PRELAW HANDBOOK - Top 25: 1987-1993

LAW SCHOOL RANKINGS:  1987-1993
TOPICS

MOVING UP AND MOVING DOWN WITHIN THE TOP FORTY

RANKING THE TOP FIVE STATE LAW SCHOOLS

THE U.S. NEWS TOP LAW SCHOOLS
MOVING UP AND MOVING DOWN
WITHIN THE TOP FORTY

Top Forty Gainers from
April 2000 to April 2007

Top Forty Gainers from
April 2003 to April 2007

Top Forty Gainers from
April 2005 to April 2007

Boston U (33.5 to 20.5) U Washington (47 to 29) Emory (33 to 22.5)

Washington U (30 to 19) Boston U (29 to 20.5) Ohio State (39.5 to 32)

Fordham (33.5 to 26) Fordham (33 to 26) Washington U (24.5 to 19)

UC Davis (41.5 tro 34.5) Washingteon U (25.5 to 19) UC Berkeley (12 to 8.5)

Ohio State (38.5 to 32) Ohio State U (38.5 to 32) Fordham U (29 to 26)

U Pennsylvania (12.5 to 6.5) Emory U (27 to 22.5) Duke U (12 to 10.5)

Emory (27 to 22.5) UC Berkeley (10.5 to 8.5) U Southern Cal (18 to 16.5)

U Wisconsin (36 to 32) Duke U (12.5 to 10.5) New York U (5 to 4)

Top Forty Losers from
April 2000 to April 2007

Top Forty Losers from
April 2003 to April 2007

Top Forty Losers from
April 2005 to April 2007

U Michigan (7 to 8.5) U Virginia (9 to 10.5) U Virginia (8.5 to 10.5)

U Virginia (8.5 to 10.5) Cornell U (10.5 to 13) Northwestern U (10 to 12)

Cornell (10.5 to 13) U Texas (15 to 18) George Washington U (20.5 to 22.5)

U Texas (15 to 18) U Iowa (21 to 24) U Texas (15.5 to 18)

U Iowa (21 to 24) William and Mary (29 to 32) U Georgia (37 to 39.5)

Boston C (24 to 29) Boston C (23 to 29) Wake Forest (37 to 39.5)

UC Hastings (33.5 to 39.5) U Notre Dame (23 to 29) C William and Mary (29 to 32)

Washington and Lee (20 to 26) Washington & Lee (19.5 to 26) Washington and Lee U (22.5 to 26)

U Georgia (30 to 39.5) U Georgia (33 to 39.5) U Notre Dame (24.5 to 29)

Brigham Young (33.5 to 44.5) U North Carolina (29 to 39.5) Brigham Young (35 to 44.5)

U North Carolina (22 to 39.5) Brigham Young (33 to 44.5) U North Carolina (29 to 39.5)

LAW SCHOOLS BUBBLING UNDER THE
TOP FORTY OF THE NEW MILLENIUM

WHICH LAW SCHOOL IS NUMBER 41 IN THIS MILLENNIUM? It is either the University of Arizona or George Mason University. In the year 2000, George Mason was not ranked in the top 51. By the numbers below, if George Mason University was number 52 in the year 2000, the law school at George Mason University would be number 41 of the new millennium; otherwise, the University of Arizona is number 41. Judging from the numbers below, the future will be with George Mason University.

RANKING IN THE TOP 100. According to our calculatons, since the first ranking (November 1987), 110 Law schools have ranked in the US News Top 100 (allowing for ties)

April April April April April April April April      Rank

LAW SCHOOL 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007      Average
THE FOLLOWING SIX LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED EVERY YEAR OF THIS MILLENIUM

U Arizona 38.5 41.5 41.0 44.0 44.5 43.5 46.0 44.5 42.94

U Colorado, Boulder 45.0 38.5 41.0 41.5 51.0 48.0 46.0 39.5 43.81

U Alabama, Tuscaloosa 46.0 46.0 47.5 47.0 40.5 43.5 46.0 39.5 44.50

U Connecticut 41.5 44.0 43.5 41.5 44.5 50.0 50.0 48.5 45.44

Tulane U (LA) 43.5 41.5 43.5 47.0 57.0 43.5 46.0 48.5 46.31

U Utah 43.5 45.0 45.5 41.5 48.0 50.0 57.0 58.0 48.56
THE FOLLOWING SIX LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED SEVEN TIMES THIS MILLENIUM

George Mason U (VA) 48.0 47.5 41.5 38.5 43.5 37.5 34.5 41.57

U Florida 48.0 45.5 47.0 44.5 43.5 41.0 48.5 45.43

Southern Methodist U 48.0 50.0 50.0 48.0 53.5 46.0 46.0 48.79

U Tennessee, Knoxville 47.5 52.0 55.5 54.0 53.5 62.0 54.5 54.14

U Cincinnati 49.5 52.0 52.5 60.5 60.0 54.5 58.0 55.29

U Kentucky 52.0 50.0 52.5 51.0 56.5 67.0 62.5 55.93
THE FOLLOWING FIVE LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED SIX TIMES THIS MILLENIUM

U Maryland, Baltimore 52.0 47.0 44.5 43.5 42.0 39.5 44.75

American U 50.0 55.5 57.0 47.0 46.0 48.5 50.67

Baylor U (TX) 49.5 52.5 51.0 53.5 51.5 54.5 52.08

Arizona State U 47.5 61.0 54.0 60.0 54.5 51.0 54.67

U Houston 52.0 73.0 60.5 66.5 73.0 62.5 64.58
THE FOLLOWING THIRTY-FOUR LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED FIVE TIMES THIS MILLENIUM

Case Western Reserve U 57.5 57.0 50.0 51.5 54.5 54.10

U Pittsburgh 52.5 48.0 53.5 62.0 58.0 54.80

Cardozo-Yeshiva U (NY) 57.5 54.0 60.0 54.5 52.0 55.60

Florida State U 66.0 69.0 56.5 54.5 54.5 60.10

Brooklyn 61.0 69.0 60.0 58.5 62.5 62.20

Temple U 66.0 60.5 66.5 58.5 62.5 62.80

U Missouri, Columbia 61.0 64.5 70.5 62.0 67.5 65.10

Loyola, Los Angeles 73.0 60.5 60.0 67.0 67.5 65.60

IIT Chicago-Kent 73.0 64.5 66.5 62.0 62.5 65.70

Villanova U (PA) 73.0 74.0 63.5 62.0 62.5 67.00

U San Diego 61.0 69.0 63.5 67.0 87.5 69.60

Loyola U Chicago 73.0 69.0 70.5 73.0 73.0 71.70

Rutgers U , Camden 80.5 74.0 66.5 67.0 73.0 72.20

U Oklahoma 61.0 69.0 79.5 83.0 73.0 73.10

U Kansas 66.0 64.5 101.0 73.0 67.5 74.40

U Miami 84.5 79.0 74.5 67.0 73.0 75.60

U Oregon 80.5 74.0 70.5 73.0 83.0 76.20

St. John's U 73.0 79.0 79.5 83.0 73.0 77.50

U Nebraska 66.0 91.0 79.5 73.0 79.0 77.70

Rutgers U , Newark 80.5 74.0 74.5 83.0 79.0 78.20

U Richmond 80.5 74.0 74.5 83.0 79.0 78.20

Lewis and Clark C 73.0 79.0 79.5 78.0 83.0 78.50

Indiana U-Indianapolis 66.0 64.5 97.0 78.0 87.5 78.60

U New Mexico 73.0 101.5 70.5 78.0 73.0 79.20

Seton Hall U 87.0 91.0 83.5 73.0 73.0 81.50

U Denver 80.5 79.0 97.0 73.0 79.0 81.70

U Buffalo-SUNY 87.0 85.0 79.5 83.0 79.0 82.70

Northeastern U 89.5 79.0 87.0 89.5 87.5 86.50

U Hawaii 87.0 85.0 83.5 94.5 93.5 88.70

U South Carolina 80.5 85.0 92.0 98.5 93.5 89.90

Georgia State U 93.5 91.0 87.0 98.5 83.0 90.60

Louisana State U 98.5 91.0 92.0 89.5 93.5 92.90

Seattle U 93.5 101.5 97.0 94.5 87.5 94.80

Mercer U 93.5 101.5 101.0 89.5 102.0 97.50
THE FOLLOWING EIGHT LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED FOUR TIMES THIS MILLENIUM

St. Louis U 85.0 74.5 83.0 87.5 82.50

Pepperdine U 101.5 79.5 89.5 67.5 84.50

U Louisville 73.0 85.0 87.0 98.0 85.75

Catholic U of America 84.5 85.0 87.0 98.0 88.63

U Mississippi 89.5 96.0 87.0 98.5 92.75

Santa Clara U 93.5 96.0 89.5 93.5 93.13

Marquette U 93.5 96.0 101.0 98.0 97.13

U San Francisco 98.5 96.0 94.5 102.0 97.75
THE FOLLOWING FOUR LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED THREE TIMES THIS MILLENIUM

Pennsylvania State U 92.0 89.5 93.5 91.67

U Toledo 96.0 94.5 87.5 92.67

U Nevada-Las Vegas 85.0 92.0 102.0 93.00

U of the Pacific 92.0 98.5 102.0 97.50
THE FOLLOWING FOUR LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED TWO TIMEST HIS MILLENIUM

Depaul U, (Chicago) 83.0 93.5 88.25

Hofstra U 91.0 97.0 94.00

Syracuse U 98.5 97.0 97.75

U Arkansas-Fayettville 93.5 101.5 97.50
THE FOLLOWING THREE LAW SCHOOLS WERE RANKED ONE TIME THIS MILLENIUM

Wayne State U 98.5 98.50

U Missouri, Kansas City 101.5 101.50

Stetson U 102.0 102.00

LAW SCHOOL RANKINGS
RANKING THE
TOP FIVE STATE LAW SCHOOLS

The top three USN-ranking state university law schools. The three highest ranking state law schools are UC Berkeley, U Michigan, and U Virginia, in some order. In the April 2006 USN ranking, these three law schools were tied, ranking strictly between U Pennsylvania (ranked 7) and Duke (ranked 11); doing what we do with ties, we assigned these three tied law schools a rank of 9.0. In the April 2007 USN ranking, UC Berkeley and U Michigan are tied for eighth and ninth (rank 8.5) while U Virginia is tied for tenth and eleventh with Duke (both ranked 10.5). UC Berkeley has positive momentum (last four rankings being 13, 12, 9, and 8.5). U Michigan has, at least temporarily, overcome its negative momentum (last four rankings being 7.5, 8.5, 9, and 8.5); hopefully the state of Michigan will be able to overcome its negative momentum. U Virginia overall trend is negative with its last four rankings being 9, 8.5, and 9, 10.5. We believe that, in the near future UC Berkeley will push ahead of U Michigan and U Virginia.

The fourth and fifth USN-ranking state university law schools.  For the near future, UC Berkeley, U Michigan, and U Virginia will, in some order, be the three highest USN-ranking state university law schools. The candidates to be the fourth highest are UCLA and U Texas. From March 1999 to April 2004 inclusive, U Texas was ranked 15 and UCLA was ranked 16. In April 2005 the two law schools were tied (rank 15.5), and in April 2006, UCLA took the lead (UCLA rank 15, U Texas rank 16). In April 2007, UCLA (UCLA ranked 15, U Texas ranked 18). Here, as with the top three state law schools, the future is with a California university (UCLA).