The University of St. Thomas School of Law is recognized once again by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 private law school in Minnesota and a top law school in the nation for clinical training, and by The National Jurist as the No. 2 law school in the nation for practical training.
St. Thomas Law made the second-largest jump of any law school in the nation—up 24 spots—in the 2017 U.S. News & World Report Best Law Schools rankings, released today. The school is ranked #35 on the publication’s clinical training rankings.
“Reputations build gradually, and while older law schools may have enjoyed a head start, we are closing the gap very quickly,” Dean Robert Vischer said. “Our ranking is beginning to catch up with reality. We continue to be the top-ranked private law school in Minnesota, and we’re on our way to becoming the top-ranked private law school in the region.”
U.S. News uses 12 measures of quality in order to determine law school rankings, including class profile and employment—two areas where St. Thomas is particularly strong. The school continues to attract students with strong undergraduate academic records and test scores, and has increased employment of its graduates significantly over the past several years.
This marks the second year St. Thomas Law has been included on the publication’s shortlist of best law schools for clinical training. Coming in at No. 35 nationwide, St. Thomas is home to 10 legal clinics, with a majority of St. Thomas Law students choosing to enroll in at least one live-client clinical course during their time in law school.
The practical training recognition comes from The National Jurist’s March 2016 issue, with St. Thomas Law outranked only by Northeastern University. Yale Law School, the University of California-Irvine, Washington and Lee University, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Arizona, Brigham Young University, the University of Denver and Pepperdine University round out the top 10. In 2015, The National Jurist ranked St. Thomas No. 3 on the list, and in 2014 the school was ranked No. 1.
“These rankings and statistics can serve as evidence that we’re on the right track, but they are not the reason we exist,” Vischer said. “We exist to help our students advance the common good by bringing purpose into practice. Understanding the power of that mission is best seen, not through numbers, but through the stories of our students having impact on the world.”
