2006 USNEWS Rankings - Here it is

[blueboy]

Since the supposed U.S. News 2006 rankings were posted, I've heard a lot of talk about what schools made big moves up or down.  Emory, Tulane, and Case Western have been some of the most mentioned schools in terms of their movement.  I want to look beyond the 1st tier.  Assuming the rankings are real, which I'm not hear to argue or have proven to me, I was shocked by how far Indiana University-Indianapolis fell in the rankings, from 63rd last year to 95th this year.  I realize the overall scores for 2nd tier schools are closely bunched together, but Indy's fall in the rankings still really surprised me.  I'm interested in hearing people's opinions on why Indy slipped so far.  Those with glib responses need not reply.  You know the folks I'm talking about.  Those who would say, "Indy has been revealed for the pretender it is and are now returning to the Third Tier Toilet from which they came and where they belong."  Go to the XO discussion board if you want to masturbate your ego in such a way.  Thanks in advance to all those who post thoughtful responses.

[SleepyGuyYawn]

I was shocked about IU-Indy's fall as well.  But I just think it proves that the lawyers/judges/academics who return surveys aren't reliable.  It's so odd.  But if you happen to, by chance, have a few fewer people familiar with IU Indy than you'd normally predict, you probably see these huge jumps. 

The methodology is so flawed.  I wouldn't take a drop or jump in the rankings as proving anything more than this.

[SleepyGuyYawn]

An interesting article from Mother Jones about Pepperdine.  It's about a kid who has been punished for speaking out as a gay student.  He's an undergrad, but let's face it -- the culture extends to the law school to some extent.  I mean... Ken Starr is the dean of the law school for heaven's sake.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/10/10_404.html

From the article:  But as a student, Turck found that such talk of acceptance rang hollow. In his first two years he cycled through three roommates, all of whom were uncomfortable with his homosexuality. So Turck, who had organized his high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, tried to create a similar group, Students Against Homophobia, to promote tolerance on campus. When he applied for official recognition, the administration denied his request, claiming that it would not “recognize a student organization that promotes teaching or behavior inconsistent with our ethical norms.” Turck then asked to meet with the university president Andrew K. Benton, only to receive a letter rebuffing him. It closed ominously, “If you choose to share this letter with someone else, you will have violated my confidence and undertaken to harm yourself.”

[AllisonAzee]

An interesting article from Mother Jones about Pepperdine.  It's about a kid who has been punished for speaking out as a gay student.  He's an undergrad, but let's face it -- the culture extends to the law school to some extent.  I mean... Ken Starr is the dean of the law school for heaven's sake.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/10/10_404.html

From the article:  But as a student, Turck found that such talk of acceptance rang hollow. In his first two years he cycled through three roommates, all of whom were uncomfortable with his homosexuality. So Turck, who had organized his high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, tried to create a similar group, Students Against Homophobia, to promote tolerance on campus. When he applied for official recognition, the administration denied his request, claiming that it would not “recognize a student organization that promotes teaching or behavior inconsistent with our ethical norms.” Turck then asked to meet with the university president Andrew K. Benton, only to receive a letter rebuffing him. It closed ominously, “If you choose to share this letter with someone else, you will have violated my confidence and undertaken to harm yourself.”

Yeah that was what I had read about too.  The more disturbing thing is it wasn't even a group to promote gay rights or anything, it was simply to help stop homophobia (which last time I checked was not a christian value, at least technically) and to spread awareness of the effects of homophobia.  And the fact that the kid couldn't keep a roommate says this attitude is shared with the student body along with the faculty (I know not all).  I want to love you Pepperdine, but you're making it so hard.

[SleepyGuyYawn]

Like I said, I'm not trying to rain on your parade.  The bone I have to pick with Pepperdine has nothing to do with politics or religion.  The sole matter I care about is tolerance.  This kid is showing what happens to an advocate of tolerance at Pepperdine.  He's a self-confirmed conservative, as well.

I think the only way that institutions will become more accepting and tolerant is if people make decisions to not deal with them based on their lack of tolerence.  Or I suppose it can make a difference if people like this young man go to the institution and stand up for their rights, although I would never ask that of a person.

[kristay]

I don't suppose anyone would be willing to post a full list of the third and fourth tiers?  I'm curious about a couple of the schools I applied to in those tiers.

Good to see UoP-McGeorge in the second tier, though.  Everyone was so lovely and nice when I visited a few weeks back, so I'm now kind of partial to them.

Tier 3
Albany Law School
Cleveland State University
Creighton
DePaul
Duquesne
Franklin Pierce
Gonzanga
Howard
Loyola University New Orleans
Michigan State
New York Law School
Samford
Santa Clara
Southern Illinois University--Carbondale
Southwestern University
Stetson
Texas Tech
Akron
U. of Arkansas--Fayetteville
U of Arkansas--Little Rock
U. of Idaho
U. of Maine
U. of Memphis
U. of Missouri--Kansas City
U. of Montana
U. of North Dakota
U. of San Francisco
U. of Toledo
U. of Wyoming
Vermont Law School
Washburn
Wayne State
West Virginia University
Williamette

Tier 4
California WEstern
Campbell
Capital University
Chapman
CUNY-Queens College
Drake
Florida Coastal
Golden Gate
Hamline
John Marshall
Mississippi College
New Englad School of Law
North Carolina Central University
Northern Illinois
Northern Kentucky
Nova Southeastern
Ohio Northern
Oklahoma City
Pace
Quinnipiac
Regent
Roger WIlliams University
Southern University
South Texas College of Law
St. Mary's
St. Thomas
Suffolk
Texas Southern
TExas WEsleyan
Thomas  Jefferson
Thomas M. Cooley
Touro
U. of Baltimore
U. of Dayton
U. of Detroit Mercy
U. of South Dakota
U. of Tulsa
Valparaiso
Western New England College
Western State Unviersity
Whittier
Widener
William Mitchell

[DunkinsFan]

You rock... people have been asking for that for ages.  I'm not really interested in any of the schools in this category except Suffolk, which I was disappointed to see didn't move up.

I think the T3/T4 distinction doesn't mean that much anyway, though.  To me there are the decent T3/T4, and then the T4 that are truly "TTTT" (I'd say Cooley, Appalachian, maybe Western New England and Roger Williams)

I don't think it's fair to schools like Suffolk, Hamline, William Mitchell, U Baltimore, that they're in the same category as the above.

[kristay]

You rock... people have been asking for that for ages.  I'm not really interested in any of the schools in this category except Suffolk, which I was disappointed to see didn't move up.

I think the T3/T4 distinction doesn't mean that much anyway, though.  To me there are the decent T3/T4, and then the T4 that are truly "TTTT" (I'd say Cooley, Appalachian, maybe Western New England and Roger Williams)

I don't think it's fair to schools like Suffolk, Hamline, William Mitchell, U Baltimore, that they're in the same category as the above.

No prob.

I agree with that...there are many tier 4 schools that I think are much better than other schools in the same tier.  What surprised me was that 2 schools in the 4the tier have bar passage rates of less than 30%!  I think that the regional reps of Suffolk, Hamline, William Mitchell, etc...have excellent regional reps.

[Matokah]

Yes, very true... especially since most T2s are regional schools anyways.  I was a bit tired when I wrote my above most, I meant to say I declined my Pepperdine waitlist, still no regrets.

You and me both on being tired when we wrote our responses.  I totally didn't realize I had come off as snappy as I did.  Apologies.  I just think the rankings are so ridiculous sometimes.  With this change, does this mean UoP is better than Santa Clara all of a sudden?  Maybe.  But not if you want to do hi-tech law.  It's more about fit than anything, I think, and that's why the rankings are irrelevant when you're trying to choose between 2 similarly-ranked schools.

[Matokah]

I agree with that...there are many tier 4 schools that I think are much better than other schools in the same tier.  What surprised me was that 2 schools in the 4the tier have bar passage rates of less than 30%!  I think that the regional reps of Suffolk, Hamline, William Mitchell, etc...have excellent regional reps.

I was pretty surprised when I found out that William Mitchell had dropped to fourth tier.  The funny thing is that most Minnesotans will still consider it the best law school in the Twin Cities without a doubt.  There's no changing us stubborn Scandinavians. 

P.S. kristay:  what the heck is a "depost"?