Dean Chemerinsky 'very proud' as UC-Irvine law school debuts at No. 30 in US News rankings
During its founding, the University of California Irvine School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky made it the school’s goal to debut in the top 20 of U.S. News & World Report’s annual law school rankings.
Chemerinsky was off, but not by much.
UC Irvine came in at number 30 in its first year of eligibility, the highest debut of any new law school in the history of the rankings, according to this press release.
Its clinical program ranked No. 11, and the school itself scored in the top 10 in student diversity, according to the U.S. News Diversity Index.
“I am very proud of UCI Law’s accomplishments in building a top law school in only six years,” Chemerinsky said. “We have so much to be proud of thanks to the hard work of faculty, administrators, students, alumni and supporters, both on campus and in the legal community.”
Chemerinsky also predicted that the school would “rise significantly” in the rankings in the years ahead, noting that at least 84 percent of its 2014 graduating class will secure long term, full-time jobs that require or take advantage of a JD degree.
He also said it’s important to remember that the rankings “don’t begin to capture the very special community” the school has created with its combination of terrific teaching, outstanding students and commitment to public service.
The creation of UCI Law was the subject of this 2009 feature in the ABA Journal.
