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 SCHOOLSBUBBLING 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 TIMES THIS 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).
