My pre-law adviser has told me that high rankings in specialized areas don't really make a difference, and I should try to go to a school that's ranked high overall, and not just in the area of law I want to practice. I'm interested in international law (specifically in the role of the IGO in legislating/enforcing human rights), and I've read that American University is ranked #47 overall, but #5 in international law, tied with Yale.
Does anyone have any ideas about the discrepancies between general and specialized rankings? Advice would be appreciated.