Critics of the U.S. News law school rankings argue that the rankings are overly simplistic and rely too heavily on subjective factors such as reputation.
Since 1987, the U.S. News & World Report has been ranking law schools in the United States. I went through the list of the top three law schools as outlined in the report, and pulled out the key information about the top three.
I bet you are surprised Harvard didn’t make the list!
#1 – Yale University Law School
Yale University Law School is an Ivy League institution renowned for its outstanding legal education. Unlike other law schools, traditional grades are not given, and the student-faculty ratio is very low at 4.7:1. The tuition for the full-time program is $69,433.
The curriculum at Yale does not have any areas of concentration, allowing students to customize their course selections based on their interests. Yale Law School also offers joint degree programs in collaboration with other graduate and professional schools within the university, such as the prestigious School of Management. Moreover, students can earn an accelerated, integrated J.D./MBA degree in three years, the same duration as a traditional J.D.
One interesting fact about Yale Law School is that it has produced an impressive number of U.S. Supreme Court clerks. According to a recent study, more than one-third of all Supreme Court clerks since 2005 graduated from either Yale Law School or Harvard Law School, with Yale leading the way with the most Supreme Court clerks per capita.
Additionally, Yale Law School was the first law school in the United States to establish an independent law library, which was a significant development in the history of legal education and research.
#2 – Stanford University Law School
Located in Palo Alto, California, Stanford Law School is the prestigious law school of Stanford University, a private research university founded in 1893. Over the years, it has established itself as one of the world’s most distinguished law schools, widely respected for its academic excellence, diverse student body, and its commitment to fostering a collaborative and supportive environment for its students.
Since the inception of law school rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Stanford Law has consistently ranked among the top three law schools in the United States. For most of the past decade, it has been ranked second, just behind Yale Law School.
In 2021, Stanford Law received more than 4,500 applications and admitted only 6.28% of them, making it the second most selective law school in the country. This highly competitive acceptance rate underscores the institution’s rigorous admission standards and its focus on attracting top-notch students who are passionate about pursuing a legal career.
As of the 2022-2023 academic year, the tuition at Stanford Law School is $69,270 per year.
One interesting fact about Stanford Law School is that it is home to the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, also known as CodeX.
CodeX is a joint research center that brings together experts in law, computer science, and other related fields to explore the intersection of law and technology. The center focuses on developing innovative tools and technologies that can be used to improve legal practice and increase access to justice.
Some of the projects that CodeX is working on include developing tools for analyzing legal documents, creating blockchain-based smart contracts, and exploring the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in the legal industry. This emphasis on the intersection of law and technology makes Stanford Law School a leader in legal innovation and an exciting place for students and scholars who are interested in exploring the cutting edge of the legal field.
#3 – University of Chicago Law School
The law school has a diverse faculty of over 180 full-time and part-time professors who are leaders in their respective fields. It also has an enrollment of over 600 students in its Juris Doctor program, which is complemented by the Master of Laws, Master of Studies in Law, and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees in law.
One of the most significant achievements of the University of Chicago Law School is its reputation for producing graduates who excel in judicial clerkships. The law school boasts the highest percentage of recent graduates clerking for federal judges, a testament to the calibre of its students and the quality of education they receive.
The tuition at the University of Chicago Law School is $71,400 per year for JD students. However, the total cost of attendance, which includes tuition, fees, living expenses, and books and supplies, may vary depending on individual circumstances and financial aid packages.
US News law school rankings 2023
This year, more than 40 law schools have announced that they will not participate in the US News Law School ranking, leading to a conference hosted by Harvard and Yale law schools. The conference aimed to discuss potential solutions to the ongoing problems with law school rankings and featured Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and representatives from over 100 law schools.
Prior to the conference, U.S. News responded to the criticism by running a full-page ad in the Boston Globe and publishing a Wall Street Journal op-ed defending the ranking system. In the op-ed, U.S. News’ executive chairman and CEO Eric J. Gertler suggested that law schools were withdrawing from the rankings because they want to be able to ignore grades and standardized test scores in admitting students, without suffering a drop in their U.S. News ranking. This comment sparked further controversy and debate.
Critics of the U.S. News law school rankings argue that the rankings are overly simplistic and rely too heavily on subjective factors such as reputation.
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