Dean Johnson, Associate Dean Amar Author Op-ed on US News Rankings

Dean Kevin R. Johnson and Associate Dean Vikram Amar co-authored a commentary on "Why U.S. News and World Report Should Include a Diversity Index in its Ranking of Law Schools" that was published on FindLaw.com March 12.

As the best-known law school rating system, the U.S. News ranking has the most potential to impact the behavior of law schools, yet the methodology the magazine uses can negatively impact the schools and the legal profession by deterring schools from taking steps to increase diversity, the commentary states. 

The article refers to a recent paper by sociology professors Wendy Espeland and Michael Sauder, published in the Review of Law and Social Justice, that argues that rewarding schools for boosting their median LSAT and GPA numbers and reducing the percentage of applicants they accept discourages them from admitting applicants from underrepresented groups.  In response to the article, Bob Morse, U.S. News's point person for law school ratings, has expressed openness to incorporating a "diversity index" into the ratings methodology as a corrective.

Pointing out the importance of diversity to the quality of students' educational experience, Dean Johnson and Associate Dean Amar support the inclusion of a diversity index.

"Diversity is relevant because - as the Supreme Court has recognized and proclaimed in recent years - a diverse school provides a richer learning environment for its students, who will then be better prepared, going forward, to enter and succeed in the realm of diversity that is the entire United States and the world," they write.

FindLaw.com is a leading provider of online legal information.  Associate Dean Amar is a regular columnist for the site.

"Why U.S. News and World Report Should Include a Diversity Index in its Ranking of Law Schools"