Law School caught in a downward spiral
Letter to the editor
The new U.S. News & World Report law school ratings came out last week and, once again, Notre Dame Law took a tumble down the rankings. Regardless of whether you agree with the ranking system, the truth is that employers and prospective students care about where the school stands. In the past few years, the Law School has had deans and prominent professors leaving town faster than a Michigan fan after a blowout loss at Notre Dame Stadium (except they don't have any intention of coming back in two years).
For several reasons, including a staggering 78 percent employment rate at graduation, our ranking has fallen from a top 25 law school to a five-way tie for 27. Some current students have been told by prospective employers that they usually only hire those attending "top-tier" law schools. The implication of such remarks — that these employers no longer consider Notre Dame to be in that category — should serve as a wake-up call to the school in general.
The excuse used most frequently as to our drop is that, at Notre Dame Law School, we are "educating a different kind of lawyer." No one disputes the worthiness of this goal. Nevertheless, the fact that we are a private religious institution does not excuse poor performance in the game all the other law schools play. One could argue otherwise, but don't expect employers to buy it.
The other common excuse is that the majority of law school deans agree that the ranking system does not take into account many variables, including diversity, library resources, et cetera. This is true — very few formulas take into account all variables and, admittedly, the process is subjective.
At the same time these very same deans employ standardized tests that largely determine who will gain admission to their schools. Many people agree that tests such as the SAT and LSAT do not accurately measure the quality of potential students. Nevertheless, that standardized tests and ranking methodologies are not perfect is another poor excuse for not achieving excellence. If admissions and faculty expect us to achieve excellence on subjective admissions tests and mid-term exams, is it too much to ask the school to reciprocate in its performance in the U.S. News rankings?
Some of the blame must fall on the administration and alumni, as our facilities are, at best, decent. Perhaps the Law School could use a multi-million dollar donation or at least renovation. Just look at what the recent donation has done for the MBA school in terms of increased student applications and improvement in the national rankings. To maintain competitiveness, a school must continuously strive to offer amenities similar to or better than its rivals. We don't do this currently; our facilities are outdated and classrooms are uncomfortable and overcrowded.
The good news is that we certainly possess many high-caliber professors, talented students, wonderful alumni and a great general reputation. Furthermore, the administration and faculty know what will be tested on the "rankings exam." We shouldn't hide behind our identity as a reason for a sub-par ranking or ignore the set criteria we have the resources to meet. If we do, we might need to change our motto to "Notre Dame Law School: Educating a different type of unemployed lawyer."
Benjamin Jilek
law student
class of '02
April 9, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Tuesday, April 10, 2001
