Boston College Law School rose to No. 29 in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2023–24 law school rankings, an eight-spot increase from last year.
“In the US News & World Report 2024 edition of the Best Graduate Schools released this morning, BC Law has moved up eight spots to #29,” a BC Law Magazine article reads. “The School also ranked among the top 30 in several categories in the publication’s speciality rankings, landing at #16 in tax and #27 in both Contracts/Commercial Law and in Business Corporate Law.”
According to the article, U.S. News started only using data from the American Bar Association (ABA) in determining its rankings this year.
“US News made significant changes to their methodology this year, using publicly available data through the ABA and increasing weighting on outcomes in response to criticism from a number of law schools, many of which refused to submit data through their annual survey,” the article reads.
While BC Law Dean Odette Lienau said the higher ranking is an accomplishment for the University, she added that U.S. News’ list is not the best way to assess the overall quality of a school.
“These rankings are far from a perfect way to measure the true quality of law schools,” Lienau said in an email to The Heights.
Despite this incomplete portrayal of BC Law, Lienau said the rankings still play a role in how the public perceives the school.
“Still, these rankings sometimes can shift student, faculty, and alumni decision making, and they may help to highlight areas of need,” Lineau said.
Lienau said she immediately noticed BC Law’s respected reputation when she started as dean earlier this year, and she is always working to further improve it.
“My job is to protect and build on those unique qualities, provide students with the very best possible education and outcomes, support faculty who shape legal knowledge inside and outside the classroom, and further our mission of placing law in service of the greater good,” Lineau wrote.
Lienau also recognized the work of BC Law’s Admissions and Career Services teams.
“I applaud the members of our Admissions and Career Services teams, and I am incredibly grateful for their work in bringing in wonderfully talented students and placing them in rewarding careers,” Lienau said.
