate to That School's Quality?:

US News (2023)With a loss of data that USNWR used to use to assess the quality of law schools, USNWR had to rely on ABA data. And it was already assessing one kind of outcome, first-time bar passage rate.

It introduced “ultimate bar passage” rate as a factor in this year’s methodology, with a whopping 7% of the total score. That’s higher than the median LSAT score now. It’s also much higher than the at-graduation [jobs] rate in previous methodologies (4%). ...

The ABA’s “ultimate” standard is simply a floor for accreditation purposes. Very few schools fail this standard. The statistic, and the cutoff, are designed for a minimal test of whether the law school is functioning appropriately, at a very basic level. (It’s also a bit circular, as I’ve written about—why does the ABA need to accredit schools separate and apart from the bar exam if it’s referring to accreditation standards as passing the bar exam?) ...

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June 8, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

ABA Journal: Omnibus Law School Specialty Rankings Based On U.S. News Data

ABA Journal, These Law Schools Did Best in Blog's 'Omnibus Specialty Rankings' Based on US News Data:

US News (2023)The best law school for its showing in specialty rankings by U.S. News & World Report is Georgetown University, according to “omnibus specialty rankings” devised by a law dean.

The Georgetown University Law Center was ranked No. 15 in overall law school rankings by U.S. News & World Report. ... But Paul L. Caron, dean of the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, looked at how well law schools did in 13 separate specialty rankings by U.S. News & World Report to put together his omnibus specialty rankings for 100 law schools, which he published at the TaxProf Blog. The top 10 law schools for their performance in the specialty rankings are:
1. Georgetown University (tied for first for clinical law and had an average ranking of 10 in all 13 specialties)

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June 6, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Friday, June 2, 2023

2024 U.S. News Omnibus Specialty Rankings v. Overall Rankings

Following up on yesterday's post, 2024 U.S. News Omnibus Specialty Rankings:

Here are the law schools whose U.S. News Omnibus Specialty Ranking most exceeds their overall U.S. News Ranking:

  School Specialty Rank Overall Rank Difference
1 Santa Clara 77 158 +81
2 Brooklyn* 46 111 +65
3 Illinois-Chicago 97 159 +62
3 Suffolk 71 133 +62
5 American* 28 89 +61
6 Howard 66 125 +59
7 Hofstra 82 140 +58
8 Widener (DE) 119 175 +56
9 Denver 25 80 +55
10 Rutgers* 57 109 +52
11 CUNY 104 154 +50
11 Mitchell | Hamline* 117 167 +50
13 Syracuse* 75 122 +47
14 Pacific 95 141 +46
15 UC-San Francisco* 18 60 +42
15 UNLV 47 89 +42
17 Baltimore 96 135 +39
18 UC-Davis* 22 60 +38
19 Nova 134 171 +37
20 Missouri-Kansas City 99 135 +36
21 Golden Gate 145 180 +35
22 Pace 98 131 +33
23 Loyola-Chicago* 53 84 +31
23 Willamette 124 155 +31
25 Hawaii 105 135 +30
25 San Diego 48 78 +30
25 San Francisco* 135 165 +30
28 Chicago-Kent 70 99 +29
28 South Texas* 133 162 +29
30 Seattle* 83 111 +28
31 DePaul 108 135 +27
31 Houston 33 60 +27
31 Michigan State 84 111 +27
31 Vermont 137 164 +27
35 Creighton* 130 155 +25
36 Cal-Western* 151 175 +24
36 Case Western 56 80 +24
36 Temple 30 54 +24
36 UC-Irvine* 11 35 +24
40 District of Columbia 158 180 +22
40 George Washington 13 35 +22
42 Catholic 101 122 +21
43 Miami 51 71 +20
44 Indiana (McKinney) 80 99 +19
45 University of Arizona 36 54 +18
45 Widener (PA) 141 159 +18
47 Fordham 12 29 +17
47 Maryland* 34 51 +17
49 Loyola-L.A. 44 60 +16
49 North Dakota 164 180 +16

Here are the law schools whose U.S. News Omnibus Specialty Ranking most trails their overall U.S. News Ranking:

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June 2, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, June 1, 2023

2024 U.S. News Omnibus Specialty Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings include the rankings for 13 specialty programs at 196 law schools. Here are the Top 100 law schools, determined by giving equal weight to each of the 13 separate specialty rankings:

  1. Business/Corporate Law
  2. Clinical Law
  3. Constitutional Law
  4. Contracts/Commercial Law
  5. Criminal Law
  6. Dispute Resolution
  7. Environmental Law
  8. Health Care Law
  9. Intellectual Property Law
  10. International Law
  11. Legal Writing
  12. Tax Law
  13. Trial Advocacy

  School 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Avg.
1 Georgetown* 12 1 15 14 4 21 12 6 7 5 8 3 22 10.0
2 Harvard* 1 13 1 3 2 1 9 6 19 3 121 13 37 17.6
3 Northwestern* 14 6 15 11 15 7 44 41 22 18 21 4 31 19.2
4 Michigan* 9 9 9 8 12 34 37 17 14 10 8 10 74 19.3
5 Stanford* 4 19 3 3 2 11 9 5 1 10 104 13 68 19.4
6 UC-Berkeley* 4 13 5 5 7 29 3 39 1 7 122 24 15 21.1
7 UCLA* 9 25 12 8 12 34 4 19 9 15 115 7 6 21.2
8 NYU* 4 5 5 5 1 29 4 52 3 1 104 1 68 21.7
9 Duke* 15 25 12 14 4 34 15 29 9 18 84 10 80 26.8
10 Virginia* 8 69 5 8 7 21 26 46 22 10 46 5 80 27.2
11 UC-Irvine* 47 6 24 35 25 43 32 35 9 25 8 6 80 28.8
12 Fordham 19 9 35 19 17 15 61 79 22 18 52 24 6 28.9
13 Columbia* 1 25 8 2 4 26 7 52 19 2 118 7 108 29.2
13 George Washington 32 34 35 54 30 34 12 20 4 7 46 24 47 29.2
13 Texas 19 34 9 14 22 16 39 46 18 25 84 16 37 29.2
16 Yale* 9 4 2 11 12 34 26 15 46 3 115 22 96 30.4
17 Penn* 4 25 12 5 7 34 42 20 14 18 110 18 96 31.2
18 UC-San Francisco* 36 22 29 29 36 11 18 11 31 25 122 18 24 31.7
19 Arizona State 44 45 35 38 36 14 19 14 46 25 4 36 74 33.1
20 Washington University 22 9 21 19 22 18 71 26 36 25 122 40 24 35.0
21 Cornell* 15 51 9 14 22 29 55 52 28 15 68 36 80 36.5
22 Ohio State 44 78 24 35 15 2 42 15 51 58 32 50 40 37.4
22 UC-Davis* 22 59 17 38 17 32 17 39 22 23 122 31 47 37.4
24 North Carolina 29 34 21 18 17 68 32 35 60 58 13 24 80 37.6
25 Denver 68 9 57 64 30 43 19 61 51 35 13 46 6 38.6
26 Vanderbilt* 12 45 17 13 7 34 7 46 28 18 122 62 96 39.0
27 Boston University 19 59 24 29 36 60 61 1 9 25 98 13 80 39.5
28 American* 60 1 57 64 30 64 44 20 7 5 104 50 15 40.1
29 Minnesota 22 25 24 19 30 68 32 26 42 23 68 22 126 40.5
30 Florida 25 69 29 38 45 18 19 46 67 58 68 2 59 41.8
30 Temple 60 59 57 38 61 68 71 17 46 10 25 29 2 41.8
32 Chicago 1 34 3 1 7 68 71 67 36 9 118 7 126 42.2
33 Houston 47 69 86 47 50 68 26 9 6 53 21 44 24 42.3
34 Maryland* 60 13 48 72 36 9 19 6 46 47 98 68 40 43.2
35 Emory 25 89 29 23 36 50 58 29 31 38 42 81 35 43.5
36 University of Arizona 36 45 35 59 45 34 39 29 67 38 8 62 80 44.4
37 Georgia 29 34 42 29 61 50 71 41 74 15 77 50 13 45.1
38 Boston College 25 34 35 25 61 60 44 41 42 38 52 16 139 47.1
39 University of Washington* 54 34 65 54 25 43 19 52 28 47 16 44 139 47.7
40 William & Mary 29 89 17 25 20 68 44 94 46 25 52 68 47 48.0
41 Wake Forest 47 89 48 38 36 68 55 20 74 67 5 62 40 49.9
42 USC 17 89 35 19 36 64 19 61 42 75 113 24 64 50.6
43 Indiana (Maurer) 36 89 42 47 45 68 32 46 36 25 52 18 126 50.9
44 Loyola-L.A. 54 69 65 59 30 60 125 52 51 67 32 10 5 52.2
45 Notre Dame 32 69 17 29 50 68 61 94 60 25 84 46 47 52.5
46 Brooklyn* 32 34 42 38 20 68 131 83 92 47 16 40 47 53.1
47 UNLV 66 34 65 45 50 9 80 41 60 90 2 46 108 53.5
48 San Diego 36 106 21 47 30 68 71 52 22 58 122 18 47 53.7
49 Colorado 47 78 53 54 25 68 15 79 36 58 68 50 80 54.7
49 Texas A&M 68 51 79 47 119 7 32 67 9 58 32 62 80 54.7
51 Miami 54 25 53 54 84 50 39 67 67 25 98 40 68 55.7
51 Wisconsin* 44 59 29 25 36 68 44 67 81 42 90 31 108 55.7
53 Loyola-Chicago* 74 59 57 95 73 43 88 4 74 58 46 50 13 56.5
54 Georgia State 78 19 42 72 50 67 103 1 42 67 122 50 24 56.7
55 SMU 47 51 79 64 36 50 80 29 60 42 104 50 47 56.8
56 Case Western 66 59 57 72 84 68 44 11 60 10 46 119 47 57.2
57 Rutgers* 92 19 57 64 50 68 80 41 81 53 16 68 68 58.2
58 Florida State 47 106 29 29 50 68 19 52 60 75 122 36 74 59.0
59 Tulane* 32 45 74 47 45 43 26 94 60 35 122 50 108 60.1
60 Washington & Lee 36 45 53 45 50 68 80 61 74 42 77 40 126 61.3
61 Utah 54 89 42 72 25 68 12 25 31 35 122 68 166 62.2
62 Alabama 47 51 24 35 50 68 101 67 105 90 90 36 47 62.4
63 Pepperdine Caruso 54 34 53 59 84 2 113 103 88 53 110 29 59 64.7
64 Villanova 68 51 65 64 73 68 101 61 67 84 68 31 47 65.2
65 Iowa 25 59 48 23 61 68 88 67 51 58 110 50 158 66.6
66 Howard 92 34 74 47 45 68 125 103 51 50 52 109 40 68.5
67 Illinois 36 89 29 25 61 43 80 83 51 67 122 68 139 68.7
68 Cardozo 60 83 48 54 25 5 131 118 14 84 122 46 108 69.1
69 Seton Hall 92 89 65 59 68 68 71 11 74 80 122 50 64 70.2
70 Chicago-Kent 92 114 86 72 68 68 103 67 14 90 32 99 9 70.3
71 Suffolk 125 17 140 95 84 26 103 52 31 90 5 119 31 70.6
72 Northeastern* 140 22 86 144 61 68 94 9 36 67 21 91 80 70.7
73 BYU 17 133 48 38 68 50 71 118 74 58 122 31 96 71.1
74 Oregon 60 114 74 80 84 11 9 118 92 67 1 68 166 72.6
75 Syracuse* 100 106 79 95 61 68 80 67 67 90 42 81 15 73.2
76 Pittsburgh* 78 89 65 80 73 68 80 29 51 50 122 31 139 73.5
77 Santa Clara 74 89 107 80 84 68 94 113 4 42 52 74 96 75.2
78 South Carolina 60 25 97 80 73 68 71 79 123 127 122 50 15 76.2
79 Richmond 74 89 35 95 50 68 58 118 31 75 122 50 126 76.2
80 Indiana (McKinney) 92 106 97 87 84 68 103 20 92 67 16 74 108 78.0
81 Tennessee 36 22 57 47 94 68 103 61 117 175 46 81 108 78.1
82 Hofstra 78 89 86 109 73 50 138 83 81 103 42 74 22 79.1
83 Seattle* 92 25 107 95 50 68 61 103 92 75 8 91 166 79.5
84 George Mason 36 133 42 29 94 68 125 135 22 90 122 74 64 79.5
84 Michigan State 68 83 74 64 108 21 94 135 67 67 90 99 64 79.5
86 Drexel 92 51 97 121 94 68 157 29 92 84 25 119 15 80.3
87 Stetson 125 89 107 80 94 18 88 94 130 127 3 91 1 80.5
88 Lewis & Clark 125 51 79 109 73 68 2 135 88 75 16 119 108 80.6
89 St. John's* 87 106 65 64 84 50 131 113 92 90 25 109 37 81.0
90 New Mexico 100 17 86 87 94 68 26 83 130 116 52 90 126 82.7
91 Wayne State 100 69 97 80 73 68 94 46 130 53 122 81 80 84.1
92 Connecticut* 68 89 57 87 73 68 88 79 105 53 90 81 166 84.9
93 Kansas 78 106 65 72 108 26 44 135 105 84 68 91 139 86.2
94 St. Louis 125 69 79 72 94 68 145 1 81 119 68 74 139 87.2
95 Pacific 100 114 120 121 108 34 94 135 130 38 32 119 9 88.8
96 Baltimore 140 6 107 144 68 60 61 103 88 90 77 81 139 89.5
97 Illinois-Chicago 116 78 140 95 149 68 131 118 51 103 25 99 24 92.1
98 Pace 116 106 131 144 94 68 1 94 130 103 122 74 24 92.8
99 Missouri-Kansas City 87 114 120 95 94 68 118 94 105 127 13 119 59 93.3
100 Penn State-Dickinson* 87 78 115 87 108 68 61 52 92 80 122 109 158 93.6

If anyone at a law school outside the Top 100 would like the data for their school's rank, email me.

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June 1, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

2024 U.S. News Trial Advocacy Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Trial Advocacy Rankings include the trial advocacy programs at 196 law schools (the faculty survey had a 59% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.4 Stetson
2 4.3 Temple
3 4.2 Baylor
4 3.9 Samford
5 3.8 Loyola-L.A.
6 3.7 Denver
6 3.7 Fordham
6 3.7 UCLA*
9 3.6 Chicago-Kent
9 3.6 Pacific
9 3.6 South Texas*
12 3.5 St. Mary's
13 3.3 Georgia
13 3.3 Loyola-Chicago*
15 3.2 American*
15 3.2 Campbell*
15 3.2 Drexel
15 3.2 Mercer
15 3.2 South Carolina
15 3.2 Syracuse*
15 3.2 UC-Berkeley*
22 3.1 Georgetown*
22 3.1 Hofstra
24 3.0 Akron
24 3.0 Georgia State
24 3.0 Houston
24 3.0 Illinois-Chicago
24 3.0 Pace
24 3.0 UC-San Francisco*
24 3.0 Washington University
31 2.9 Northwestern*
31 2.9 Nova
31 2.9 Quinnipiac*
31 2.9 Suffolk
35 2.8 Emory
35 2.8 Louisiana State
37 2.7 Harvard*
37 2.7 St. John's*
37 2.7 Texas
40 2.6 Catholic
40 2.6 Howard
40 2.6 Inter-American (PR)*
40 2.6 Maryland*
40 2.6 Ohio State
40 2.6 Texas Tech
40 2.6 Wake Forest
47 2.5 Alabama
47 2.5 Brooklyn*
47 2.5 Case Western
47 2.5 George Washington
47 2.5 Notre Dame
47 2.5 Ohio Northern
47 2.5 San Diego
47 2.5 SMU
47 2.5 South Dakota
47 2.5 UC-Davis*
47 2.5 Villanova
47 2.5 William & Mary

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Trial Advocacy Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 31, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

2024 U.S. News Legal Writing Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Legal Writing Rankings include the legal writing programs at 121 law schools (the faculty survey had a 63% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.3 Oregon
2 4.2 UNLV
3 4.1 Stetson
4 4.0 Arizona State
5 3.9 Suffolk
5 3.9 Wake Forest
7 3.8 Nova
8 3.7 Georgetown*
8 3.7 Michigan*
8 3.7 Seattle*
8 3.7 UC-Irvine*
8 3.7 University of Arizona
13 3.6 Denver
13 3.6 Missouri-Kansas City
13 3.6 North Carolina
16 3.5 Brooklyn*
16 3.5 Indiana (McKinney)
16 3.5 Lewis & Clark
16 3.5 Rutgers*
16 3.5 University of Washington*
21 3.4 Houston
21 3.4 Mercer
21 3.4 Northeastern*
21 3.4 Northwestern*
25 3.3 Drake
25 3.3 Drexel
25 3.3 Illinois-Chicago
25 3.3 St. John's*
25 3.3 Temple
25 3.3 Washburn
25 3.3 Wyoming
32 3.2 Arkansas-Fayetteville
32 3.2 Chicago-Kent
32 3.2 Duquesne
32 3.2 Hawaii
32 3.2 Loyola-L.A.
32 3.2 Marquette
32 3.2 Ohio State
32 3.2 Pacific
32 3.2 Texas A&M
32 3.2 Texas Tech
42 3.1 Elon
42 3.1 Emory
42 3.1 Hofstra
42 3.1 Syracuse*
46 3.0 Case Western
46 3.0 George Washington
46 3.0 Loyola-Chicago*
46 3.0 Tennessee
46 3.0 Virginia*
46 3.0 Willamette

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Legal Writing Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 30, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Duquesne, FIU, Kansas, Oklahoma, And Texas A&M Are Among The Biggest U.S. News Law School Rankings Winners

Following up on my previous post, The Law Schools Most Impacted By The Methodology Changes In The 2024 U.S. News Rankings:  Law.com, Ahead of the Curve: Some Law Schools Are Happy About the US News Rankings:

US News (2023)In last week’s column, I questioned whether the 63 schools that boycotted the Best Law Schools list, along with the massive amount of unflattering press those moves garnered for U.S. News, would put a dent in the rankings’ reputation.

This week, though, I want to look at some of the institutions that performed particularly well in the rankings, which were finally released on May 11, and show that not every law school is unhappy with U.S. News.

Texas A&M University School of Law, for example, now ranks 29th nationally—tied with Boston College Law School and Fordham Law School—one of the fastest and furthest increases in U.S. News law school rankings history, according to an announcement put out by the school. The school rose 17 spots from No. 46 last year. The previous year, it had been tied for No. 53.

This year, 15 law schools increased by 20 or more spots as compared to last year’s rankings. and among the top 50, the University of Kansas School of Law rose to tied at 40th up from tied at 67th last year.

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May 27, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Friday, May 26, 2023

2024 U.S. News International Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News International Law Rankings include the international law programs at 174 law schools (the faculty survey had a 53% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.6 NYU*
2 4.4 Columbia*
3 4.3 Harvard*
3 4.3 Yale*
5 4.2 American*
5 4.2 Georgetown*
7 4.1 George Washington
7 4.1 UC-Berkeley*
9 4.0 Chicago
10 3.9 Case Western
10 3.9 Michigan*
10 3.9 Stanford*
10 3.9 Temple
10 3.9 Virginia*
15 3.8 Cornell*
15 3.8 Georgia
15 3.8 UCLA*
18 3.6 Duke*
18 3.6 Fordham
18 3.6 Northwestern*
18 3.6 Penn*
18 3.6 Vanderbilt*
23 3.5 Minnesota
23 3.5 UC-Davis*
25 3.4 Arizona State
25 3.4 Boston University
25 3.4 Indiana (Maurer)
25 3.4 Miami
25 3.4 Notre Dame
25 3.4 Texas
25 3.4 UC-Irvine*
25 3.4 UC-San Francisco*
25 3.4 Washington University
25 3.4 William & Mary
35 3.3 Denver
35 3.3 Tulane*
35 3.3 Utah
38 3.2 Boston College
38 3.2 Emory
38 3.2 Pacific
38 3.2 University of Arizona
42 3.1 Florida Int'l
42 3.1 Santa Clara
42 3.1 SMU
42 3.1 Washington & Lee
42 3.1 Wisconsin*
47 3.0 Brooklyn*
47 3.0 Maryland*
47 3.0 University of Washington*
50 2.9 Hawaii
50 2.9 Howard
50 2.9 Pittsburgh*

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News International Law Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 26, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, May 25, 2023

2024 U.S. News Intellectual Property Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Intellectual Property Law Rankings include the intellectual property law programs at 196 law schools (the faculty survey had a 57% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.8 Stanford*
1 4.8 UC-Berkeley*
3 4.4 NYU*
4 4.1 George Washington
4 4.1 Santa Clara
6 3.8 Houston
7 3.7 American*
7 3.7 Georgetown*
9 3.6 Boston University
9 3.6 Duke*
9 3.6 Texas A&M
9 3.6 UC-Irvine*
9 3.6 UCLA*
14 3.5 Cardozo
14 3.5 Chicago-Kent
14 3.5 Michigan*
14 3.5 Penn*
18 3.4 Texas
19 3.3 Columbia*
19 3.3 Harvard*
19 3.3 New Hampshire*
22 3.2 Fordham
22 3.2 George Mason
22 3.2 Northwestern*
22 3.2 San Diego
22 3.2 UC-Davis*
22 3.2 Virginia*
28 3.1 Cornell*
28 3.1 University of Washington*
28 3.1 Vanderbilt*
31 3.0 Emory
31 3.0 Richmond
31 3.0 Suffolk
31 3.0 UC-San Francisco*
31 3.0 Utah
36 2.9 Chicago
36 2.9 Colorado
36 2.9 DePaul
36 2.9 Indiana (Maurer)
36 2.9 Northeastern*
36 2.9 Washington University
42 2.8 Boston College
42 2.8 Georgia State
42 2.8 Minnesota
42 2.8 USC
46 2.7 Arizona State
46 2.7 Maryland*
46 2.7 Temple
46 2.7 William & Mary
46 2.7 Yale*

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Intellectual Property Law Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 25, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

2024 U.S. News Health Care Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Health Care Law Rankings include the health care law programs at 189 law schools (the faculty survey had a 52% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.3 Boston University
1 4.3 Georgia State
1 4.3 St. Louis
4 4.1 Loyola-Chicago*
5 4.0 Stanford*
6 3.9 Georgetown*
6 3.9 Harvard*
6 3.9 Maryland*
9 3.8 Houston
9 3.8 Northeastern*
11 3.7 Case Western
11 3.7 Seton Hall
11 3.7 UC-San Francisco*
14 3.6 Arizona State
15 3.5 Ohio State
15 3.5 Yale*
17 3.3 Michigan*
17 3.3 Temple
19 3.2 UCLA*
20 3.1 American*
20 3.1 George Washington
20 3.1 Indiana (McKinney)
20 3.1 Penn*
20 3.1 Wake Forest
25 3.0 Utah
26 2.9 Minnesota
26 2.9 Mitchell | Hamline*
26 2.9 Washington University
29 2.8 Drexel
29 2.8 Duke*
29 2.8 Emory
29 2.8 Pittsburgh*
29 2.8 SMU
29 2.8 University of Arizona
35 2.7 DePaul
35 2.7 North Carolina
35 2.7 Nova
35 2.7 UC-Irvine*
39 2.6 UC-Berkeley*
39 2.6 UC-Davis*
41 2.5 Boston College
41 2.5 Georgia
41 2.5 Northwestern*
41 2.5 Rutgers*
41 2.5 UNLV
46 2.4 Florida
46 2.4 Indiana (Maurer)
46 2.4 Texas
46 2.4 Vanderbilt*
46 2.4 Virginia*
46 2.4 Wayne State

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Health Care Law Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 24, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

2024 U.S. News Environmental Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Environmental Law Rankings include the environmental law programs at 195 law schools (the faculty survey had a 59% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.6 Pace
2 4.5 Lewis & Clark
3 4.4 UC-Berkeley*
4 4.3 NYU*
4 4.3 UCLA*
4 4.3 Vermont
7 4.1 Columbia*
7 4.1 Vanderbilt*
9 4.0 Harvard*
9 4.0 Oregon
9 4.0 Stanford*
12 3.9 George Washington
12 3.9 Georgetown*
12 3.9 Utah
15 3.8 Colorado
15 3.8 Duke*
17 3.7 UC-Davis*
18 3.6 UC-San Francisco*
19 3.5 Arizona State
19 3.5 Denver
19 3.5 Florida
19 3.5 Florida State
19 3.5 Maryland*
19 3.5 University of Washington*
19 3.5 USC
26 3.4 Hawaii
26 3.4 Houston
26 3.4 New Mexico
26 3.4 Tulane*
26 3.4 Virginia*
26 3.4 Yale*
32 3.3 Indiana (Maurer)
32 3.3 Minnesota
32 3.3 North Carolina
32 3.3 Texas A&M
32 3.3 UC-Irvine*
37 3.2 Michigan*
37 3.2 Montana
39 3.1 Miami
39 3.1 Texas
39 3.1 University of Arizona
42 3.0 Ohio State
42 3.0 Penn*
44 2.9 American*
44 2.9 Boston College
44 2.9 Case Western
44 2.9 CUNY
44 2.9 Kansas
44 2.9 Loyola-New Orleans*
44 2.9 Northwestern*
44 2.9 Widener (DE)
44 2.9 William & Mary
44 2.9 Wisconsin*
44 2.9 Wyoming

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Environmental Law Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 23, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Monday, May 22, 2023

2024 U.S. News Dispute Resolution Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Dispute Resolution Rankings include the dispute resolution programs at 67 law schools (the faculty survey had a 56% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.5 Harvard*
2 4.4 Ohio State
2 4.4 Pepperdine Caruso
4 4.3 Missouri (Columbia)
5 4.2 Cardozo
5 4.2 Mitchell | Hamline*
7 4.0 Northwestern*
7 4.0 Texas A&M
9 3.9 Maryland*
9 3.9 UNLV
11 3.8 Oregon
11 3.8 Stanford*
11 3.8 UC-San Francisco*
14 3.7 Arizona State
15 3.6 Fordham
16 3.5 Creighton*
16 3.5 Texas
18 3.4 Florida
18 3.4 Stetson
18 3.4 Washington University
21 3.3 Georgetown*
21 3.3 Michigan State
21 3.3 Quinnipiac*
21 3.3 South Texas*
21 3.3 Virginia*
26 3.2 Columbia*
26 3.2 Kansas
26 3.2 Suffolk
29 3.1 Cornell*
29 3.1 NYU*
29 3.1 UC-Berkeley*
32 3.0 Marquette
32 3.0 UC-Davis*
34 2.9 Duke*
34 2.9 George Washington
34 2.9 Michigan*
34 2.9 Pacific
34 2.9 Penn*
34 2.9 UCLA*
34 2.9 University of Arizona
34 2.9 Vanderbilt*
34 2.9 Yale*
43 2.8 Denver
43 2.8 Illinois
43 2.8 Loyola-Chicago*
43 2.8 Nebraska*
43 2.8 Tulane*
43 2.8 UC-Irvine*
43 2.8 University of Washington*
50 2.7 Arkansas-Little Rock
50 2.7 BYU
50 2.7 Emory
50 2.7 Georgia
50 2.7 Hofstra
50 2.7 Miami
50 2.7 SMU
50 2.7 Southwestern*
50 2.7 St. John's*
50 2.7 Texas Tech

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Dispute Resolution Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 22, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Law School Rankings: The Good News, The Bad News And The Ultimate Proof That It Is Flawed

National Law Journal Op-Ed:  Law School Rankings: The Good News, the Bad News and the Ultimate Proof That It Is Flawed, by Alan B. Morrison (Associate Dean, George Washington):

US News (2023)Finally, after two false starts, the U.S. News & World Report law school rankings are out, and one clear positive is that the authors have now told us more clearly what counts and for how much. The newest version has some sensible changes, as well as some problematic elements, but the bottom line is that the dramatic shifts in methodology for the overall rankings prove beyond a doubt that the premise of the endeavor—that these are objective measures—is fatally flawed. ...

These huge changes [in methodology] —in one year—are neither right nor wrong. What they show is how subjective the rankings are. In other words, they are entirely dependent on the personal whims of the U.S. News staff, who are not practicing lawyers, law professors, or law students. This arbitrariness applies not simply to the categories—why are these and only these categories relevant—but why are these the right percentages? The accompanying press release advises students that the rankings are only “one consideration” among many, including cost. But the overall message that the rankings convey is that students should go to the highest-ranked school because one size fits all—why else would they pick the title “Best Law Schools.”

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May 22, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Saturday, May 20, 2023

Muller: How Law Faculty Succeeded In Diminishing Their Importance In The U.S. News Rankings

Derek Muller (Iowa; Google Scholar), Law School Faculty Have Aggressively and Successfully Lobbied to Diminish the Importance of Law School Faculty in the USNWR Rankings:

US News (2023)In many contexts, there is a concern of “regulatory capture,” the notion that the regulated industry will lobby the regulator and ensure that the regulator sets forth rules most beneficial to the interests of the regulated industry.

In the context of the USNWR law rankings, the exact opposite has happened when it comes to the interests of law school faculty. Whether it has been intentional or inadvertent it hard to say.

It is in the self-interest of law school faculty to ensure that the USNWR law school rankings maximize the importance and influence of law school faculty. The more that faculty matter in the rankings, the better life is for law faculty—higher compensation, more competition for faculty, more hiring, more recognition for work, more earmarking for fundraising, the list goes on.

But in the last few years, law school faculty (sometimes administrators, sometimes not) have pressed for three specific rules that affirmatively diminish the importance of law faculty in the rankings.

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May 20, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Friday, May 19, 2023

2024 U.S. News Criminal Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Criminal Law Rankings include the criminal law programs at 196 law schools (the faculty survey had a 46% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.4 NYU*
2 4.2 Harvard*
2 4.2 Stanford*
4 4.1 Columbia*
4 4.1 Duke*
4 4.1 Georgetown*
7 3.9 Chicago
7 3.9 Penn*
7 3.9 UC-Berkeley*
7 3.9 Vanderbilt*
7 3.9 Virginia*
12 3.8 Michigan*
12 3.8 UCLA*
12 3.8 Yale*
15 3.7 Northwestern*
15 3.7 Ohio State
17 3.6 Fordham
17 3.6 North Carolina
17 3.6 UC-Davis*
20 3.5 Brooklyn*
20 3.5 William & Mary
22 3.4 Cornell*
22 3.4 Texas
22 3.4 Washington University
25 3.3 Cardozo
25 3.3 Colorado
25 3.3 UC-Irvine*
25 3.3 University of Washington*
25 3.3 Utah
30 3.2 American*
30 3.2 Denver
30 3.2 George Washington
30 3.2 Loyola-L.A.
30 3.2 Minnesota
30 3.2 San Diego
36 3.1 Arizona State
36 3.1 Boston University
36 3.1 Emory
36 3.1 Maryland*
36 3.1 SMU
36 3.1 UC-San Francisco*
36 3.1 USC
36 3.1 Wake Forest
36 3.1 Wisconsin*
45 3.0 Florida
45 3.0 Howard
45 3.0 Indiana (Maurer)
45 3.0 Tulane*
45 3.0 University of Arizona
50 2.9 Alabama
50 2.9 CUNY
50 2.9 Florida State
50 2.9 Georgia State
50 2.9 Houston
50 2.9 Notre Dame
50 2.9 Richmond
50 2.9 Rutgers*
50 2.9 Seattle*
50 2.9 UNLV
50 2.9 Washington & Lee

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Criminal Law Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 19, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Thursday, May 18, 2023

2024 U.S. News Contracts/Commercial Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Contracts/Commercial Law Rankings include the contracts/commercial law programs at 196 law schools (the faculty survey had a 42% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.8 Chicago
2 4.6 Columbia*
3 4.4 Harvard*
3 4.4 Stanford*
5 4.3 NYU*
5 4.3 Penn*
5 4.3 UC-Berkeley*
8 4.2 Michigan*
8 4.2 UCLA*
8 4.2 Virginia*
11 4.1 Northwestern*
11 4.1 Yale*
13 4.0 Vanderbilt*
14 3.9 Cornell*
14 3.9 Duke*
14 3.9 Georgetown*
14 3.9 Texas
18 3.8 North Carolina
19 3.6 Fordham
19 3.6 Minnesota
19 3.6 USC
19 3.6 Washington University
23 3.5 Emory
23 3.5 Iowa
25 3.4 Boston College
25 3.4 Illinois
25 3.4 William & Mary
25 3.4 Wisconsin*
29 3.3 Boston University
29 3.3 Florida State
29 3.3 George Mason
29 3.3 Georgia
29 3.3 Notre Dame
29 3.3 UC-San Francisco*
35 3.2 Alabama
35 3.2 Ohio State
35 3.2 UC-Irvine*
38 3.1 Arizona State
38 3.1 Brooklyn*
38 3.1 BYU
38 3.1 Florida
38 3.1 Temple
38 3.1 UC-Davis*
38 3.1 Wake Forest
45 3.0 UNLV
45 3.0 Washington & Lee
47 2.9 Houston
47 2.9 Howard
47 2.9 Indiana (Maurer)
47 2.9 San Diego
47 2.9 Tennessee
47 2.9 Texas A&M
47 2.9 Tulane*

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Contracts/Commercial Law Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 18, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

2024 U.S. News Constitutional Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Constitutional Law Rankings include the constitutional law programs at 196 law schools (the faculty survey had a 46% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.8 Harvard*
2 4.7 Yale*
3 4.6 Chicago
3 4.6 Stanford*
5 4.5 NYU*
5 4.5 UC-Berkeley*
5 4.5 Virginia*
8 4.4 Columbia*
9 4.3 Cornell*
9 4.3 Michigan*
9 4.3 Texas
12 4.2 Duke*
12 4.2 Penn*
12 4.2 UCLA*
15 4.1 Georgetown*
15 4.1 Northwestern*
17 3.6 Notre Dame
17 3.6 UC-Davis*
17 3.6 Vanderbilt*
17 3.6 William & Mary
21 3.5 North Carolina
21 3.5 San Diego
21 3.5 Washington University
24 3.4 Alabama
24 3.4 Boston University
24 3.4 Minnesota
24 3.4 Ohio State
24 3.4 UC-Irvine*
29 3.3 Emory
29 3.3 Florida
29 3.3 Florida State
29 3.3 Illinois
29 3.3 UC-San Francisco*
29 3.3 Wisconsin*
35 3.2 Arizona State
35 3.2 Boston College
35 3.2 Fordham
35 3.2 George Washington
35 3.2 Richmond
35 3.2 University of Arizona
35 3.2 USC
42 3.1 Brooklyn*
42 3.1 George Mason
42 3.1 Georgia
42 3.1 Georgia State
42 3.1 Indiana (Maurer)
42 3.1 Utah
48 3.0 BYU
48 3.0 Cardozo
48 3.0 Iowa
48 3.0 Maryland*
48 3.0 Wake Forest

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Constitutional Law Rankings

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 17, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Will Boycotts And Bad Press Put A Dent In The U.S. News Law School Rankings' Reputation?

Law.com, Ahead of the Curve: Will Boycotts and Bad Press Put a Dent in the US News Rankings' Reputation?:

US News (2023)This week, we dive back into the U.S. News & World Report’s education rankings, examining whether the U.S. News law school rankings will remain influential despite widespread public boycotts by dozens of schools. ...

Paul L. Caron, Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean and professor of law at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and author of the TaxProf Blog, told me in an email on Monday that “U.S. News really shot itself in the foot when they bollixed up the April 18 release of the rankings.”

“It is shocking that with the spotlight on them as a result of the publicity over the rankings boycott (although 42 law schools publicly joined the boycott, a total of 62 schools ended up boycotting—over 30% of all law schools), U.S. News released embargoed rankings on April 11 fraught with errors,” Caron said.

“Moreover, U.S. News never forthrightly explained the source of the errors and did not correct the misinformation about the jobs data in several media reports,” Caron added. ...

“Obviously rankings can survive, with or without meaningful support from those being ranked,” Robert B. Ahdieh, dean & Anthony G. Buzbee Endowed Dean’s Chair and vice president for Professional Schools & Programs at Texas A&M University School of Law, told me in an email Monday.

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May 16, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Projected 2025 U.S. News Law School Rankings: The Biggest Winners And Losers

Derek Muller (Iowa; Google Scholar), Projecting the 2024-2025 USNWR Law School Rankings (To Be Released March 2024 Or So):

US News (2023)Fifty-eight percent of the new USNWR law school rankings turn on three highly-volatile categories: employment 10 months after graduation, first-time bar passage, and ultimate bar passage.

Because USNWR releases its rankings in the spring, at the same time the ABA releases new data on these categories, the USNWR law school rankings are always a year behind. This year’s data include the ultimate bar passage rate for the Class of 2019, the first-time bar passage rate for the Class of 2021, and the employment outcomes of the Class of 2021.

We can quickly update all that data with this year’s data—Class of 2020 ultimate bar passage rate, Class of 2022 first-time bar passage, and Class of 2022 employment outcomes (which we have to estimate and reverse engineer, so there’s some guesswork). Those three categories are 58% of next year’s rankings.

Derek projects the Top 100 schools in next year's 2025 rankings. Here are the largest projected increases among those schools:

Rank School Projected 2025 Rank Actual 2024 Rank Difference
1 Maine 83 146 +63
2 Missouri-Kansas City 93 135 +42
3 Penn State-Dickinson 51 89 +38
4 Catholic 86 122 +36
5 Regent 93 125 +32
6 UNLV 60 89 +29
7 Connecticut 46 71 +25
8 Penn State Law 56 80 +24
9 San Diego 56 78 +22
10 Florida State 36 56 +20
11 New Hampshire 86 105 +19
12 Colorado 40 56 +16
12 William & Mary 29 45 +16
12 Wisconsin 24 40 +16
15 Belmont 90 105 +15
15 Marquette 56 71 +15
15 Nebraska 74 89 +15

Here are the the largest projected decreases among those schools:

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May 16, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

2024 U.S. News Clinical Training Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Clinical Training Rankings include the clinical training law programs at 188 law schools (the faculty survey had a 53% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.4 American*
1 4.4 Georgetown*
3 4.3 CUNY
4 4.2 Yale*
5 4.1 NYU*
6 4.0 Baltimore
6 4.0 Northwestern*
6 4.0 UC-Irvine*
9 3.9 Denver
9 3.9 Fordham
9 3.9 Michigan*
9 3.9 Washington University
13 3.8 District of Columbia
13 3.8 Harvard*
13 3.8 Maryland*
13 3.8 UC-Berkeley*
17 3.7 New Mexico
17 3.7 Suffolk
19 3.6 Georgia State
19 3.6 Rutgers*
19 3.6 Stanford*
22 3.5 Northeastern*
22 3.5 Tennessee
22 3.5 UC-San Francisco*
25 3.4 Albany
25 3.4 Columbia*
25 3.4 Duke*
25 3.4 Miami
25 3.4 Minnesota
25 3.4 Penn*
25 3.4 Seattle*
25 3.4 South Carolina
25 3.4 UCLA*
34 3.3 Boston College
34 3.3 Brooklyn*
34 3.3 Chicago
34 3.3 George Washington
34 3.3 Georgia
34 3.3 Howard
34 3.3 North Carolina
34 3.3 Pepperdine Caruso
34 3.3 Texas
34 3.3 University of Washington*
34 3.3 UNLV
45 3.2 Arizona State
45 3.2 Mitchell | Hamline*
45 3.2 Tulane*
45 3.2 University of Arizona
45 3.2 Vanderbilt*
45 3.2 Washington & Lee

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Clinical Law Rankings 

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 16, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Monday, May 15, 2023

2024 U.S. News Business/Corporate Law Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Business/Corporate Law Rankings include the business/corporate law programs at 196 law schools (the faculty survey had a 58% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.5 Chicago
1 4.5 Columbia*
1 4.5 Harvard*
4 4.4 NYU*
4 4.4 Penn*
4 4.4 Stanford*
4 4.4 UC-Berkeley*
8 4.1 Virginia*
9 4.0 Michigan*
9 4.0 UCLA*
9 4.0 Yale*
12 3.9 Georgetown*
12 3.9 Vanderbilt*
14 3.8 Northwestern*
15 3.7 Cornell*
15 3.7 Duke*
17 3.5 BYU
17 3.5 USC
19 3.4 Boston University
19 3.4 Fordham
19 3.4 Texas
22 3.3 Minnesota
22 3.3 UC-Davis*
22 3.3 Washington University
25 3.2 Boston College
25 3.2 Emory
25 3.2 Florida
25 3.2 Iowa
29 3.1 Georgia
29 3.1 North Carolina
29 3.1 William & Mary
32 3.0 Brooklyn*
32 3.0 George Washington
32 3.0 Notre Dame
32 3.0 Tulane*
36 2.9 George Mason
36 2.9 Illinois
36 2.9 Indiana (Maurer)
36 2.9 San Diego
36 2.9 Tennessee
36 2.9 UC-San Francisco*
36 2.9 University of Arizona
36 2.9 Washington & Lee
44 2.8 Arizona State
44 2.8 Ohio State
44 2.8 Wisconsin*
47 2.7 Alabama
47 2.7 Colorado
47 2.7 Florida State
47 2.7 Houston
47 2.7 SMU
47 2.7 UC-Irvine*
47 2.7 Wake Forest

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

2023 U.S. News Business/Corporate Law Rankings 

2024 U.S. News Specialty Rankings:

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May 15, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Saturday, May 13, 2023

More Commentary On The 2024 U.S. News Law School Rankings

US News (2023)Chronicle of Higher Education, What the New ‘U.S. News’ Law-School Rankings Reveal About the Rankings Enterprise:

Here are three takeaways from this year’s law list and what they say about the rankings enterprise.

The law schools that opted out clustered at certain places on the list. Of the 15 top-ranked law schools, all but one, the University of Chicago, declined to provide data this year. Several schools at the bottom of the list also didn’t return U.S. News’s survey. In the middle, opt-outs were scarcer. ...  [A]t the bottom of the list, Malik C. Edwards, dean of the North Carolina Central University School of Law, said he hadn’t participated in the last three years, because he didn’t see it as worth his time. ...

The top 14 law schools stayed nearly the same. Historically, U.S. News rankings were designed to change only modestly year to year. Editors feared large shifts “could have undermined the credibility of the project,” Alvin P. Sanoff, an early and influential editor, wrote in 2007. Keeping the most scrutinized part of the law-school list — the top 14 — largely the same reflects that dedication to stability. ...

Did the rankings protest help right inequities in law education? That was the point of the boycott. Did it work?

It did and it didn’t, Edwards said. On the one hand, top law schools’ criticisms of U.S. News helped draw public attention to points that law deans had long made to one another, and drove real change in the methodology. On the other hand, problems persist.

Brian Leiter (Chicago; Google Scholar), USNews.com Has Outdone Itself: It Has Made Its Law School Rankings Even More Absurd Than Before!:

There's not much to say about what is essentially a random ordering of law schools within tier groups.  Any student who made a decision on the basis of small (and, in some cases, even large) ordinal differences in this year's travesty really should have a cause of action against USNews.com.  (Some of the swings in overall rank are beyond bizarre!  UC Davis and Arizona dropped from the top 50?  Emory and George Washington dropped out of the top 30?  Is this a joke?) 

Brian Leiter (Chicago; Google Scholar), More on the New USNews.com Ranking Stew:

The whole formula still of course makes no sense, and is inexplicable in terms of the weightings.  What is clear is that the results are even more detached from traditional criteria of excellence, like faculty quality.  The rankings will also now be much more volatile, for reasons Professor Muller explains.

Derek Muller (Iowa; Google Scholar), New USNWR Methodology Will Yield Dramatically More Compression and Volatility in Law School Rankings:

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May 13, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink

Friday, May 12, 2023

2024 U.S. News Tax Rankings

6a00d8341c4eab53ef0240a490199b200b-250wiThe new 2024 U.S. News Tax Rankings include the tax programs at 196 law schools (the faculty survey had a 54% response rate). Here are the Top 50:

Rank Score School
1 4.7 NYU*
2 4.4 Florida
3 4.3 Georgetown*
4 4.1 Northwestern*
5 4.0 Virginia*
6 3.9 UC-Irvine*
7 3.7 Chicago
7 3.7 Columbia*
7 3.7 UCLA*
10 3.6 Duke*
10 3.6 Loyola-L.A.
10 3.6 Michigan*
13 3.5 Boston University
13 3.5 Harvard*
13 3.5 Stanford*
16 3.4 Boston College
16 3.4 Texas
18 3.3 Indiana (Maurer)
18 3.3 Penn*
18 3.3 San Diego
18 3.3 UC-San Francisco*
22 3.2 Minnesota
22 3.2 Yale*
24 3.1 Fordham
24 3.1 George Washington
24 3.1 North Carolina
24 3.1 UC-Berkeley*
24 3.1 USC
29 3.0 Pepperdine Caruso
29 3.0 Temple
31 2.9 BYU
31 2.9 Pittsburgh*
31 2.9 UC-Davis*
31 2.9 Villanova
31 2.9 Wisconsin*
36 2.8 Alabama
36 2.8 Arizona State
36 2.8 Cornell*
36 2.8 Florida State
40 2.7 Brooklyn*
40 2.7 Miami
40 2.7 Washington & Lee
40 2.7 Washington University
44 2.6 Houston
44 2.6 University of Washington*
46 2.5 Cardozo
46 2.5 Denver
46 2.5 Notre Dame
46 2.5 UNLV
50 2.4 American*
50 2.4 Colorado
50 2.4 Georgia
50 2.4 Georgia State
50 2.4 Iowa
50 2.4 Loyola-Chicago*
50 2.4 Ohio State
50 2.4 Richmond
50 2.4 Seton Hall
50 2.4 SMU
50 2.4 South Carolina
50 2.4 Tulane*

*Denotes schools that boycotted the U.S. News rankings

Among the law schools in the tax rankings last year, here are the biggest upward moves:

  • +9: Florida State (#36)
  • +8: Duke (#10), BYU (#31),  Villanova (#31)
  • +6: San Diego (#18)
  • +5: Washington & Lee (#40), Houston (#44)
  • +4: Fordham (#24)
  • +3: UC-Irvine (#6), Loyola-L.A. (#10), George Washington (#24), Alabama (#36), Arizona State (#36)

Here are the biggest downward moves:

  • -16: Ohio State (#50)
  • -12: Brooklyn (#40)
  • -11: Georgia (#50)
  • -10: University of Washington (#44)
  • -6: Miami (#40), Washington University (#40)
  • -4: Michigan (#10), Harvard (#13), Stanford (#13), North Carolina (#24), USC (#24)

Here are the rankings of law schools with graduate tax programs:

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May 12, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed News, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education, Tax, Tax Rankings | Permalink

The Impact Of The U.S. News Law School Rankings Boycott On Peer Reputation

Following up on my previous post, Will U.S. News Refuse To Count Votes From Deans, Faculty, Lawyers, And Judges From Boycotting Law Schools In Reputation Metric In 2024 Rankings?:  Derek Muller (Iowa; Google Scholar), Did "Boycotting" the USNWR Law Rankings Affect Those Schools' Peer Scores?:

US News (2023)USNWR’s methodology provides that it withdrew the survey responses of “boycotting” schools: “Peer assessment ratings were only used when submitted by law schools that also submitted their statistical surveys. This means the schools that declined to provide statistical information to U.S. News and its readers had their academic peer ratings programmatically discarded before any computations were made.” ... [D]id it affect those schools adversely?

But among these ~60 schools, 7 of them saw an increase in their peer score (12%). Another 28, nearly half, saw a decline. The average effect on their peer score was a decline of 0.043, slightly less than than the 0.1 I projected, but still an average decline.

Another 130 or so did not boycott. 29 of them (22%) saw an increase in their peer score, and 36 (27%) saw a decline—a mixed bag, with declining schools slightly outpacing increasing schools. The average effect on their peer was a marginal decrease of less than 0.01)—in other words, a decline, but somewhat less than the “boycotting” schools. (Peer scores have been long declining.)

Here are the changes in the peer reputation scores (now 12.5% of the methodology) of all 196 law schools, with an asterisk marking the 62 schools that boycotted the rankings:

Difference School 2023 Peer Score 2024 Peer Score
+0.2 Northern Kentucky 1.5 1.7
+0.1 Albany 2.0 2.1
+0.1 Arkansas-Little Rock 2.2 2.3
+0.1 Ave Maria 1.2 1.3
+0.1 Baltimore 2.1 2.2
+0.1 Barry* 1.2 1.3
+0.1 Campbell* 1.5 1.6
+0.1 Capital* 1.4 1.5
+0.1 Creighton* 1.9 2.0
+0.1 Drake 2.0 2.1
+0.1 Drexel 2.3 2.4
+0.1 Elon 1.7 1.8
+0.1 Georgia 3.2 3.3
+0.1 Illinois-Chicago 2.1 2.2
+0.1 Liberty 1.2 1.3
+0.1 Louisiana State 2.2 2.3
+0.1 Maine 2.1 2.2
+0.1 Mercer 1.9 2.0
+0.1 Mississippi 2.2 2.3
+0.1 Nova 1.6 1.7
+0.1 Pacific 2.0 2.1
+0.1 Pepperdine Caruso 2.8 2.9
+0.1 Quinnipiac* 1.9 2.0
+0.1 Regent 1.3 1.4
+0.1 Roger Williams* 1.7 1.8
+0.1 Seattle* 2.4 2.5
+0.1 Southern Illinois 1.7 1.8
+0.1 Southern* 1.7 1.8
+0.1 St. Mary's 1.8 1.9
+0.1 Suffolk 2.1 2.2
+0.1 Temple 2.8 2.9
+0.1 Tennessee 2.6 2.7
+0.1 Texas A&M 2.8 2.9
+0.1 UNLV 2.6 2.7
+0.1 Utah 3.0 3.1
+0.1 West Virginia 2.1 2.2
+0.1 Willamette 2.0 2.1
0 Alabama 3.2 3.2
0 Appalachian* 1.3 1.3
0 Arizona State 3.3 3.3
0 Arkansas-Fayetteville 2.4 2.4
0 Baylor 2.5 2.5
0 Belmont 1.5 1.5
0 BYU 2.9 2.9
0 Cal-Western* 1.7 1.7
0 Case Western 2.7 2.7
0 Catholic 2.2 2.2
0 Chapman 1.8 1.8
0 Charleston 1.4 1.4
0 Cincinnati 2.4 2.4
0 Cleveland State 1.9 1.9
0 Connecticut* 2.9 2.9
0 Cornell* 4.2 4.2
0 Dayton 1.8 1.8
0 DePaul 2.3 2.3
0 Duke* 4.2 4.2
0 Duquesne 1.9 1.9
0 Faulkner 1.3 1.3
0 Florida 3.3 3.3
0 Florida A&M* 1.8 1.8
0 Florida Int'l 2.1 2.1
0 Fordham 3.3 3.3
0 George Mason 2.7 2.7
0 Georgia State 2.8 2.8
0 Golden Gate 1.5 1.5
0 Gonzaga* 2.1 2.1
0 Hawaii 2.6 2.6
0 Howard 2.9 2.9
0 Indiana (Maurer) 3.2 3.2
0 John Marshall (GA)* 1.4 1.4
0 Kansas 2.6 2.6
0 Kentucky 2.5 2.5
0 Lewis & Clark 2.4 2.4
0 Lincoln Memorial 1.3 1.3
0 Louisville 2.2 2.2
0 Loyola-Chicago* 2.7 2.7
0 Loyola-New Orleans* 2.2 2.2
0 Memphis 1.9 1.9
0 Miami 2.7 2.7
0 Michigan State 2.5 2.5
0 Michigan* 4.4 4.4
0 Minnesota 3.6 3.6
0 Mississippi College 1.6 1.6
0 Missouri (Columbia) 2.5 2.5
0 Missouri-Kansas City 2.2 2.2
0 Mitchell | Hamline* 1.9 1.9
0 Montana 2.0 2.0
0 Nebraska* 2.4 2.4
0 New England 1.5 1.5
0 New Mexico 2.4 2.4
0 New York Law School 2.0 2.0
0 North Carolina Central* 1.7 1.7
0 North Dakota 1.8 1.8
0 Northeastern* 2.6 2.6
0 Northern Illinois 1.8 1.8
0 Notre Dame 3.4 3.4
0 Ohio Northern 1.5 1.5
0 Oklahoma 2.5 2.5
0 Oklahoma City 1.6 1.6
0 Oregon 2.8 2.8
0 Pace 2.1 2.1
0 Pittsburgh* 2.6 2.6
0 Richmond 2.8 2.8
0 Rutgers* 2.7 2.7
0 Samford 1.7 1.7
0 San Diego 2.9 2.9
0 San Francisco* 1.9 1.9
0 Santa Clara 2.5 2.5
0 Seton Hall 2.5 2.5
0 SMU 2.7 2.7
0 South Dakota 1.8 1.8
0 South Texas* 1.7 1.7
0 Southwestern* 1.9 1.9
0 St. John's* 2.3 2.3
0 St. Thomas (MN) 2.0 2.0
0 Stanford* 4.7 4.7
0 Stetson 2.2 2.2
0 SUNY-Buffalo 2.2 2.2
0 Texas Tech 2.0 2.0
0 Touro* 1.6 1.6
0 University of Arizona 3.2 3.2
0 Villanova 2.7 2.7
0 Wake Forest 3.0 3.0
0 Washburn 2.1 2.1
0 Western Michigan* 1.3 1.3
0 Western State 1.2 1.2
0 Widener (DE) 1.9 1.9
0 Wyoming 1.9 1.9
-0.1 Akron 1.8 1.7
-0.1 American* 3.0 2.9
-0.1 Boston College 3.4 3.3
-0.1 Boston University 3.6 3.5
-0.1 Brooklyn* 2.7 2.6
-0.1 Cardozo 3.0 2.9
-0.1 Chicago 4.6 4.5
-0.1 Colorado 3.2 3.1
-0.1 Columbia* 4.6 4.5
-0.1 CUNY 2.3 2.2
-0.1 Denver 2.8 2.7
-0.1 Detroit Mercy* 1.8 1.7
-0.1 District of Columbia 1.8 1.7
-0.1 Florida State 3.0 2.9
-0.1 George Washington 3.5 3.4
-0.1 Georgetown* 4.2 4.1
-0.1 Harvard* 4.7 4.6
-0.1 Hofstra 2.3 2.2
-0.1 Houston 2.8 2.7
-0.1 Idaho* 2.1 2.0
-0.1 Indiana (McKinney) 2.5 2.4
-0.1 Iowa 3.4 3.3
-0.1 Loyola-L.A. 2.8 2.7
-0.1 Marquette 2.3 2.2
-0.1 Maryland* 3.1 3.0
-0.1 Massachusetts 1.6 1.5
-0.1 North Carolina 3.5 3.4
-0.1 Northwestern* 4.2 4.1
-0.1 NYU* 4.6 4.5
-0.1 Ohio State 3.3 3.2
-0.1 Penn State-Dickinson* 2.5 2.4
-0.1 Penn State-University Park* 2.5 2.4
-0.1 Penn* 4.4 4.3
-0.1 South Carolina 2.6 2.5
-0.1 St. Louis 2.4 2.3
-0.1 Syracuse* 2.4 2.3
-0.1 Texas 4.1 4.0
-0.1 Texas Southern* 1.6 1.5
-0.1 Tulane* 3.1 3.0
-0.1 Tulsa 2.0 1.9
-0.1 UC-Berkeley* 4.5 4.4
-0.1 UC-Davis* 3.5 3.4
-0.1 UC-San Francisco* 3.2 3.1
-0.1 University of Washington* 3.2 3.1
-0.1 USC 3.7 3.6
-0.1 Vanderbilt* 4.0 3.9
-0.1 Vermont 2.0 1.9
-0.1 Virginia* 4.4 4.3
-0.1 Washington & Lee 3.2 3.1
-0.1 Washington University 3.8 3.7
-0.1 Wayne State 2.4 2.3
-0.1 Western New England 1.5 1.4
-0.1 Widener (PA) 1.7 1.6
-0.1 William & Mary 3.4 3.3
-0.1 Wisconsin* 3.3 3.2
-0.2 Chicago-Kent 2.6 2.4
-0.2 Emory 3.6 3.4
-0.2 Illinois 3.2 3.0
-0.2 New Hampshire* 2.2 2.0
-0.2 St. Thomas (FL) 1.6 1.4
-0.2 Toledo 1.9 1.7
-0.2 UC-Irvine* 3.6 3.4
-0.2 UCLA* 4.2 4.0
-0.2 Yale* 4.6 4.4

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May 12, 2023 in Law School Rankings, Legal Ed Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink