Top Law Schools

WUSTL (19), UIUC (21), ND (22), UM (22), Iowa (26), IUB (27), UW (28), and OSU (34) are the midwest schools in this range. In the top 20, however, the only midwest schools are Chicago (5), Michigan (9), and NW (11). Between 35 and 80, the only midwest schools are Case (56), UC (56), and Kansas (67).

Any theories on why the midwest dominates the USNWR ~20s and is so underrepresented elsewhere?

im interested in knowing why this, if for any reason, is true as well, but so far i guess no one knows

Chicago? Northwestern?


EDIT: I now see this is listed in OP, so I wonder what OP's point is. Not trying to be rude, just seems like CN are a decent representation in T14 given the obvious population disadvantage the Midwest has against the West and East Coasts. Seems like the South has a much bigger beef, with UVA as the only T14 in what some might term the South; those in Mississippi, Georgia, etc, would certainly disagree with that claim, to boot.

South also has Duke in the T14

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drake wrote:Vanderbilt (15) (17)

FTFY.

The East and West Coasts have a lot of good schools.

The Midwestern states have 66 million of the 307 million Americans (21%) according to Wiki. Chicago, Michigan, and NU have 833 of the 4,447 1Ls in the T14 (19%). Seems like their T14 representation is about right.

In comparison, the East Coast states are definitely overrepresented in the T14, with 18% of the U.S. population but 2,914 of the 4,447 1Ls (66%).

In terms of legal market, couldn't it be argued that DC is underrepresented (at least in comparison to NYC). NYC has Columbia, NYU, and Fordham while DC just has GULC and GW...though UVA, W&M, and W&L are not too far away.

Richie Tenenbaum wrote:In terms of legal market, couldn't it be argued that DC is underrepresented (at least in comparison to NYC). NYC has Columbia, NYU, and Fordham while DC just has GULC and GW...though UVA, W&M, and W&L are not too far away.

Not really. CLS/NYU/Fordham have ~1,330 students per class compared to GULC/GW's ~1,100, and DC is a smaller market than NYC.

A lot of the West Coast schools are newer (and therefore T2/3/4), a lot of the East Coast schools aren't ever leaving the top-14 and don't leave much room for good Midwestern schools to improve.

ArtVandelay wrote:WUSTL (19), UIUC (21), ND (22), UM (22), Iowa (26), IUB (27), UW (28), and OSU (34) are the midwest schools in this range. In the top 20, however, the only midwest schools are Chicago (5), Michigan (9), and NW (11). Between 35 and 80, the only midwest schools are Case (56), UC (56), and Kansas (67).

Any theories on why the midwest dominates the USNWR ~20s and is so underrepresented elsewhere?

Public Ivy tier follows Ivy tier. Not much more to see here. The Big 10 schools are pretty much universally high quality, squeeze out most private education competition in their states, and get somewhat sandbagged by US News for being public. The private schools in the Midwest are either really, really elite or distinctly second tier.

It's a cultural thing as much as anything. This even came up in the football conference expansion. Midwest luvs its land grantz.

ArtVandelay wrote:WUSTL (19)

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In the top 20, however, the only midwest schools are Chicago (5), Michigan (9), and NW (11).

Hook airs?

Ty Webb wrote:

ArtVandelay wrote:WUSTL (19)

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In the top 20, however, the only midwest schools are Chicago (5), Michigan (9), and NW (11).

Amazing. That is all

Follow the money. East coasters have more of it.

Note that most of those are Big Ten schools, which are pretty good across the board academically and have the resources to produce competitive programs. Just look at their rankings in other graduate programs, like engineering. Many are the best of the best in various fields.

Insofar as law goes, however, they tend to lack the cachet of Duke, Virginia, Chicago, etc. But there's really no reason to think that given time and effort schools like Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and so on couldn't make their way up to Michigan in the rankings.

(brief disclaimer: I go to Illinois)