SMU Law back into Tier 1

[CalallenStang]

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... ngs/page+2

Tied at #48, after falling out of the top 50 (tier 1) last year.

Other Texas schools:

UT-Austin #15
Houston #48
Baylor #54
Texas Tech #105
St. Mary's #140
South Texas #144
Texas Southern - Unranked
Texas Wesleyan - Unranked

[PonyKai]

Hell yes. Good for them. Obligatory slavish adherence to rankings is stupid, but, still, that's bueno. Falling to T2 is like a steel-toed swift kick in the groin, although UH is now also the #2 law school in the state w/ Baylor awfully close...

[CalallenStang]

Hell yes. Good for them. Obligatory slavish adherence to rankings is stupid, but, still, that's bueno. Falling to T2 is like a steel-toed swift kick in the groin, although UH is now also the #2 law school in the state w/ Baylor awfully close...

I think SMU and Houston were tied with Baylor hot on their heels last year as well, though I could be mistaken

[smustatesman]

Why not hire Harriet Miers as Dean of Law School, to continue our rankings climb? She did so well being nominated as an Asso. Just. to SCOTUS by GW. Really gave SMU Law a boost in the public's eye.

[East Coast Mustang]

It's good UNT is opening a law school. The legal job market is booming right now, all of their students will have their pick of legal jobs when they graduate.

[Digetydog]

It's good UNT is opening a law school. The legal job market is booming right now, all of their students will have their pick of legal jobs when they graduate.

I think it will be interesting to see how quickly Texas Weslyan (sorry - the Aggie Law School) races up the rankings with the Aggie name attached to it. I predict that they overtake Houston within 5 years for no apparent reason.

[StallionsModelT]

I think its atrocious that SMU and Houston are tied in law school ranking. We should be up with UT.

Is there any kind of plan to make sure that this happens?

[PonyKai]

Can the dean. That's a good first start.

[East Coast Mustang]

Are these rankings mainly influenced by job placement statistics?

If so, at least DFW (where I imagine most of our grads go) has weathered the storm better than most places, but I suppose that's a double-edged sword: lots of people from Ivy League and other top schools are now looking to Dallas and taking spots from SMU students

[PonyKai]

That's true. Dallas & Houston are great options considering the national market, especially w/ low cost of living and no state income tax to pay off crippling law school debt. Both coasts have figured that out w/i the last few years, so you have people go left or right for school and come back for jobs.

[SoCal_Pony]

I think its atrocious that SMU and Houston are tied in law school ranking. We should be up with UT.

Is there any kind of plan to make sure that this happens?

You are correct to ask this question. Why is our law school in the Coog / Bear neighborhood instead of UT's.

Goes back to my thread, Does Dallas deserve more than SMU.

[Greenwich Pony]

Actually, much as I hate to say it, I think the problem is the other way 'round. Does SMU deserve Dallas? For all of Dallas' pretensions, it has not been particualrly supportive compared to other town/gown situations.

[SoCal_Pony]

Greenwich, I cannot speak to the degree of support SMU receives from Dallas compared to other cities, but for us to be so far below UT that we are viewed as Coog Bear equals is completely unacceptable.

Last I checked, Dallas is not sabotaging our efforts.

To paraphrase the great Allen Iverson,

We're sitting here, and we're supposed to be a top school, and we're talking about Coog High and Waco. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about Coog High and Waco, not UT Austin, not UCLA, not Michigan,but we're talking about Coog High and Waco. Not the school that I go out there and die for and support every time like it's my last but we're talking about Coog High and Waco man. How silly is that?

[Greenwich Pony]

I agree that the neighborhood that the law school is apparently in is absolutely and completely unacceptable, and I'm not certain why we have fallen so far off the radar in recent years in terms of law school.

I don't believe that Dallas is sabotaging our efforts, but they also are not as rigorous helping support us either, in comparison to other town-gown situations. And don't get me wrong, I do love Dallas and loved my time there, but Dallas is a city of big aspirations that doesn't seem to want to do what is necessary to achieve them. It has always been more "Hat than cattle." Culturally world-class cities have world class academic institutions.

[Digetydog]

I agree that the neighborhood that the law school is apparently in is absolutely and completely unacceptable, and I'm not certain why we have fallen so far off the radar in recent years in terms of law school.

I don't believe that Dallas is sabotaging our efforts, but they also are not as rigorous helping support us either, in comparison to other town-gown situations. And don't get me wrong, I do love Dallas and loved my time there, but Dallas is a city of big aspirations that doesn't seem to want to do what is necessary to achieve them. It has always been more "Hat than cattle." Culturally world-class cities have world class academic institutions.

For many professional schools, the academic rankings is often a function of the academic standing of the undergraduate school. In particular, Big State Schools seem to benefit from their huge alumni base.