The Rankings Game
If someone asked you to name the factors that make one law school
come out above another in the US News & World Report rankings, you'd
say it was things like faculty-student ratio, student LSAT scores,
bar passage rates - right? But would it ever occur to you to say
plumbing, garbage removal, or property taxes?
According to the July 31 New York Times, law schools
either already include or are thinking of including expenditures
like those in the per-student spending they report to USN&WR. This
manipulation can raise a school's numerical score enough to move it
up in the rankings. This revelation is all the more reason that you
should take what the rankings say with a grain of salt. Focus on
picking the law school that's right for you - whether or not it has
more yards of plumbing per student than any other school in the
country.
Texas Schools Increase Out-of-State Enrollment
UT Austin and other Texas state-supported law schools are increasing the number of
out-of-state students they will accept, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Ceilings for out-of-state admissions will increase by more than half, going from 20% to 35%. The move is part of an effort to
raise the schools’ profiles and increase their national rankings.
Law Prof Deconstructs Admissions Myths
Marquette University Professor of Law Christine Hurt served on that school's admissions committee this
past year. She gives an interesting and useful analysis of several "myths" about law school admissions in a
May 30 post to a blog she co-writes, The Conglomerate. Use the 'search' tool in the right hand column of
the blog to find her earlier posts on this topic.
Berkeley Focusing on Law and Technology
Aspiring JDs with an interest in
technology or patent law might want to take a close look at Berkeley. Cisco
System’s longtime chief patent counsel recently left that position
to become executive director of the Berkeley Center for Law and
Technology. The Center also recently received a $1 million dollar
donation from Microsoft, to support faculty research.
ABA Accredits Atlanta School
The ABA has
accredited John Marshall Law School, making it the second nationally
accredited law school in Atlanta and the third for-profit
institution with ABA accreditation. Marshall, which has held state
accreditation, emphasizes part-time programs for working and
nontraditional students. The school clearly has much room for
improvement - but it might be an option for Atlanta area residents
unable to consider relocation.
Debt Matters
In deciding which law schools to apply to, you've looked at rankings, you've
looked at bar passage rates, you've looked at average LSATs and
faculty-to-student ratios – but have you sized up your potential student debt
load? Click here to see why you
should.
Law School Study Abroad Opportunities
Want the inside scoop on study abroad opportunities? Read our new 2-page feature article on
law school
study abroad to find out if this option makes sense for you!
<< Previous Page |
Next
Page >>
1 - 2
- 3 - 4
- 5 - 6 - 7
