National Jurist - September 2007 - (Page 34)

Most UNDERRATED law schools Vault.com recently unveiled its list of the 25 Most Underrated Law Schools, and it shows that some lesser-known schools are making considerable progress with law firms. “While Harvard and Yale are highly regarded, the schools that we chose are not your everyday household name,” said Brian Dalton, senior law editor at Vault. com. “That’s not to say that they are any less, but now, maybe when potential law students see them on the list, they will think of them as less provincial schools.” Vault.com surveyed more than 500 legal recruiting professionals — including law firm recruiting managers, law firm hiring partners and corporate counsel. Recruiters were asked to name law schools that, based on their experience as hiring managers, produce excellent graduates but are not always given enough credit for it. “Students may well consult the Vault Guide to gauge whether a school’s reputation will rise in the near future. They will assume that the reputations of schools whose alums are valued by hiring partners Top 25 most underrated law schools for 2007 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Emory University School of Law Fordham University School of Law Howard University School of Law Chicago-Kent College of Law Illinois Institute of Technology University of Oregon School of Law George Mason University School of Law University of Illinois College of Law William and Mary Law School Vanderbilt University Law School University of Georgia School of Law Georgia State University College of Law Ohio State University College of Law American University — Washington, D.C. North Carolina Central University School of Law Boston College Law School Washington & Lee Univ School of Law Case Western Reserve University School of Law Washington University - St Louis School of Law University of Houston Law Center Lewis & Clark Law School Wake Forest University School of Law University of Iowa College of Law Boston University School of Law George Washington University Law School Pepperdine University School of Law Atlanta, GA New York, NY District of Columbia Chicago, IL Eugene, OR Arlington, VA Champaign, IL Williamsburg, VA Nashville, TN Athens, GA Atlanta, GA Columbus, OH District of Columbia Durham, NC Newton, MA Lexington, VA Cleveland, OH St. Louis, MO Houston, TX Portland, OR Winston-Salem, NC Iowa City, IA Boston, MA District of Columbia Malibu, CA will increase over the next decade or so,” said Harold Krent, dean at Chicago-Kent College of Law, which placed fourth on the list. Emory University School of Law, based in Atlanta, heads a list of 25 schools identified by Vault.com as the most underrated law schools in the country. William Treanor, dean at Fordham University School of Law in New York, said it was no surprise that his school ranked second in the study. “Fordham Law has long been known as one of the nation’s top law schools by the people whose opinion matters most — the hiring partners and recruiters,” he said. Treanor said there are only four law schools that have more lawyers working at the nation’s 40 most successful law firms. Emory’s Dean David Partlett said his school has made great strides recently, in part thanks to a new Transactional Law Center that will allow students to gain practical experience in executing business transactions. “We have worked hard to solidify our relationship with recruiters and hiring partners by strengthening our outreach efforts,” he said. Ranking third is Howard University School of Law in the District of Columbia, where Dean Kurt Schmoke said deans don’t like rankings to begin with, but the reaction from some of the applicants has been positive. “We feel that we offer a great institution with great value,” he said. “Tuition at Georgetown is $40,000 for law school, here it is $19,000 and we have an average of 150 students in our classes, compared to Harvard that has 500.” Chicago-Kent’s Krent said his school’s No. 4 ranking was bittersweet. “On one hand, you are delighted that you are listed, but only wish the rep would meet up with the enthusiasm of the program,” he said. “I think, however, over time this should happen. The survey brings attention, and if it brings us to close the gap, we are delighted because we are pleased that there is a great reception.” Job OPPORTUNITIES at other law schools At schools that are not in the top 25, students are more likely to encounter local or regional firms, as well as a more diverse pool of employers. If their schools are not offering as many on-campus interviews, Columbia Law School Dean of Career For a complete list of Vault’s most underrated law schools for 2007 go to www.vault.com/lawschool/underrated. Visit www.NJPLonline.com to connect with other law students and universities. 34 THE NATIONAL JURIST September 2007 http://Vault.com http://Vault.com http://Vault.com http://www.vault.com/lawschool/underrated http://www.njplonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - September 2007

National Jurist - September 2007 Contents Free Speech Disturbing the Peace For the Record Judge Approves $49 million BAR/BRI Settlement Law School Causes Emotional Stress, Study Finds New Textbook Breaks the Mold Southern Illinois Settles Lawsuit with Christian Legal Society Ave Maria Law Professors Protest School’s Move The Firm Report Student Hoax Shuts Down Hastings Law NCCU Grad Expands Her Program for Troubled Kids Hawaii Grad Finds Excitement in Saving Whales Diversity Hampering Whittier Accreditation? The Paper Chase Chronicles The Supreme Court: An Insider’s View Detroit Mercy’s Innovative Changes Pay Off Career Hotline The J.D. Files

National Jurist - September 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.