Arizona Law Recognized for Excellence in Three National Surveys

Johnny Cruz
Sept. 25, 2007



The University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law continues to achieve national acclaim, with recognition in three national rankings surveys within the past month. Each of the three ranking tools – preLaw magazine, Hispanic Business magazine, and the Leiter Report -- analyzed different dimensions of educational quality, and the college was highly ranked on each.

In its back-to-school issue, preLaw magazine named Arizona Law as one of its “best value schools.” This survey included only those law schools with a bar examination passage rate higher than its state’s average, a graduating student employment rate of more than 85 percent, and a total annual tuition bill of less than $30,000. Rogers College of Law tuition is still among the lowest of the top-tier law schools in the country. Its graduates consistently exceed the state average for bar examination passage by 5-18 percent.

About 96 percent of graduating students are typically employed at graduation of within the following 6 months. Of 61 law schools meeting the criteria, the UA’s was 23rd in the country and is the only Arizona law school on the list. The school’s growing environmental programs were also cited as a good value for the study of environmental law.

preLaw magazine cited some common traits among listed schools, noting that “…they are building their reputations by managing internal expenses, stretching resources, investing in high-quality faculty and finding cost-effective ways to improve their campuses – all the while giving students a quality education.” Complete text of the list is available at http://www.NationalJurist.com.

In the “Schools that Rule” issue, Hispanic Business magazine ranked the UA in its top ten, again naming it one the top law schools in the country for Hispanic students. Since the inception of the survey, the college has frequently been included on the list, with its annual position varying between fifth and 10th depending on annual enrollment, retention and graduation figures, faculty, student services and national reputation. This year college ranked ninth. The survey can be viewed at http://www.hispanicbusiness.com.

“Affordability and accessibility are profoundly important factors in legal education, and central to the health of the legal profession as a whole,” said Rogers College of Law Dean Toni Massaro, “We don’t seek out this external recognition, but we do try very hard to help students manage both the cost of legal education and to create an environment in which each student can flourish. So we’re always gratified when we’re recognized for excelling in those critical areas.”

The college’s reputation for faculty excellence also received attention in the recent publication of a list barely known to the general public but highly prestigious among legal educators. “Brian Leiter’s Law School Rankings,” released this week, measures the scholarly impact of faculty work. The UA was ranked 20th in the country. To put the number in context, Georgetown was ranked 12th, University of Illinois was listed at 17th, Emory University was 24th and University of Colorado was in the 33rd position.

Ten faculty members were credited for producing the most cited works. They are: Professors S. James Anaya, Jean Braucher, Gabriel “Jack” Chin, Dan Dobbs, David Gantz, Toni Massaro, Marc L. Miller, Carol Rose, Theodore Schneyer and David Wexler.

Commenting on the Leiter list, Massaro said, “The relationship between scholarly impact and the quality of a law student’s experience is direct and sometimes undervalued. If you are a student, you want professors who are at the cutting edge of their respective areas of law. You want faculty who are engaged and active in their fields, who are helping to advance law and policy, who understand the nuances and challenges. These are precisely the people you want to prepare you for a fast-changing, demanding profession.”

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Nancy Stanley

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nancy.stanley@law.arizona.edu