Health Law Program Also Recognized Among the Top Ten in Nation

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the DePaul University College of Law among the top 100 law schools in the United States in its latest survey of America’s best graduate schools. DePaul’s College of Law tied for 80th place, along with six other law schools. Two of its specialty programs, health law and intellectual property (IP), also were recognized.

Each year, U.S. News ranks the nation’s 180 American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law schools based on a weighted average of 12 measures. Those averages are calculated by examining a law school’s performance in such areas as overall quality, selectivity, placement success and faculty resources. Also included in the calculations are the results of two surveys sent to law deans and selected faculty members from each school asking them to rate other law schools.

Complete ranking information is published by U.S. News in a guide entitled “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2007,” which will be available in the April 10 edition of U.S.News & World Report magazine and on the News premium Web site: USNews.com.

“The College of Law at DePaul has built a national reputation for its centers and institutes that concentrate in such areas as health law, intellectual property, international human rights, aviation and capital defense,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul University. “Combine that with the highest quality faculty, a challenging curriculum and a network of alumni poised to help place DePaul graduates in jobs and what you have is a formula that has not only made DePaul an attractive choice for law students but also has earned it recognition among the best law schools in the country.”

DePaul is one of six Illinois law schools ranked in the top 100. DePaul was joined in 80th place in the U.S. News Rankings by Rutgers State University—Newark, St. John’s University, St. Louis University, University at Buffalo—SUNY, University of Oklahoma and the University of Richmond.

U.S. News also ranked DePaul’s health law and IP programs among the best specialty law programs. The health law program tied for 10th place with the University of Minnesota and is one of two health law programs in Illinois ranked among the top 10 by U.S. News. The IP program placed 11th among the programs ranked by U.S. News.

The health law program is part of DePaul’s Health Law Institute, which was created in 1984. It is the first ABA-accredited program of its kind in the country and offers a master of law (LL.M.) degree in health law and a health law certificate.

DePaul’s IP program, which was initiated in 1997, boasts more than 30 courses and certifications in IP such as patent law, information technology and art and museum law. It also offers IP-focused legal writing courses, two joint degree programs with DePaul’s School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems, and an LL.M. degree.

“Over the past several years the College of Law has focused its energy on enhancing its programs and attracting the brightest and best students and faculty,” said Bruce Ottley, acting dean of the College of Law. “DePaul’s excellent showing in the latest rankings by U.S. News is just one of the fruits of those efforts. While it is an honor to be ranked among the top 100 law schools in the nation, those considering law school should use rankings in concert with other factors that speak to their specific needs when selecting a law school. Those factors include such things as course offerings, faculty scholarship, student diversity and alumni networks.”

DePaul’s College of Law was established in 1912 and is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Its 2005-06 enrollment totaled 1,179 students. Its alumni include state and federal judges, municipal, county and state leaders, and two generations of Chicago mayors. For more information about the DePaul University College of Law, visit the Web site at http://www.law.depaul.edu/.

In other rankings, DePaul’s evening MBA program was ranked 11th among part-time MBA programs by U.S. News, which surveyed 399 business schools for its guidebook.