Top Ten Ranking Brian Leiter's Law School Rankings

 ¶  Brian Leiter's Top Law Schools by Specialty Area, 2000-02
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This list was compiled in consultation with various experts in the different fields, as well as by consulting various anthologies of leading articles in each field. For each field, I list the top 5-10 schools, in two categories: Excellent (the national leaders in the field) and Strong (schools with distinguished faculties in the area). The list is largely confined to the top 15 schools, other than in exceptional cases. Note that these lists sometimes differ from the lists compiled by U.S. News, in which academics in the area are asked to list ten or fifteen strong "programs" in these areas. Schools with established "programs" may not necessarily be schools with academically distinguished faculty in the area. What follows is based on faculty quality in the area. Please keep in mind that any good school will offer instruction in most or all of these fields. These lists simply flag the schools with the most outstanding faculties in the various areas.

ADMINISTRATIVE & ENVIRONMENTAL LAW JURISPRUDENCE/LEGAL PHILOSOPHY
BUSINESS LAW AREAS:  CORPORATE, SECURITIES,
COMMERCIAL LAW, BANKRUPTCY, ETC.
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW LAW & LITERATURE
CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE LAW & RELIGION
CRITICAL RACE THEORY LAW & SOCIAL SCIENCE
FEMINIST LEGAL THEORY LEGAL ETHICS
HEALTH LAW (excluding medical ethics) LEGAL HISTORY
HEALTH LAW--BIOETHICS MORAL & POLITICAL THEORY
INTERNATIONAL LAW TAX
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY  

ADMINISTRATIVE & ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Excellent Also Strong
Georgetown University Boston University
New York University Chicago-Kent College of Law
Northwestern University Columbia University (excellent in administrative)
University of Pennsylvania Florida State University
University of Texas, Austin George Washington University
Yale University Indiana University, Bloomington
  Tulane University
University of California, Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Virginia
University of Washington, Seattle
 
BUSINESS LAW AREAS:  CORPORATE, SECURITIES, COMMERCIAL LAW, BANKRUPTCY, ETC.
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University Cornell University
Harvard University Georgetown University
New York University Northwestern University
Stanford University University of California, Berkeley
University of Chicago University of California, Los Angeles
University of Virginia University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Yale University University of Pennsylvania
University of Texas, Austin
Vanderbilt University
 
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
Excellent Also Strong
Harvard University Columbia University
University of Texas, Austin Georgetown University
Yale University New York University
  Stanford University
University of California, Berkeley
University of Chicago
 
CRIMINAL LAW & PROCEDURE
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University New York University
Harvard University Northwestern University
University of Illinois Ohio State University
University of Pennsylvania Rutgers University, Newark
Yale University University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of San Diego
University of Texas, Austin
Vanderbilt University
 
CRITICAL RACE THEORY
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University Duke University
Georgetown University George Washington University
University of California, Berkeley Harvard University
University of California, Los Angeles New York University
University of Colorado, Boulder Northwestern University
University of Arizona
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of Iowa
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
University of Texas, Austin
 
FEMINIST LEGAL THEORY
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University American University
Cornell University Brooklyn Law School
Georgetown University DePaul University
Harvard University Duke University
Ohio State University University of Iowa
Stanford University University of Southern California
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
 
HEALTH LAW
(excluding medical ethics)
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University New York University
Duke University Northwestern University
Georgetown University Rutgers University, Camden
Harvard University Saint Louis University
Vanderbilt University University of Houston
University of Louisville
University of Maryland
Wake Forest University
 
HEALTH LAW--BIOETHICS
Excellent Also Strong
Boston University Chicago-Kent College of Law
University of Texas, Austin DePaul University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Southern California
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Washington University, St. Louis
 
INTERNATIONAL LAW
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University Cornell University
Georgetown University Emory University
New York University George Washington University
Yale University Harvard University
University of Texas, Austin
University of Virginia
 
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Excellent Also Strong
Stanford University Boston University
University of California, Berkeley Columbia University
Duke University
Georgetown University
New York University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Pennsylvania
University of Texas, Austin
Wayne State University
 
JURISPRUDENCE / LEGAL PHILOSOPHY
Excellent Also Strong
Cardozo Law School/Yeshiva University Arizona State University
Columbia University Boston University
New York University Georgia State University
University of Pennsylvania University of California, Los Angeles
University of Texas, Austin University of Illinois
Yale University University of Iowa
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of San Diego
 
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University Arizona State University
Cornell University Harvard University
University of Texas, Austin New York University
Northeastern University
Ohio State University
University of Illinois
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
 
LAW & ECONOMICS
Excellent Also Strong
Harvard University Columbia University
Stanford University Cornell University
University of California, Berkeley George Mason University
University of Chicago New York University
Yale University University of Illinois
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
University of Virginia
 
LAW & LITERATURE
Excellent Also Strong
Cardozo Law School/Yeshiva University Columbia University
Stanford University Georgetown University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor State University of New York, Buffalo
University of Texas, Austin
Yale University
 
LAW & RELIGION
(excluding First Amendment issues)
Excellent Also Strong
Duke University University of Georgia
Emory University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Wake Forest University University of San Diego
Yale University
 
LAW & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(other than economics)
Excellent Also Strong
Northwestern University Cornell University
University of California, Berkeley Duke University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Ohio State University
University of Pennsylvania University of California, Los Angeles
University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Iowa
University of Southern California
University of Texas, Austin
University of Virginia
 
LEGAL ETHICS
Excellent Also Strong
Boston University Fordham University
Georgetown University Harvard University
Stanford University New York University
University of Pennsylvania University of Arizona
Yale University University of Illinois
University of San Diego
University of Texas, Austin
 
LEGAL HISTORY
Excellent Also Strong
Harvard University Columbia University
New York University Northwestern University
Stanford University University of California, Berkeley
University of Chicago University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Virginia University of Southern California
Yale University University of Texas, Austin
 
MORAL & POLITICAL THEORY
(Anglo-American and Continental traditions)
Excellent Also Strong
Columbia University * Boston University
New York University * Northwestern University
University of California, Berkeley *
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor *
University of Pennsylvania
University of Texas, Austin
University of Virginia
Yale University *
* indicates Anglo-American only
 
TAX
Excellent Also Strong
Harvard University Boston College
New York University Columbia University
Stanford Universit University of Chicago
Yale University University of Florida, Gainesville
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
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