preLaw - Back to School 2007 - (Page 14) RANKINGS Best law schools, as ranked by legal employers Many of the nation’s most prestigious law schools are also the most favored by employers. But the list is different than you might think, and several lesser-known law schools are improving in this area, as evidenced by a new study. BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR AND URSULA FURI-PERRY T his fall, hundreds of law firms and other legal employers will descend on Georgetown University Law Center, in what has become a rite of passage for many students at the nation’s most prestigious law schools — the on-campus recruitment season. More than 300 of the nation’s largest legal employers will visit the Washington, DC school, more than any other campus. These employers, who are members of NALP, an association for legal employers, will interview many of the school’s students. In Chicago, only 40 of these employers will visit Chicago-Kent College of Law, ranking the school 63rd out of 193 schools. But the lesser-known Chicago school was recently ranked by Vault.com as one of the most underrated law schools. “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 will increase over the next decade or so,” said Harold Krent, dean at Chicago-Kent College of Law, which placed fourth on the list. 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. The two charts provide prospective law students with a view into an important, but potentially limiting factor 14 preLaw — where large law firms interview and hire students. “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.” Most underrated law schools 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. EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW Dean David Partlett said his school has made great strides to solidify their relationship with recruiters and hiring partners by strengthening outreach efforts through Emory’s new Transactional Law Center. www.preLawInsider.com http://Vault.com http://Vault.com http://Vault.com http://Vault.com http://www.preLawInsider.com
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