10) Most Overrated and Underrated Law Schools: Surveys are among the most controversial elements of any school ranking. Sure, numbers are solid and logical. But they rarely manifest the intangibles that foster a strong learning environment. Conversely, qualitative sentiments are generally hard to measure – and often smudged by surface impressions and bias. Maybe that’s why critics scoff at U.S. News giving a 25 percent weight to scores given by law deans and tenured faculty. Most respondents simply aren’t intimately attuned to the curriculum, capabilities, and dynamics of their peer schools.
However, this approach offers a distinct way to evaluate law schools: as underperformers and overperformers. Using a methodology applied by U.S. News to business schools, Tipping the Scales ranked schools by scores submitted by their academic peers. We then compared these scores against each school’s overall rank. As a result, we could identify those law schools whose rankings were artificially inflated by subjective opinions. At the same time, we spotted law schools whose rankings were being held down by academic opinion, often a lagging indicator to what’s really happening on campus.
Have you been asking if your school’s ranking is fluff or the real stuff? Check out our listing of the most underrated and overrated law schools.
10) Top Law Schools for a Social Life
Think law school is just a 24-hour studyathon, where you’re surrounded by shrill, hypercompetitive Type-As? Well, you’ve been watching too much television. Sure, the battle for grades and internships can be fierce. And don’t expect your BFF to cut you any slack in moot court, either. Despite the law student stereotypes (snakes, sharks, and rats come to mind), you’ll find plenty of supportive and fun-loving people around you – especially near happy hour.
According to www.graduateprograms.com, the University of Florida is the best law school for a social life, with a 9.65 score on a 10-point scale. What other schools score high on friendly and interesting peers? Click on this final ranking to find out.
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