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 2020 “Best Law Schools” rankings released today, with the legal writing program ranked third in the nation. Only two other law schools in the country achieved this distinction, and Suffolk Law is the sole institution with all legal skills specialties ranked in the top 20 for four years running.
The Law School’s four specialty rankings—clinics, legal writing, trial advocacy and dispute resolution—earned it a spot on a short list of 18 schools with four or more top-20 ranked specialties. Suffolk is one of only 30 law schools to be ranked in the top 100 in every U.S. News specialty area, including Intellectual Property, Health Care Law, International Law, Environmental Law, and Tax Law. The school’s part-time program was ranked 25th in the nation out of 69 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 143.
- Suffolk Law’s Legal Writing program is ranked No. 3. The program has ranked in the top 10 for eight consecutive years.
- The Trial Advocacy program ranked 15th nationally, the fourth year in a row that it has been ranked in the top 20.
- Clinical programs ranked 19th nationally and have placed in the top 25 for eleven of the past 12 years.
- The Dispute Resolution program ranked 16th. It has been in the top 20 for eight years running.
“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 four 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 2020 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.