The University of St. Thomas School of Law is one of the top 10 law schools in the nation for professors and quality of life, according to a new study released by The Princeton Review. The school ranks No. 8 and No. 5, respectively. These new rankings add to the school's recognition as the No. 1 law school for externship, the No. 2 law school for practical training and the No. 10 law school for best value (all by The National Jurist), and the No. 35 law school for clinical training (U.S. News and World Report).
The No. 8 Best Professors ranking is based on student answers to survey questions concerning how good their professors are as teachers and how accessible they are outside the classroom. Also included in the top 10 are Boston University, the University of Virginia, the University of Chicago, Duke, Stanford, Washington and Lee, Pepperdine, Charleston and the University of Georgia.
The Princeton Review reports that St. Thomas Law students said the following about their professors: The professors here are all “outstanding,” “welcoming” and “available,” with “incredibly impressive résumés” and a love of teaching. They “go above and beyond what is required in order to help students succeed,” and “it creates a very stimulating environment.” “They want to be there and they care about our futures and our ability to grasp the information.” “St. Thomas puts time and effort into recruiting some of the best legal minds in the nation, and it is shown by my own understanding of the material.”
The No. 5 Best Quality of Life ranking is based on student answers to survey questions on whether there is a strong sense of community at the school, whether differing opinions are tolerated in the classroom, the location of the school, the quality of social life at the school and the school’s research resources. Also included in the top 10 are the University of Virginia, Duke, Vanderbilt, Charleston, the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, the University of Georgia, Samford and NYU.
Among the comments made by St. Thomas Law students about their quality of life, The Princeton Review reported: The downtown location provides “excellent access to events, seminars, [and] internships.” The underlying Catholic values of the school really do help to foster a community atmosphere, and students are adamant about the law school being “a truly friendly environment.” “Everyone here—not just the deans, professors, and admissions and registrar staff, but even the custodians, cafeteria employees, and the security personnel—strives to create a community in which everyone is treated with respect and dignity.”
The 2017 edition of The Princeton Review’s “The Best 172 Law Schools” publication includes insight from 19,400 law students, as well as data from law school administrators. The ranking tallies factor in data from surveys completed during academic years 2015-16, 2014-15 and 2013-14.
