Here are the best US law schools

No change in the top three schools for three years running

Here are the best US law schools

The top three law schools in the US remain Yale University, Stanford University, and Harvard University, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Law Schools list.

The top three are the same for three years running, but the fourth spot was clinched by Columbia University, which moved up by one spot and displaced University of Chicago.

The list includes the 194 law schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association. The ranking is based on a weighted average of 12 measures of quality, which includes scores from peer assessments, evaluation by lawyers and judges, selectivity, placement success, and faculty resources.

For peer assessment, the publication had law school deans, deans of academic affairs, chairs of faculty appointments, and the most recently tenured faculty members rate programs of schools on the list. The evaluation by lawyers and judges included hiring partners of law firms, practicing attorneys, and judges.

Judging selectivity involved evaluating the median scores of each school in the Law School Admission Test and the Graduate Records Examinations, their median undergraduate grade point average, and their acceptance rate.

For placement success, the ranking took into account the employment rates of the schools 2018 graduates at graduation and 10 months after. She list also evaluated the bar passage rate of schools, as well as their expenditure for student, student-faculty ratio, and library resources.

The 20 top law schools in the US according to U.S. News & World Report are:

  1. Yale University
  2. Stanford University
  3. Harvard University
  4. Columbia University
  5. University of Chicago
  6. New York University
  7. University of Pennsylvania (Carey)
  8. University of Virginia
  9. Northwestern University (Pritzker)
  10. University of California, Berkeley
  11. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  12. Duke University
  13. Cornell University
  14. Georgetown University
  15. University of California, Los Angeles
  16. University of Texas, Austin
  17. Washington University in St. Louis
  18. University of Southern California (Gould)
  19. Vanderbilt University
  20. Boston University

Recent articles & video

UK family lawyers launch mental health resource for divorce clients

Bankruptcy attorney Jamie Sprayregen departs Kirkland & Ellis for Hilco Global

DLA Piper bolsters US-Africa practice with Kalidou Gadio as new co-chair

Lander & Rogers launches workplace law elective at QUT

CE Family Law's Louise Hunter had an Erin Brockovich for a grandma

WFW picks up win at 2024 Australian ADR Awards

Most Read Articles

Hamilton Locke partner transitions to Lander & Rogers

Global law firm Kirkland & Ellis advises on multi-billion-dollar merger in the natural gas sector

Two Australian lawyers ascend to partner in major HFW promotions round

ALRC releases anti-discrimination, religious educational institution law recommendations