The University of Tennessee College of Law ranks 30th among all public law schools in the U.S., and 59th nationally among both public and private schools, according to the 2020 U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings released today.
The UT College of Law jumped six spots in the overall law school rankings this year and four spots among all public law schools.
The UT College of Law Legal Clinic, the oldest in the nation, is ranked 19th nationally and 10th among public law schools.
Dean Melanie Wilson said the overall rankings reflect the College of Law’s tireless commitment to excellence, including the strength of the entering credentials of incoming students, the impressive employment success of recent graduates, and our reputation for graduating outstanding lawyers.
“We are extremely pleased that our clinical program continues to be recognized as one of the strongest programs in the country,” Wilson said. “It’s indicative of the talented faculty in the program and their ability to prepare students so well to represent clients after graduation.”
But Wilson cautioned that the rankings don’t adequately measure all of the college’s successes, including the high quality of teaching and the investment of alumni whose contributions allow the law school to progress in a number of ways.
The rankings are also relative to changes at other schools, and can increase or drop regardless of UT Law’s sustained level of performance, she said.
“We continue to improve our program of legal education and build our strengths in the areas where our mission aligns with the U.S. News scoring,” Wilson said. “But we are also gaining ground in important areas not adequately measured by U.S. News.”