Just because I know people love to pore over this stuff, I've gone back through the US News law school rankings over the past decade and a half and put together a chart showing overall rankings for slots 18 through 50 in selected years. Rankings races are clearly fun; it's a shame that they don't put a note on the listings stating "for entertainment purposes only."
|
|
1997 (’96 school data) |
2001 (’99 school data) |
2003 (’02 school data) |
2007 (’05 school data) |
2010 (’08 school data) |
|
18 |
Texas |
Vandy |
Southern Cal |
Southern Cal/Vandy tied at 17 |
Southern Cal |
|
19 |
Illinois |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
GW |
Wash U |
|
20 |
Notre Dame |
W & L |
W & L (tied at 19) |
Minnesota (tied at 19) |
BU |
|
21 |
W & L (tied at 20) |
Iowa |
Iowa |
Wash U (tied at 19) |
Emory (tied at 20) |
|
22 |
BC |
UNC |
BC |
BU |
Minnesota (tied at 20) |
|
23 |
Minnesota |
BC |
GW (tied at 22) |
Iowa (tied at 22) |
Indiana – Blm |
|
24 |
GW |
GW (tied at 23) |
Notre Dame (tied at 22) |
Notre Dame (tied at 22) |
Illinois (tied at 23) |
|
25 |
U Washington |
Illinois (tied at 23) |
Illinois |
W & L (tied at 22) |
Notre Dame (tied at 23) |
|
26 |
Fordham |
Emory |
Wash U (tied at 25) |
Emory |
BC |
|
27 |
Georgia |
Notre Dame (tied at 26) |
Emory |
BC |
Iowa (tied at 26) |
|
28 |
Iowa |
U Washington (tied at 26) |
BU |
Wm & Mary (tied for 27) |
Wm & Mary |
|
29 |
Emory |
Wm & Mary |
Wm & Mary (tied at 28) |
Illinois (tied for 27) |
GW (tied at 28) |
|
30 |
Colorado |
Georgia (tied at 29) |
UNC (tied at 28) |
UNC (tied for 27) |
Fordham |
|
31 |
BU |
Wash U (tied at 29) |
BYU |
U Washington (tied for 27) |
Alabama (tied at 30) |
|
32 |
Connecticut |
BYU |
Fordham (tied at 31) |
Fordham |
UNC (tied at 30) |
|
33 |
BYU |
Fordham (tied at 32) |
UC Davis (tied at 31) |
Wisconsin (tied for 32) |
U Washington (tied at 30) |
|
34 |
UNC (tied at 33) |
Hastings (tied at 32) |
Georgia (tied at 31) |
BYU |
W & L (tied at 30) |
|
35 |
Wake Forest |
BU (tied at 32) |
Wisconsin (tied at 31) |
UC Davis (tied for 34) |
UC Davis |
|
36 |
Wm & Mary |
Wisconsin |
Hastings |
Georgia (tied for 34) |
Georgia (tied at 35) |
|
37 |
Wash U |
Indiana – Blm |
Wake Forest (tied at 36) |
George Mason |
Wisconsin (tied at 35) |
|
38 |
Wisconsin |
Ohio State (tied at 37) |
Indiana – Blm |
Indiana – Blm (tied for 37) |
Ohio St (tied at 35) |
|
39 |
UC Davis |
Arizona (tied at 37) |
Ohio State (tied at 38) |
Ohio State |
Hastings |
|
40 |
Arizona |
Wake Forest (tied at 37) |
George Mason |
Wake Forest (tied for 39) |
Wake Forest |
|
41 |
Utah |
UC Davis |
Colorado (tied at 40) |
Florida |
BYU |
|
42 |
Case Western |
Connecticut (tied at 41) |
Connecticut (tied at 40) |
Maryland |
George Mason (tied for 41) |
|
43 |
Tennessee |
Tulane |
Utah (tied at 40) |
American |
Arizona |
|
44 |
Indiana – Blm |
Utah (tied at 43) |
Arizona |
SMU (tied at 43) |
American (tied for 43) |
|
45 |
Ohio St |
Colorado |
Tulane |
Tulane (tied at 43) |
Tulane (tied for 43) |
|
46 |
Maryland |
Alabama |
Alabama (tied at 45) |
Alabama (tied at 43) |
Colorado (tied for 43) |
|
47 |
Arizona St |
Arizona St |
Florida (tied at 45) |
Arizona (tied at 43) |
Utah (tied for 43) |
|
48 |
Tulane |
Tennessee (tied at 47) |
Maryland (tied at 45) |
Hastings (tied at 43) |
Maryland (tied for 43) |
|
49 |
New Mexico (tied at 48) |
Baylor |
U Washington (tied at 45) |
Colorado (tied at 43) |
SMU |
|
50 |
Houston |
Cincinnati (tied at 49) |
SMU |
Connecticut |
Cardozo (tied for 49) |
If you print this out and hold it up to a mirror, does it contain a secret message?