U.S. News Ranks Suffolk Law Legal Skills Specialties among Best in America

Four programs in top 20 year after year: Clinics, legal writing, trial advocacy and dispute resolution

Suffolk University Law School ranked in the top 20 in all four legal skills specialties—clinics, legal writing, trial advocacy and dispute resolution—in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 “Best Law Schools” rankings released today. Only one other law school in the country achieved this distinction, and Suffolk Law was the sole institution with all legal skills specialties ranked in the top 20 for three years running.

In all, the Law School received five specialty rankings—intellectual property, clinics, legal writing, trial advocacy and dispute resolution—earning a spot on a shortlist of 15 schools with five or more ranked specialties. The school’s part-time program was ranked 33rd in the nation out of 73 schools offering such programs.

In overall rankings, U.S. News once again listed Suffolk Law in the “best schools” category, placing the Law School at number 144.

  • Suffolk Law’s Legal Writing program placed ninth in the nation. The program has ranked in the top 10 for seven consecutive years.
  • The Trial Advocacy program ranked 14th nationally, the third year in a row that it has been ranked in the top 20.
  • Clinical programs ranked 16th nationally and have placed in the top 25 for ten of the past 11 years.
  • The Dispute Resolution program ranked 18th. It has been in the top 20 for seven years running.
  • The Intellectual Property program ranked 32nd. The IP program has been ranked among the nation’s best four of the past five years.

“These specialty rankings are voted on by law professors around the country with an expertise in a specific legal area. We are proud that so many of our peers recognize the strength of Suffolk Law’s programs,” said Suffolk Law Dean Andrew Perlman. “We are on a short list of law schools with five or more ranked specialties, and the company we keep is impressive.”

Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly said: “Suffolk Law is a leader in preparing students to compete in a fast-changing legal marketplace because of our commitment to educational excellence and our focus on relevant experiential opportunities. We are pleased to see that excellence recognized in the most recent rankings.”

The U.S. News 2019 Best Graduate Schools guide is a tool to help prospective students understand the graduate school landscape. The rankings highlight the top programs in business, law, medicine, engineering and education, among other specialties.