U of M law school gets props in Super Lawyers' rankings

Star Tribune

Last update: November 20, 2009 - 10:03 PM

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The University of Minnesota's law school is ranked 24th in the nation, according to a new rating by a Minneapolis-based publisher.

Law & Politics, the Vance Opperman-led publisher of Super Lawyers magazine, released the ranking this week. Harvard Law School is No. 1

The magazine based its rankings on the number of law school graduates who have been included in the annual Super Lawyers list. Those lawyers represent about 5 percent of lawyers practicing nationwide, according to the magazine.

The rankings differ from others, such as the one published by U.S. News and World Report, which tend to focus on such factors as bar passage rates.

According to the magazine, those other rankings "ignore the end product -- the quality of lawyers produced. It's like ranking football teams based on athletic facilities, player size and equipment without considering who wins the games. In the real world -- the world of clients and juries and judges -- no one cares about your GPA or LSAT score."

Among other Minnesota law schools, William Mitchell College of Law ranked 52nd and the Hamline University School of Law ranked 135th.

BOB VON STERNBERG

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