U.S. News Media Group Announces the 2012 Best Law Schools

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News Media Group today released the 2012 Best Law Schools rankings online at USNews.com. Yale Law School once again tops the U.S. News Best Law Schools list.  Highlights of the rankings, part of the U.S. News Best Graduate Schools rankings, will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2012 edition book, on sale April 5, 2011. The most comprehensive version of the upcoming Best Law Schools, including all the extended rankings and complete data, will be available online through the all-new U.S. News Law School Compass.

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This year, U.S. News modified how employment rates are calculated. In the past, J.D.s counted as employed at graduation and at nine months later if they worked full or part-time in a legal or non-legal job or were pursuing further graduate education; so did 25 percent of those whose status was unknown. Now, the rates are figured solely on the number of graduates working full or part-time in a legal or non-legal job divided by the total number of J.D. graduates. Those not seeking employment are now counted in the total number of graduates; previously, they were excluded.

The list of ranked schools has also been extended from 100 to the top three-quarters of schools. The remaining schools are listed alphabetically as Rank Not Published online.  And, for the first time, U.S. News is publishing a ranking of law schools by recruiters at firms who made the 2010 Best Law Firms rankings, produced by U.S. News in partnership with Best Lawyers. For more details on the law school rankings methodology, go to www.usnews.com/lawmeth.

"The U. S. News rankings are an essential resource for anyone considering where to go to law school," said Executive Editor Tim Smart. "These enhancements will make them even more valuable."

The 2012 Best Graduate Schools is the first rankings package to be launched on the newly redesigned U.S. News Education site. With a fresh look, the redesign offers increased usability and navigation and more than 20 new Knowledge Centers to help guide users through the college and graduate school decision process.

In addition, a new and improved premium product, the U.S. News Law School Compass, offers a wealth of law school information and comparison tools:

• Expanded Profiles & Advanced Search for 188 Law Schools
• All Entering Class Stats, Including Average LSAT Scores
• Average Starting Salary (Public and Private) of Graduates
• Percent of Graduates Employed upon Graduation by School
• New "My Home" - Save Schools, Compare & Take Notes

To learn more about the U.S. News Law School Compass or to order a copy of the 2012 Best Graduate Schools book, visit the online U.S. News Store. For more information about Best Graduate Schools, visit www.usnews.com/grad or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About the U.S. News Media Group. The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform publisher of news analysis, research and rankings which includes the U.S. News & World Report magazines and guidebooks, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, and the company's websites, www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money, Education, Politics & Policy, Autos, and Travel, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group's signature franchises include its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its "Best" series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more.

SOURCE U.S. News Media Group

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