By Saira Bajwa
The Hofstra Law School has ranked amongst the top 100 ABA-accredited law schools in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. In a string of accomplishments within the past few months, the Law School has increased its regional and national reputation.
The magazine hit newsstands on March 31 with a list of 184 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. The rankings were based on an average score which took a wide array of factors into consideration. The score is derived from statistical indicators as well as expert opinions.
These indicators include a school’s selectivity which is based on its LSAT scores, GPA and acceptance rate, as well as a school’s bar exam passing rate, it’s student-to-faculty ratio, and average expenditures per student. Expert opinions consist of peer review by law school deans, deans of academic affairs, as well as assessments by lawyers and judges.
The Law School’s rank is 99; it has an average score of 39 based on the ranking criteria, placing it ahead of both Syracuse University’s Law School and the SUNY Buffalo Law School, which each earned an average score of 38.
Yale University Law School earned top honors this year with a 100 average score, with Harvard Law and Stanford University Law School tying for second place with an average score of 91. Columbia Law and New York University Law round out the top five.
Law School Dean Nora V. Demleitner does not completely agree with the methods used in the rankings. “Some components of this ranking are not relevant to the student experience,” she said. “Something as important as the quality and effectiveness of teaching is not included because it is hard to weigh, but it is much more important.”
Demleitner does realize the importance of these rankings, however.
“Our faculty and administration believe we have the qualities of a top 100 law school, but we want to receive the official recognition,” she said.
The Law School was established only 37 years ago, but it can boast of several high-profile alumni, most notably State Gov. David Paterson.