Law school achieves second tier in latest U.S. News rankings


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The 2011
U.S. News and World Report
ranking of the nation’s top law schools was revealed today and the good news keeps coming for the Chapman University School of Law. The 15-year-old law school has moved into the prestigious second tier, which, at #93, puts Chapman in the top 100 ABA law schools in the United States. The move is the second major jump in two years, with Chapman having moved into the third tier in 2008.

“This is an extraordinary achievement for our School of Law, moving up in the rankings this quickly in just over 15 years since its founding,” said Chapman President Jim Doti. “It is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of our past deans, John Eastman and Parham Williams, and to our outstanding law faculty who have always reflected such credit upon Chapman University.”

The Chapman School of Law’s most recent dean, John Eastman, stepped down in February to seek the Republican nomination for California Attorney General, although he remains on the Chapman law faculty.  The school is currently undertaking a national search for a new dean.  Scott Howe, a criminal law expert and member of the Chapman law faculty, is serving as interim dean.

Dean Howe stated, “We are pleased that others are recognizing Chapman as an excellent law school.” Howe attributes the rise in ranking to a number of factors, including a rapid rise in bar pass rate, an influx of top faculty members, exacting admissions standards, expanding clinical programs, and one of the lowest student-faculty ratios in the country.

The new ranking will be formally announced and celebrated on Tuesday, April 20 following the Chapman School of Law’s annual Madison Lecture, a re-enactment of a famous historical trial that includes law students and a distinguished visiting judge.  This year’s Madison Lecture, a re-enactment of the 1810
Fletcher v. Peck
case, will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 244 of  Kennedy Hall, with visiting judge Janice Rogers Brown of the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, presiding. 

Immediately following the case re-enactment, the 2
nd
tier announcement celebration will be held in the lobby of Kennedy Hall, after which a reception honoring past dean John Eastman will take place.

 See Chapman’s page at
U.S. News and World Report

here
.

Dawn Bonker

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