March 7, 2011
The School of Law was recognized by best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell in the February 14-21 issue of The New Yorker. Gladwell’s article, “The Order of Things: What College Rankings Really Tell Us,” critiques law school rankings, particularly for their failure to consider affordability. When Gladwell reworks the variables, “counting value for the dollar at forty percent, L.S.A.T. scores at forty percent of the total, and faculty publishing at twenty percent,” he ranks Alabama among the top ten law schools in the country, as follows:
1. University of Chicago
2. Brigham Young University
3. Harvard University
4. Yale University
5. University of Texas
6. University of Virginia
7. University of Colorado
8. University of Alabama
9. Stanford University
10. University of Pennsylvania
Following the list, Gladwell writes, “Welcome to the big time, Alabama!”
The article is available online here (subscription required):
The University of Alabama School of Law strives to remain neutral on issues of public policy. The Law School’s communications team may facilitate interviews or share opinions expressed by faculty, staff, students, or other individuals regarding policy matters. However, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Law School, the University, or affiliated leadership.
