2007-2009 LAW SCHOOL RANKING THE TOP 50 GROUPED BY RANKING
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY REMAIN THE SAME. This is certainly true for the three latest USN rankings. For the 2007, 2008, and 2009 USN rankings, The Top 1, Top 3, Top 5, Top 13, Top 14, Top 18, and, amazingly enough, the Top 50 law schools have remained the same. Thus, for example, the USN 2007 Top 50 law schools are, in some order, the USN 2008 Top 50 law schools and, in some order, the USN 2009 Top 50 law schools. In fact, the USN 2007 law schools ranked 19 to 50 are, in some order, the USN 2008 law schools ranked 19 to 50 and, in some order, the USN 2009 law schools law schools ranked 19 to 50. The horizontal red lines indicate the boundaries of where the law schools seem to be contained. Within these boundaries (e.g. being ranked between 19 and 50) there can be plenty of movement. For example, the ranking of the University of North Carolina went from 29 in 2007 to 39.5 in 2008 while the ranking of the University of California, Davis went from 34.5 in 2008 to 44.5 in 2009. We have that the ranking of the Brigham Young University went from 35 in 2007 to 48 in 2009. Notice, for example, to be in the Category 2007-2009 Top 25, the law school must have ranked in the Top 25 for each of USN 2007, USN 2008, and USN 2009. This eliminates Emory because it was not in the TOP 25 in USN 2006.
April, 2006
April, 2007
April, 2008
Average of
Category
LAW SCHOOL
USN 2007
USN 2008
USN 2009
USNRanks
2007-2009
Yale U (CT)
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.00
Top 1
Harvard U (MA)
3.0
2.5
2.5
2.67
Top 2-3
Stanford U (CA)
2.0
2.5
2.5
2.33
Top 2-3
Columbia U (NY)
4.5
5.0
4.0
4.50
Top 4-5
New York U
4.5
4.0
5.0
4.50
Top 4-5
UC Berkeley
9.0
8.5
6.0
7.83
Top 6-13
U Chicago
6.0
6.5
7.5
6.67
Top 6-13
U Pennsylvania
7.0
6.5
7.5
7.00
Top 6-13
Northwestern U (IL)
12.0
12.0
10.0
11.33
Top 6-13
U Michigan
9.0
8.5
10.0
9.17
Top 6-13
U Virginia
9.0
10.5
10.0
9.83
Top 6-13
Cornell U (NY)
13.0
13.0
12.5
12.83
Top 6-13
Duke U (NC)
11.0
10.5
12.5
11.33
Top 6-13
Georgetown U (DC)
14.0
14.0
14.0
14.00
Top 14
Vanderbilt U (TN)
17.5
16.5
15.0
16.33
Top 16-18
U Texas, Austin
16.0
18.0
16.5
16.83
Top 16-18
UCLA
15.0
15.0
16.5
15.50
Top 16-18
U Southern California
17.5
16.6
18.0
17.37
Top 16-18
Washington U, SL
20.0
19.0
19.0
19.33
Top 25
George Washington U
20.0
22.5
20.0
20.83
Top 25
Boston U
23.5
20.5
21.0
21.67
Top 25
U Minnesota, TC
20.0
20.5
23.0
21.17
Top 25
Emory U (GA)
26.0
22.5
23.0
23.83
Top 31
U Notre Dame (IN)
23.5
29.0
23.0
25.17
Top 31
Washington and Lee
23.5
26.0
25.0
24.83
Top 31
Boston College
29.0
29.0
26.0
28.00
Top 31
U Illinois, UC
29.0
26.0
28.0
27.67
Top 31
U Iowa
23.5
24.0
28.0
25.17
Top 31
U Washington
29.0
29.0
30.5
29.50
Top 31
Fordham U (NY)
32.5
26.0
28.0
28.83
Top 40
C William and Mary
29.0
32.0
30.5
30.50
Top 40
Ohio State
39.5
32.0
33.5
35.00
Top 40
U Georgia
35.0
39.5
33.5
36.00
Top 40
Indiana U, Bloomington
37.5
39.5
36.5
37.83
Top 40
U Wisconsin, Madison
32.5
32.0
36.5
33.67
Top 40
George Mason U (VA)
37.5
34.5
39.5
37.17
Top 40
U North Carolina
29.0
39.5
39.5
36.00
Top 40
U Alabama, Tuscaloosa
46.0
39.5
33.5
39.67
Top 50
U Colorado, Boulder
46.0
39.5
33.5
39.67
Top 50
U Arizona
46.0
44.5
39.5
43.33
Top 50
UC Hastings
46.0
39.5
39.5
41.67
Top 50
U Maryland
42.0
39.5
42.5
41.33
Top 50
Wake Forest U (NC)
39.5
39.5
42.5
40.50
Top 50
Tulane U (LA)
46.0
48.5
44.5
46.33
Top 50
UC Davis
35.0
34.5
44.5
38.00
Top 50
American U
46.0
48.5
48.0
47.50
Top 50
Brigham Young U (UT)
35.0
44.5
48.0
42.50
Top 50
Southern Methodist U
46.0
46.0
48.0
46.67
Top 50
U Connecticut
50.0
48.5
48.0
48.83
Top 50
U Florida
41.0
48.5
48.0
45.83
Top 50
2007-2009 LAW SCHOOL RANKING THE TOP 51-104 GROUPED BY RANKING
April, 2006
April, 2007
April, 2008
Average of
Category
LAW SCHOOL
USN 2007
USN 2008
USN 2009
USNRanks
2007-2009
U Utah
57.0
58.0
51.0
55.33
Top 60
Arizona State U
54.5
51.0
53.0
52.83
Top 60
U Cincinnati
54.5
58.0
53.0
55.17
Top 60
Baylor U (TX)
51.5
54.5
56.5
54.17
Top 60
Cardozo-Yeshiva U
54.5
52.0
56.5
54.33
Top 60
Florida State U
54.5
54.5
56.5
55.17
Top 60
U Tennessee
62.0
54.5
53.0
56.50
Top 65
Temple U
58.5
62.5
60.5
60.50
Top 65
Brooklyn
58.5
62.5
64.0
61.67
Top 65
Case Western
51.5
54.5
64.0
56.67
Top 65
U Houston
73.0
62.5
56.5
64.00
Top 75
U Kentucky
67.0
62.5
60.5
63.33
Top 75
U Missouri
62.0
67.5
60.5
63.33
Top 75
Loyola, Los Angele
67.0
67.5
64.0
66.17
Top 75
IIT Chicago-Kent
62.0
62.5
66.5
63.67
Top 75
Villanova U (PA)
62.0
62.5
70.0
64.83
Top 75
U Kansas
73.0
67.5
74.5
71.67
Top 75
U Pittsburgh
62.0
58.0
74.5
64.83
Top 75
Rutgers. Camden
67.0
73.0
79.0
73.00
Top 75
Pepperdine U
89.5
67.5
60.5
72.50
Top 90
Seton Hall U
73.0
73.0
66.5
70.83
Top 75
Indiana,Indianapolis
78.0
87.5
70.0
78.50
Top 90
U New Mexico
78.0
73.0
70.0
73.67
Top 90
U Oklahoma
83.0
73.0
70.0
75.33
Top 90
U Richmond
83.0
79.0
70.0
77.33
Top 90
Lewis and Clark
78.0
83.0
74.5
78.50
Top 90
U Nebraska
73.0
79.0
74.5
75.50
Top 90
Rutgers U , Newark
83.0
79.0
79.0
80.33
Top 90
Loyola U Chicago
73.0
73.0
84.5
76.83
Top 90
U Miami
67.0
73.0
84.5
74.83
Top 90
U Oregon
73.0
83.0
84.5
80.17
Top 90
U San Diego
67.0
87.5
84.5
79.67
Top 90
Georgia State U
98.5
83.0
79.0
86.83
Top 100
Pennsylvania SU
89.5
93.5
79.0
87.33
Top 100
Santa Clara U
89.5
93.5
79.0
87.33
Top 100
Seattle U
94.5
87.5
84.5
88.83
Top 100
U Hawaii
94.5
93.5
84.5
90.83
Top 100
Depaul U, Chicago
83.0
93.5
91.0
89.17
Top 100
Louisana State U
89.5
93.5
91.0
91.33
Top 100
Northeastern U
89.5
87.5
91.0
89.33
Top 100
St. John's U
83.0
73.0
91.0
82.33
Top 100
U Denver
73.0
79.0
91.0
81.00
Top 100
St. Louis U
83.0
87.5
96.5
89.00
Top 100
U of the Pacific
98.5
102.0
96.5
99.00
Top 100
U South Carolina
98.5
93.5
96.5
96.17
Top 100
Mercer U
89.5
102.0
102.0
97.83
Top 100
U Buffalo-SUNY
83.0
79.0
102.0
88.00
Top 100
LAW SCHOOL RANKINGS VERY LITTLE ROOM AT THE TOP
ONLY 110 LAW SCHOOLS HAVE RANKED IN THE U.S. NEWS TOP 100. Prior to April 2003, U.S. News always ranked at most the Top 50 law schools (sometimes a few more because of ties). In April 2003, US News began ranking the Top 100 law schools (as many as 104 allowing for ties). Surprisingly, only 110 law schools have ranked in the Top 100 at least once. In addition to the 97 law schools listed above (these 97 were ranked in the top 100 in all three of 2007, 2008, and 2009). The following 13 law school were in the top 100 in at least one year.
LAW SCHOOL
USN 2004
USN 2005
USN 2006
USN 2007
USN 2008
USN 2009
Catholic U of America
84.5
85.0
87.0
NR
98.0
91.0
U Nevada, Las Vegas
NR
85.0
92.0
NR
102.0
91.0
U Toledo
NR
96.0
NR
94.5
87.5
NR
U Louisville
73.0
85.0
87.0
NR
98.0
102.0
U Mississippi
89.5
96.0
87.0
98.5
NR
NR
Hofstra U
NR
91.0
97.0
NR
NR
99.0
U San Francisco
98.5
96.0
NR
94.5
102.0
NR
Marquette U
93.5
96.0
101.0
NR
98.0
96.5
Syracuse U
98.5
NR
97.0
NR
NR
102.0
U Arkansas-Fayettville
93.5
101.5
NR
NR
NR
NR
U Missouri, Kansas City
NR
101.5
NR
NR
NR
NR
Stetson U
NR
NR
NR
NR
102.0
102.0
Wayne State U
98.5
NR
NR
NR
NR
NR
Law Schools Ranked
100
104
102
100
104
104
IMPRESSIVE INCREASE IN RANKING. Notice that, in one year, the University of Missouri, Kansas City went from Tier 4 in USN 2004 to Top 100 (101.5 in USN 2005). Note that the USN 2005 ranking was the only ranking in which this law school has been ranked in the Top 100.
FROM APRIL 2007 TO APRIL 2008, TWO LAW SCHOOLS MOVED FROM TIER THREE TO THE TOP 104: Hofstra University moved from Tier 3 to 99. Syracuse University moved from Tier 3 to 102. Between April 2003 and April 2006, both of these two law schools were in the top 100 two times: Hofstra University: 91 in April 2004 and 96.5 in April 2005. Syracuse University: 98.5 in April 2003 and 97 in April 2005. As we can see from the preceding table, the downward journey from the Top 100 in USN 2008 to Tier 3 in USN 2009, was made by the University of San Francisco and the University of Toledo.
MOVING AND STAYING IN THE TOP 100. Since April 2003, two law schools not only moved into the top 100 but also have given the impression that they will be permanent members of the Top 100 (perhaps even the Top 50): Pepperdine University was in Tier 3 in April 2003 but since then has ranked 101.5, 79.5, 89.5, 67.5, and 60.5. Pennsylvania State University was in Tier 3 in April 2004 but since then has ranked 92, 89.5, 93.5, and 79.
