The DePaul University College of Law has been ranked among the top 100 law schools in the country, for the second consecutive year, and its health law and intellectual property programs are among the best, according to the latest survey of America’s professional schools conducted by U.S.News & World Report . The survey also recognized the law school’s student population as being among the most diverse.

“The College of Law at DePaul is dedicated to providing students with a rigorous course of academic study and top quality programs in an environment that reflects the university’s commitment to diversity,” said Glen Weissenberger, dean of the College of Law. “The latest U.S. News rankings illustrate that the College of Law’s exceptional faculty and its focus on creating strong specialty programs, like health law, have helped it earn recognition among the best in the country.”

Overall, the College of Law tied for 91st place with five other universities. To determine the overall rankings, U.S. News surveyed the nation’s 184 law schools that are accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and rated them based on a weighted average of 12 measures. Those averages were calculated by examining a law school’s performance in such areas as selectivity, placement success and faculty resources. Also included in the calculations were the results of two surveys sent to law deans and selected faculty members from each school asking them to rate other law schools.

DePaul’s health law program landed in ninth place among all such programs in the nation, moving it up one place from last year when it tied at 10th place with the University of Minnesota. The intellectual property program at DePaul was ranked 13th in the survey.

Specialty programs were ranked in the survey based on votes by law faculty and directors of clinical and legal writing programs who nominated up to 15 schools in each field. The 10 programs with the top votes appeared in the rankings.

Established in 1984 as part of DePaul’s Health Law Institute, the health law program is one of the first ABA accredited programs of its kind in the country. Students can earn master of law (LL.M.) degrees as well as certificates in health law.

“We are honored that our peers have distinguished DePaul’s program as one of the most outstanding in the United States,” said Michele Goodwin, who directs the institute. “We offer a theoretically challenging program as well as embrace the practical, hands-on skills approach to health law. Our students confront and respond to the most critical health law issues of the day.”

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.

“Our IP program has been ranked above schools like New York University and Harvard in this survey,” said Barbara Bressler, who directs the program. “We have consistently been ranked among the top 15 programs in the country, which is a major accomplishment given the quality of the programs that exist.”

In the area of diversity, U.S. News identified DePaul as a school where students would most likely encounter classmates from different racial or ethnic groups. The diversity rankings were based on the total proportion of minority students—excluding international students—and the mix of racial and ethnic groups on campus during the 2006-2007 academic year. Of the 1,095 students enrolled in DePaul’s law school in the fall of 2006-2007, Hispanic students accounted for 10 percent— the largest minority group, according to the U.S. News survey.

DePaul’s College of Law was established in 1912 and is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. “While it is encouraging to be recognized among the best law schools in the country by U.S. News, those considering a legal education should utilize rankings such as these in concert with other factors when selecting a law school,” said Weissenberger. “Those factors should speak to the individual’s specific needs and include such things as course offerings, faculty scholarship and alumni networks.”

Selected rankings appear in the April 9 issue of U.S.News & World Report magazine and are published in the 2008 edition of the guidebook, “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” both available on newsstands April 2. The rankings also are posted in a premium online edition at www.usnews.com. For more information about the DePaul University College of Law, visit the Web site at www.law.depaul.edu.