The University of Washington School of Law will no longer participate in the U.S. News & World Report ranking process, the dean of the school said in an online announcement.
UW, the highest-ranking law school in the Pacific Northwest and No. 49 overall, joins four Ivy League schools, four University of California law schools and several other big names in legal education in their decision to no longer participate in the annual list.
“The current methodology undercuts our mission, values and commitment to an equitable and inclusive vision for legal education and society,” UW School of Law Dean Tamara F. Lawson said in the statement. The rankings discourage investments in “wellness, experiential learning, interdisciplinary opportunities, cultural competence and professional development,” Lawson said.
The decision comes after a number of law schools across the country declared they will no longer participate in the rankings. The domino effect began with Yale University, the top-ranked law school, announcing it would end its participation with the rankings on Nov. 16.
Yale Law School Dean Heather K. Gerken wrote in an online news release, “The U.S. News rankings are profoundly flawed — they disincentivize programs that support public interest careers, champion need-based aid, and welcome working-class students into the profession.”
Gerken added that the rankings face “a nearly impossible task, ranking 192 law schools with a small set of one-size-fits-all metrics that cannot provide an accurate picture of such varied institutions,” thus standing “squarely in the way of progress.”
Hours after Yale’s decision, Harvard University’s law school, which is ranked fourth, also bowed out.
Despite the decision to sever ties with U.S. News & World Report, the UW School of Law will continue to share relevant data with prospective students and the legal community, Lawson said.
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