Rankings of Top Religious Law Schools
For many, the law is more than just a career pursuit. It can also be a mission, grounded in personal values and religious tradition. Let’s face it: The earliest laws, from Hammurabi’s Code to the United States Constitution, were swathed in religious overtones. So it shouldn’t be surprising that some law schools also integrate religious themes and courses into their curriculum. For some students, religious belief plays a profound role in how they approach the law. And some law schools reflect (or cater to) these impulses. Is it any surprise that they naturally seek each other out?
Recently, National Jurist published rankings of law schools that promote faith. While the data that shapes these rankings is pretty quantitative, there is really no way to measure faith in a school, let alone the human heart. That said, here is the data and methodology used by National Jurist for this ranking:
“We first identified the 52 law schools that are affiliated with a religious faith. We then gathered detailed information from the schools and from other sources. We also gathered information on non-faith schools with large populations of Muslims, Jews and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons.
From that data, we compiled a ranking based on the following: percentage and activity of students who belong to the faith; percentage and activity of faculty who belong to the faith; number of religion-focused courses and other ways the school incorporates the faith into the curricula; religion-based journals, centers and clinics; religious services and clergy at the law school; mission of the law school.”
So who did best? Here are the rankings (with U.S. News & World Report rankings in parentheses):
Top 10 Law Schools for Devout Catholics:
- Ave Maria (Tier 2)
- University of St. Thomas (#124)
- St. John’s (#98)
- Catholic (#80)
- Fordham (#38)
- Boston College (#31)
- Notre Dame (#23)
- Gonzaga (#113)
- Loyola-Chicago (#76)
- St. Louis (#102)
Top 5 Law Schools for Devout Christians (Other Than Catholics):
- Liberty (Tier 2)
- Trinity (Not Ranked)
- Regent (Tier 2)
- Pepperdine (#61)
- Baylor (#54)
Top 5 Law Schools for Devout Jews:
- Cardozo (#58)
- Touro (Tier 2)
- Emory (#23)
- American (#56)
- George Washington (#21)
Top 5 Law Schools for Devout Muslims:
- UCLA (#17)
- Michigan State (#80)
- George Washington (#21)
- Michigan (#9)
- Yale (#1)
Top 5 Law Schools for Devout Mormons:
- BYU (#44)
- Creighton (#119)
- Gonzaga (#113)
- George Washington (#21)
- Utah (#41)
Source: Tax Prof Blog
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