American: General vs. Int'l Law Ranking

[heyvolcano]

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.

[J D]

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.

The received wisdom is exactly what your pre-law advisor said.  Personally, I'm not sure what it's based on, and in your case, American might very well be the best choice for you.  For what you want to do, it seems like the logical place of employment after gaduation, and during your summers, would probably be in DC with some human rights group (they tend to gather around the major political center of the country for lobbying purposes).  The only other major location for that sort of work that I can think of is NYC, to be near the UN.  American is a fine school, right in DC; they undoubtedly place their grads quite well there.  To boot, they have a very high reputation in the field of law you want to practice in.  Unless you have a GW or GULC acceptance you haven't mentioned, I'd say American would be a very wise choice.  That's my $0.02

[SuicideNixon]

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.

I think your prelaw advisor is right. I wouldn't choose American over BC or GW

[Erapitt]

Yeah, keep in mind American will be competing against GULC, GW, and other top schools nationwide that want to place here in DC for jobs.  I have heard great things about American, but unfortunately, they often get shadowed by being in the same city as GULC and GW.  I have lived here for a while now and that is kinda the vibe that comes off of the school.  Not to mention their fin. aid office and other admin. people are impossible to deal with from what my friends who have attended various programs there have told me.

[heyvolcano]

In response to all of the above: yeah, that's kind of the impression that I had of American.

Thanks, everyone!

[twoxfaced]

im in the same boat. wanting to do international human rights and deciding between schools. 

having worked in the ngo/international field for years now, i know that they look at rankings and such just as much as the corporate world. 

i haven't decided yet between my schools, but that might be something you want to think about.

[AllisonAzee]

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.

I go to American and I have to say if you want to go into International Human Rights this is definitely the place to be.  Some of the professers and the programs are pretty amazing in the area.  I'm actually not at all interested into going into human rights, but some of the programs (some of which are admittadly hard to get into) help write constitutions for developing countries, there's a clinic devoted to it that has done some really important cases.  The rank to be honest is more of a concern $ wise, that's not to say everyone doesn't have a job because they do.  The school's ranking in my opinion is not what it should be because they accept a lot of people on soft factors, for instance peace corps that sort of thing.