Prospective students often lack an in-depth knowledge of the rankings methodology and its changes year to year, nor how monopolistic schools influence rankings through hiring law professors, for instance.
These factors can magnify small differences among schools, and lead to schools altering their behavior — accepting fewer applicants and admitting fewer students into their programs.
How They Are Determined
Law school rankings face many criticisms, from their reliability and validity to whether they adequately represent each school based on geography and demographic factors. Aspiring law students should conduct their own research before being solely guided by rankings. Some scholars even argue that common rankings have the effect of undervaluing minority schools due to geographical and demographic considerations.
Many criteria used to rank law schools are out of individual schools’ hands, with employment rates 10 months after graduation making up 33% of a school’s ranking. Other influential factors include bar passage rates and first and two-year pass rates as well as peer evaluations from legal academics and judges; test scores (aggregated LSAT/GPA); student selectivity; school resources (librarian-to-student ratio).
Peer and lawyer/judge evaluations tend to be subjective and often depend on secondhand accounts which might not apply across all schools; as a result, this method may not provide an effective evaluation of law schools.
Admissions Criteria
Law school rankings undoubtedly play a pivotal role in applications to law schools, yet prospective students often question their accuracy and influence. Some critics hold that American Bar Association disapproves of rating systems while some ranking methodologies could shortchange certain schools due to location or demographic considerations.
The American Bar Association’s (ABA’s) position on law school rankings is that their ranking methodology is flawed and should not be relied upon. Furthermore, experts believe it could have outsized impacts on student decisions because metrics such as job placement success rates and first-time bar passage rates tend to be compressed; any small increases or decreases have an outsized effect.
As you narrow your law school applications, remember that higher ranks may confer more prestige, yet could also incur greater debt. Before selecting one over another, take time to carefully weigh both their benefits and drawbacks before selecting one that’s the best fit for you based on which area of law most appeals. Also factor in the type of law that most interests you.
Financial Aid
Many law schools provide students with financial aid, such as scholarships based on merit or need. Students should complete FAFSA and any institutional aid application to access grants, work-study programs and federal loans available through law schools.
Rankings can provide guidance, but they shouldn’t be your sole consideration in selecting a law school. Consider other aspects, including reputation, location, faculty expertise and career alignment – for instance if your aim is public interest work attending one of the higher ranked law schools may cost more and increase debt loads significantly.
Bonito advises law students to budget carefully during their initial year of law school. She suggests creating a moderate estimated budget and under-borrowing as much as possible in order to adjust to new costs quickly. She suggests reaching out to alumni for resources and advice regarding financial planning.
Reputation
Students considering law schools often assume that attending top-ranked schools will increase their odds of being recruited by Biglaw firms more easily; however, that assumption shouldn’t necessarily hold true and ranking shouldn’t be the sole criteria when making this decision.
Law schools vary significantly when it comes to their goals and career pathways for graduates of their law programs, beyond simple admission criteria. For instance, CUNY Law focuses on recruiting and training public interest lawyers who will transform the justice system for marginalized communities; furthermore they place great importance on diversity within their student body.
Year-to-year rankings fluctuations can cause prospective law students considerable distress, particularly as many rankings are released just prior to seat deposit deadlines. Applicants should keep in mind that such fluctuations often reflect factors outside the control of schools themselves; moreover, the American Bar Association has repeatedly disapproved of law school rankings because many are based on irrelevant criteria rather than pertinent legal education factors.
