Law School Rankings:

More so than in other professions, the reputation of the law school you attend will have a material effect on your employment opportunities when you graduate. That is a fact. There is great demand, in fact remarkable demand, for graduates at the most highly regarded law schools. That demand tapers off, in terms of median starting salaries and number of offers received by graduates, as a school's rank declines. Top law schools tend to offer outstanding physical facilities, extensive library resources, gifted classmates and professors, and employment contacts with recruiters who have strong and often long-standing contacts with the school. Without question, professional employment opportunities and career paths are the broadest at the better schools.

I have included links to various rankings of the law schools. I find that some students misuse these rankings. While rankings are useful in getting a feel for the school's reputation or academic climate, I have had students in my office explaining that they are going to a school ranked 12th instead of one ranked 14th because the 12th ranked school “is better.” That is nonsense. By the time law school graduation rolls around, US News & World Report will likely have shifted a variable in an attempt to make the rankings more accurate or less controversial, and schools may very well switch positions for no reason other than a re-weighting of a measuring variable. Note that it is in the self-interest of US News & World Report to have schools move up & down---the academic ranking issue of the magazine is a best seller for them---having the same effect the "swimsuit issue" has for Sports Illustrated. A ranking that is changes little is not of great interest when it is released.

Recognize that all of the rankings are imperfect. Formulas and weights are tinkered with periodically by the ranking organization, which may cause changes in the rankings even though the school itself has not changed. The US News & World Report rankings seem to carry the most weight and have certainly caused the biggest controversy. Use the rankings as a guide in how schools are perceived by judges, lawyers, and the deans of other law schools. Also recognize that the rankings are not necessarily an indicator of the quality of the legal education you will receive. It is important to recognize that you can get a solid legal education at most ABA accredited law schools.

US News & World Report

Overall scores calculated by weighing academic reputation (40%), admission selectivity (25%), placement success, and faculty resources (15%). You might find the Law Dean's Brochure, of interest when evaluating how much weight you are going to give these rankings. The statement is a declaration signed by most (but not all) law school deans.

Brennan's Law School Rankings

This remarkable site, part of the Internet Legal Resource Guide, provides rankings in dozens of categories including starting salaries, placement rates, cost-benefit analysis comparing tuition costs with employment earnings, student services and a composite ranking of all the rankings.

Princeton Review Law School Rankings

Princeton Review ranks the schools based on information they gather from students and other sources.

The Ranking Game

This interactive site takes you inside the rankings by allowing you to set the preferences that you believe are most important in selecting a law school.