It is generally acknowledged that law school rankings from U.S. News & World Report, issued annually, are less than scientific. The Washington Post and other sources have reported that many law schools have disavowed the rankings and declined to provide data to U.S. News in response to issues surrounding the metrics used to calculate them. Nonetheless, GW Law’s position in the rankings announced today continues to reflect its national prestige.
This year, GW Law ranked higher in some categories and lower in others. Law’s overall rank resulting from this year’s algorithm was #41; under last year’s algorithm, GW Law ranked #35. Significantly improved rankings were given to GW Law’s clinical training programs, at #16 this year, an 18-point change from last year’s ranking at #34.
Several other GW Law programs ranked in the top 10 this year: intellectual property law (at #5) and international law (at #9). GW Law’s part-time program was ranked #3 in the country. Criminal law (#24) and constitutional law (#29) were among other GW Law programs with standout rankings.
Controversies surrounding the metrics and methodology used to determine the rankings warrant particular attention in interpreting the final ranking results, according to GW Law Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew.
Matthew said the rankings offer a “snapshot,” presenting “some information about factors that form the basis to analyze and compare schools. But different factors will vary in their importance depending on an individual applicant’s interests and goals. In other words, the rankings offer a useful starting point for personalized research but should, by no means, be considered the sole resource when making such an important decision.”
A similar conclusion had been reached by the CEO of U.S. News, Eric Gertler, who has said that the rankings should not be the sole resource consulted by prospective law students.
There are numerous sources of information available to help students choose the right school for them. Spivey Consulting Group, which has provided services to GW, offers a free, interactive tool to help students decide what criteria matters most to them and then compare the law schools that meet them. The Law School Admissions Council’s (LSAC) site “LawHub” is another helpful resource, as is the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education’s site.
“No single number can tell you all you need to know about faculty, career prospects, curriculum, climate, clinics, externship opportunities, programs or all the many factors you will need to assess to pick the best law school for you,” Matthew said.
By many measures, she noted, GW Law is performing better than ever. Current students have the best LSAT scores in the school’s history, and more students than ever go on to rewarding jobs after graduating. The ratio of students to faculty members is exceptional. The scholarly impact of the faculty who teach GW Law’s students is 18th nationally—12th for faculty under the age of 60. Though the formula for creating the rankings from U.S. News changed, as it periodically does, the real strengths of GW Law have not diminished, Matthew added.