The LSU Law Center remained solidly positioned among the top 100 American law schools in rankings released on March 15. The 2012 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings placed the Center at 84th nationally, down slightly from the previous rankings in 2011.
LSU Law is one of only eight public law schools in the Gulf South region, stretching from Texas to Florida, ranked in the top 100 by U.S. News. It is one of only three schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, public or private, in the top 100.
“We’re holding steady, consolidating our progress in recent years,” said Chancellor Jack M. Weiss. In the past decade, LSU Law’s ranking has climbed dramatically in the U.S. News list, with the Center moving into the top 100 for the first time in 2004. In recent years, the school’s ranking has ranged between 75th (2009) and 91st (2007).
“Students recognize that LSU Law continues to provide a first-rate legal education at a great value,” commented Chancellor Weiss. “Each year for the past three years both the academic credentials and the diversity of our entering class has increased. Our students are the best witnesses to our success.”
The rankings consider a variety of factors, with some 40% of the score derived from peer surveys of deans, faculty, judges, and lawyers. Additional factors include selectivity of entering students (.25); placement in employment and bar passage (.20); and resources (.15).
