The two top law schools in the United States of America announced on Wednesday they will no longer be participating in law school ranking conducted by U.S News and World Report annually.
Yale and Harvard gave a statement saying the rankings are conflicting with their commitments and jurisdiction to student affordability and diversity. This marks a significant change in the ranking lists.
Yale revealed the decision first, having held the top spot every year since U.S. The rankings began in 1990. Harvard Law School dean John Manning informed students that it will follow suit. Harvard is ranked fourth.
Yale Law Dean Heather said on her school’s website that the profoundly inaccurate rankings discourage schools from attracting working-class students, awarding need-based financial assistance, and assisting students in pursuing public interest jobs.
The law school rankings published by US News & World Report loom big in the legal sector, which places a high value on status. Many attorneys consider rankings when selecting a law school, and graduating from a highly rated institution offers access to well-paid associate roles at big law firms, judicial clerkships, and other sought-after positions.
The U.S. News rankings have long drawn criticism from many legal experts.
According to experts, the system forces law schools to give financial help to candidates who scored well on the Law School Admission Test and received good undergraduate grades, which together make up 20% of a school’s ranking, rather than candidates who really need it.
However, the US News states that Yale and Harvard may not entirely disappear from the law school rankings because it can use publicly available data when they do not supply their own.
