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Rankings of
Top Law School LL.M. Programs

PLEASE NOTE: The process of ranking schools is by nature imperfect. There are numerous different "authorities" which provide different rankings of top schools. The intelligent reader of these rankings will understand that any listing of the "best" schools is always extremely controversial, and that there are no objective criteria for assessing how "good" a school is. We provide a selection of rankings for our readers' interest only, and do not mean to suggest that a certain organization's assesment of the "best" schools is more valid than any other's. In researching schools one should always investigate numerous sources and learn the strengths and weaknesses of each institution.

School Educa-tional Quality
Ranking 		U.S .
News
& World
Report		 Insiders Guide to US Law Schools Gourman Report Brennan's Composite Index National Jurist
Baylor
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
16
College of
William & Mary
30
32
n/a
n/a
n/a
3
Columbia University
5
6
5
7
2
17
Cornell University
10
16
15
10
n/a
6
Duke University
15
7
12
8
n/a
19
George Washington University
21
26
20
32
n/a
32
Georgetown University
13
24
13
17
12
7
Harvard University
3
1
2
1
4
31
Louisiana State University
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
20
62
New York University
5
12
9
11
5
18
Northwestern University
13
5
16
14
13
29
Ohio State University
43
19
n/a
n/a
8
102
Southern University
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
10
61
Stanford University
4
2
4
6
n/a
8
University of California, Berkeley
8
8
7
5
1
33
University of California, Davis
27
35
n/a
n/a
n/a
20
University of California, Hastings
29
41
n/a
n/a
11
27
University of California, Los Angeles
15
14
14
13
n/a
9
University of Chicago
1
9
6
4
n/a
5
University of Colorado
20
42
n/a
n/a
n/a
55
University of Florida
46
28
n/a
n/a
18
87
University of Illinois
21
34
23
38
15
24
University of Michigan
7
13
3
2
9
21
University of Minnesota
17
26
17
19
3
34
University of Notre Dame
21
31
n/a
18
n/a
11
University of Pennsylvania
11
3
10
9
n/a
13
University of Southern California
18
20
22
27
n/a
10
University of Texas, Austin
11
18
11
15
7
14
University of Virginia
8
11
8
16
16
2
University of Washington, Seattle
55
28
n/a
n/a
17
30
University of Wisconsin, Madison
25
47
18
22
n/a
43
Vanderbilt University
18
45
21
n/a
n/a
4
Washington & Lee University
32
30
n/a
n/a
n/a
12
Washington University, St. Louis
34
32
n/a
n/a
n/a
12
Yale University
2
15
1
3
14
1


Educational Quality Reports are produced by Professor Brian Leiter, a law and philosophy professor at the University of Texas, Austin. This web site contains a wealth of information on how law schools rankings should be compiled and ranks law schools according to the quality of professors. He also ranks schools for particular areas of law. http://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/bleiter/rankings/rankings03.html

U.S. News and World Report is the most well known ranking of business and law schools. Its number one position makes it also the most highly criticized ranking.

Insiders Guide to US Law Schools is a book published annually, which gives valuable information on all the top schools, as well as admissions hints and information.

The Gourman Report is the oldest graduate and professional school ranking service. It is highly respected and is probably the ranking most closely watched by the law schools themselves. Gourman, Jack . The Gourman Report. A Rating of Graduate and Professional Programs in American and International Universities.. Random House, Inc.

Brennan's Composite Index is an alternative ranking service produced by former Michigan Supreme Court Judge Thomas E. Brennan. Judge Brennan ranks his top 20 schools according to a number of categories. We include only the composite list here. This list is rather controversial but also widely discussed. IT can be found at www.ilrg.com/rankings This is the web site for Internet Legal Resouces Guide, which also contains a number of other law school rankings, information on law schools, and books on the topic that you can purchase.

National Jurist rankings are produced by the National Jurist, a widely read monthly magazine for lawyers. National Jurist publishing also has many publications for law students and young lawyers.
www.nationaljurist.com