DePaul University College of Law has been ranked among the nation’s top 100 in the latest U.S.News & World Report national survey of America’s graduate schools. The rankings also recognized the College of Law’s part-time program and student diversity.

"DePaul College of Law has consistently maintained its tradition of providing students with a challenging course of study and hands-on experience that positions them to make significant contributions to the legal community and the world," said Glen Weissenberger, dean of the law school. "In these difficult economic times, making the decision to attend law school is one that students are taking especially seriously. The latest U.S. News rankings help highlight why DePaul College of Law is a good choice. The recognition reflects that the law school’s exceptional faculty and programs are among the best in the country."

The College of Law placed 87th in the U.S. News 2010 guidebook, up one place from last year. Six law schools tied with DePaul for 87th place: Indiana University-Indianapolis; Loyola University Chicago; Marquette University; Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey-Newark; St. John’s University and University of South Carolina.

To determine the overall rankings, U.S. News surveyed the nation’s 184 American Bar Association accredited law schools and rated them based on a weighted average of 12 measures of quality. Those averages were calculated by examining a law school’s performance in areas such as selectivity, placement success and faculty resources.

This year, for the first time, U.S. News also ranked part-time law school programs. Of the 87 accredited law schools that offer a part-time option, DePaul tied with Catholic University of America and Indiana University-Indianapolis for 21st place in the survey.

In the area of diversity, DePaul again was identified among those law schools that offered a racially and/or ethnically mixed student body. U.S. News cited diverse schools based on the total proportion of minority students—not including international students—and the mix of racial and ethnic groups on campus.

Also of mention from the rankings was the showing of two of the law school’s specialty programs—health law and intellectual property. Both programs, which have consistently been cited by U.S. News, were ranked 13th in their respective categories. DePaul’s health law program surveyed one place higher than Harvard University’s and the intellectual property program at DePaul was ranked 11 places above the one offered by Yale University.

Established in 1912, DePaul’s College of Law enrolled 1,044 students in the 2008-2009 academic year. Its research centers and institutes focus on issues such as health law, international human rights law, intellectual property, law and science, death penalty defense, animal law, international aviation law, family law, public interest law, international weapons control and dispute resolution. Included among DePaul’s

alumni are state and federal judges, municipal, county and state leaders and two generations of Chicago mayors.

While this is the forth consecutive year that DePaul has been ranked among the top 100 law schools in U.S. News, Weissenberger noted that it is important for students to weigh rankings with other important factors when selecting a law school. "Being recognized among the top 100 law schools in the country by U.S. News is a wonderful distinction for DePaul however, students looking for the best law school fit should consider rankings in concert with numerous other factors," said Weissenberger. "Those factors include such things as course offerings, faculty scholarship and alumni networks."

DePaul’s part-time MBA program also captured a notable showing in the U.S. News rankings of graduate and professional offerings. For the 14th time, the program was recognized among the top 10 with a 9th place showing in this year’s survey.

Selected rankings will appear in the May edition of U.S.News & World Report magazine and in the 2010 edition of the guidebook, "America’s Best Graduate Schools," available April 28. The premium online edition of U.S. News, which has the most complete, extended rankings, is available at www.usnews.com/grad.

For more information about DePaul University College of Law, visit www.law.depaul.edu.