What law schools are pulling out of the US news ranking?

Asked by: Dr. Oliver Wuckert  |  Last update: August 20, 2023
Score: 4.3/5 (63 votes)

The University of California, Berkeley's law school has joined the law programs at Harvard and Yale in pulling out of U.S. News & World Report's rankings over concerns that they punish efforts to attract students from a broad range of backgrounds. Nov. 17, 2022, at 8:57 p.m.

Which law schools are no longer participating in U.S. News rankings?

Yale exited in November, followed shortly thereafter by Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, among others. Harvard was the first medical school to depart, followed by schools like Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania.

What law schools are no longer ranked?

Of the 22 schools that have pulled out of the rankings, Yale Law School was the first to announce on Nov. 16, with its law dean, Heather Gerken, calling them “profoundly flawed.” Harvard Law School followed with its own announcement hours later, followed by the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law on Nov.

What law schools have left the U.S. News?

On November 16, 2022, as we recently blogged about, two law schools announced that they would no longer be participating in the U.S. News & World Report Law School Rankings (first Yale, then Harvard).

Why are schools dropping out of U.S. News rankings?

So, for example, the law schools you mentioned, they dropped out. A number of them decided not to cooperate with U.S. News, and one of their complaints was that the rankings formula depends a lot on the employment rates of graduates, which you can totally understand why you would want that in your rankings.

Why some top schools are opting out of U.S. News’ college rankings list

17 related questions found

Will Northwestern law school no longer participate in U.S. News rankings?

Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law announced in November it would no longer participate in the U.S. News and World Report Rankings. In 2022, the law school ranked 13th from 192 schools.

Is it OK to go to a lower ranked law school?

Earning a law degree from any reputable program is an impressive achievement. A glance at the bios for any major law firm will reveal many successful lawyers who attended low-ranked schools. Admittedly, it is harder for graduates of lower-ranked schools to compete on the job market.

Who pulled out of law school rankings?

(Reuters) - The University of California at Los Angeles School of Law on Tuesday became the first law school outside the so-called T-14 top U.S. law schools to break with U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings.

What lawyers never went to law school?

Other famous lawyers besides Abraham Lincoln and Clarence Darrow became lawyers without J.D. degrees. For example, John Marshall, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; Benjamin N. Cardozo, Justice of the Supreme Court; and even Strom Thurmond, U.S. Senator and South Carolina Governor, didn't possess law degrees.

Will the LSAT be abolished?

‍The LSAT isn't going away.

The ABA announced their decision to nix the requirement that law schools use a standardized test as part of the admissions process. But it won't take effect until 2025.

Are law school admissions declining?

14% Through The Fall 2023 Law School Admissions Season: Applicants Are Down -14%, With Biggest Decline (-25%) Among The Top 160-180 LSAT Band (Oct. 10, 2022) 25% Through The Fall 2023 Law School Admissions Season: Applicants Are Down -11%, With Biggest Decline (-21%) In The 165-169 LSAT Band (Nov. 7, 2022)

Did Joe Biden finish law school?

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden moved with his family to Delaware in 1953. He studied at the University of Delaware before earning his law degree from Syracuse University. He was elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970 and to the U.S. Senate in 1972.

Why are law schools leaving rankings?

A primary complaint is that such rankings, while valuable, incentivize schools to overemphasize factors such as LSAT scores, which inhibits a holistic approach for admissions and creates a barrier to entry for many prospective law students.

Why are law schools not participating in rankings?

The growing backlash against the rankings reflects concerns among school leaders about ethics, fairness and the purpose of a legal education, and the institutions that provide it. Rankings that emphasize test scores and salaries deter students from pursuing careers in public service, school officials have said.

Why did Harvard Law drop in rankings?

(Yale Law School announced a similar decision earlier today). We at HLS have made this decision because it has become impossible to reconcile our principles and commitments with the methodology and incentives the U.S. News rankings reflect.

What law school leaked GPA?

The University of California, Los Angeles, law school accidentally released to first-year students information about rising third-year students, including their grade point averages and success in landing jobs, Law.com reported. The data included students' names. UCLA intended to share the information without names.

Why did Harvard pull out of U.S. News rankings?

Daley said the decision to withdraw from the U.S. News rankings was based on fairness and equity concerns, citing incentives to cut back on aid to students with the most financial need.

Do most people drop out of law school?

According to the ABA, the overall graduation rate for law students during the 2019-2020 academic year was 77.3%. This shows a consistent improvement from the previous ten years, where the graduation rate was at an average of 74.6%. In general, law schools with higher graduation rates usually have lower attrition rates.

What is the lowest ranked law school in the United States?

It's this recent move, combined with their commitment to keeping a huge class in spite of offering very poor job prospects, that earns Cooley the distinction of being the very worst law school in America.

Do law schools care about your lowest LSAT?

While you may be able to apply and even be accepted into a law school with a lower LSAT score, there is a cut-off for acceptable application scores. If you are consistently scoring lower than 145, you may need to consider significant studying and a retake before applying to law schools.

Does going to a prestigious law school matter?

The main reasons that law school rankings matter are that graduates from these schools are better recognized and have a higher chance of being employed by major law firms. Tuition at high-ranking law schools is often much higher than others for good reason!

What is Georgetown law ranked?

Georgetown University 2023-2024 Rankings

Georgetown University is ranked No. 15 in Best Law Schools and No. 1 in Part-time Law. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

What is the hardest law school to get into in the US?

Yale University

With an acceptance rate of just 6.9%, it's no wonder that Yale is the hardest law school to get into. Only around 1 in 15 of their highly qualified applicants makes it through. The median GPA score of a student enrolled at Yale University is 3.92, while the median LSAT score is 173.

Why is Northwestern law unique?

Northwestern Law places a heavy emphasis on global enterprises and practical learning and has highly regarded study abroad, clinical, and interdisciplinary programs in the country.