another set of us news rankings, another set of dean opinions.

[brian lauter]

Last week I argued that refusing to publish the U.S. News rankings, a la Brian Leiter, is not the way to diminish their influence.  This was convenient, I'll admit, because The Shark was likely going to publish them with or without my support.  

Convenience aside, I honestly don't think that ignoring the U.S. News rankings does anything to combat them, and today I got the mandatory rankings email from Davis' Dean Kevin Johnson with press release attached, which I thought struck the appropriate balance.

The second paragraph of the press release reads:

"The U.S. News ranking, probably the best-known (if sometimes criticized) rating of American law schools, also placed UC Davis 25th in the “peer assessment ranking” category that is based on surveys of law deans and professors nationwide and 20th in the racial diversity of the student body.  The peer assessment ranking of 25th coincides almost perfectly with the rating of 24th given to UC Davis Law School by the most recent comprehensive faculty quality ranking undertaken by Brian Leiter, a law professor at the University of Chicago whose on-line assessment of law faculty productivity and influence is often regarded as the most systematic quantitative evaluation of law schools, and the best-known law ranking system other than the annual U.S. News survey." 

So, being a practical man, living in the "real world" of law school administration, KJ announces King Hall's ranking, notes that the U.S. News system has its detractors, and also discusses an alternative ranking system.  

Longtime readers may remember that I also enjoyed Sexy Rexy's email to King Hall students last year regarding the rankings.  This is not some perverse campaign of mine to promote King Hall deans.  This year's response is an excellent example of how law school administrators can deemphasize the U.S. News rankings while being realistic about the impact the rankings have on their schools.

If most law school administrators approached rankings in this fashion, I think the influence of the U.S. News rankings, over time, would be greatly diminished.  However, if you still want to ignore the rankings completely, you can check out the Brian Leiter approved U.S. News information.  Full email from Dean Johnson after the jump. 

Ed. Note: And for someone who is SUPER DEE DUPER stoked on this years rankings, check out Dean Kaminshine of Georgia State.

UC Davis School of Law Ranks High in National Survey

UC Davis School of Law placed 35^th in U.S. News & World Report's latest ranking of 184 American Bar Association-approved law schools in the United States.  The rankings appear in the magazine’s 2010 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” on newsstands this week.

The U.S. News ranking, probably the best-known (if sometimes criticized) rating of American law schools, also placed UC Davis 25^th in the “peer assessment ranking” category that is based on surveys of law deans and professors nationwide and 20^th in the racial diversity of the student body.  The peer assessment ranking of 25th coincides almost perfectly with the rating of 24^th given to UC Davis Law School by the most recent comprehensive faculty quality ranking undertaken by Brian Leiter, a law professor at the University of Chicago whose on-line assessment of law faculty productivity and influence is often regarded as the most systematic quantitative evaluation of law schools, and the best-known law ranking system other than the annual U.S. News survey. 

“The rankings are a welcome recognition of the excellence and diversity we see on a daily basis at UC Davis School of Law,” said law school Dean Kevin R. Johnson.  “Our faculty and students can take pride in seeing their high standing among the country’s most outstanding law schools confirmed in this prominent national survey.”

The U.S. News & World Report ranking of law schools uses a complex methodology that includes surveys of law school deans and faculty as well as lawyers and judges, averages of student scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), median undergraduate grade point averages, percentage of applicants accepted, employment rates and bar passage rates of recent graduates, and student/teacher ratios, alongside other factors.  Ratings in all these categories are weighted and totaled to determine the overall school rankings, which this year placed UC Davis behind only Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and USC among California law schools. 

The 2010 overall ranking of 35^th represents a one-year climb of nine spots—the second-largest jump of all schools in the top 50—from the aberrational ranking of 44^th in 2009.  Dean Johnson said that while any number of factors can cause a law school to rise or fall in the rankings from year to year, and that any year’s ranking should thus not be judged in isolation, the consistently outstanding work of UC Davis’ faculty and students have firmly established the Law School among the upper ranks in the annual survey. 

Johnson, the first Latino dean of any University of California professional school, said that the high rating for diversity was also a source of pride for UC Davis Law, which recently was ranked tenth in the nation for faculty diversity by the Princeton Review.  Johnson and UC Davis School of Law also figured prominently in a story on “Most Diverse Faculty” in National Jurist magazine, which noted the Princeton Review ranking and reported that UC Davis has the highest number of Asian American faculty of any American law school.

“It is impressive that in our relatively brief four decades of existence, UC Davis School of Law has achieved consistent recognition among the nation’s very best law schools,” said Johnson.  “We are solidly positioned within the top echelon of American law schools, and poised to make even more progress over the coming years.”

Now celebrating the 40th anniversary of the dedication of its Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall, the UC Davis School of Law is known for its outstanding ranking, small size, unusually accessible and dedicated faculty of renowned scholars, and uniquely supportive learning environment.  The Law School offers a challenging academic program with diverse specialties including business law, environmental law, international and comparative law, intellectual property, immigration law, constitutional law, public-interest law, and more.  With award-winning trial and appellate advocacy programs, clinics, and externships, five student-run journals, and more than 40 active student organizations, the UC Davis School of Law sets the standard for excellence in public university legal education.

Comments

[Taco John]

That's the way to highlight your ranking, and probably one of the better alternative rankings to use. If you're going to challenge rankings, I wouldn't use Cooley though.

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