Law School Rankings, Faculty Scholarship, and Associate Deans for Faculty Research

29 Pages Posted: 26 Feb 2007

See all articles by Richard Buckingham

Richard Buckingham

Suffolk University Law School

Diane D'Angelo

Suffolk University Law School

Susan Vaughn

Suffolk University Law School

Date Written: February 2007

Abstract

The authors contend that a boom in law school rankings has encouraged many U.S. law schools to take new measures to encourage and publicize faculty scholarship. The establishment of associate deans for faculty research is one such measure. The authors conducted a study to determine the number of law schools that have these dean-level positions. They argue that many law schools have established these positions as part of their efforts to improve their standing in the increasingly important rankings.

The authors begin with a historical overview of the original law school model and discuss how that model evolved over time. They focus on how those changes led to a competitive law school market that helped lay the groundwork for U.S. News & World Report and other law school rankings. They then explore numerous alternative ranking methodologies and conclude with a study of ABA-accredited law schools that have appointed associate deans for faculty research.

Keywords: law school rankings, legal education, law school administration, faculty development, U.S. News

Suggested Citation

Buckingham, Richard and D'Angelo, Diane and Vaughn, Susan, Law School Rankings, Faculty Scholarship, and Associate Deans for Faculty Research (February 2007). Suffolk University Law School Research Paper No. 07-23, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=965032 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.965032

Richard Buckingham (Contact Author)

Suffolk University Law School ( email )

120 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108-4977
United States

Diane D'Angelo

Suffolk University Law School ( email )

120 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108-4977
United States

Susan Vaughn

Suffolk University Law School ( email )

120 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108-4977
United States

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