April 7, 2003

Law School Continues To Climb
In Latest U.S. News Rankings
By Allison Thompson

The School of Law is one of the best law programs in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

In the magazine's recently released graduate program rankings, the School of Law is ranked 40th. It was ranked 44th in 2001 and 43rd

in 2002. Among public law schools, it is now ranked number 17, up from number 20 last year.

"The U.S. News ranking is an imprecise measure of law school quality, but incredibly influential because it is so widely distributed," says Nell Jessup Newton, dean of law. "I am particularly pleased that we have improved our ranking with respect to the other publics. If we can keep up this trajectory, we should be able to achieve our goal to be included in the top 10 public law schools nationwide by 2010."

Newton said alumni support, from the annual fund to such targeted gifts as the Bill Davis Clinical Fellowship and the Dan Flynn-John G. Martin Foundation Fund for Excellence, continues to provide the margin of excellence enabling us to gain greater national recognition.

The School leapfrogged over two public law schools it competes with - the University of Arizona and the University of Washington, Newton notes. It is in a four-way tie for 40th place with George Mason University, the University of Colorado - Boulder and the University of Utah. Last year, the University of Colorado was two places above the School of Law, Newton adds.

The School's move upward in the rankings was supported by a rise in the undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores for the entering class; a decline in the percentage of applicants the School accepted; an increase in the number of students employed at graduation; and a substantial increase in the Bar pass rate.