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McGeorge School of Law rises in U.S. News rankings

Professors Erin O'Neal Muilenburg and Chris Micheli are pictured with a group of law students in front of the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento, California.

McGeorge School of Law's overall U.S. News & World Report ranking improved eight spots from the previous year. The school's national ranking has climbed 15 spots in just the last two years.

The University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law has once again been recognized for its academic strengths, according to a study released today by U.S. News & World Report. McGeorge ranks No. 7 among private law schools in California and No. 13 among all law schools in California.

“McGeorge School of Law is committed to providing an exemplary legal education to students,” said Michael Hunter Schwartz, Dean of McGeorge School of Law. “This trajectory reflects the exciting progress we have made.”

McGeorge moved up six spots to 31st in the nation for part-time law programs, ranking higher than Chapman University Fowler School of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law, Southwestern Law School, and Golden Gate University School of Law. McGeorge ranks as the No. 3 part-time law program in California.

“The continued progress in these rankings reflect the quality of our faculty and the excellence and diligence of McGeorge students,” Schwartz said.

The school’s overall ranking improved eight spots from the previous year, placing 131st in the nation. McGeorge School of Law’s national ranking has climbed 15 spots in just the last two years. Among McGeorge’s notable rankings, the school received national recognition for Trial Advocacy (No. 16), Legal Writing (No. 31), International Law (No. 47), Dispute Resolution (No. 77), and Environmental Law (No. 89).

For two consecutive years, McGeorge has been among the top 10 schools whose specialty rankings exceed their overall U.S. News ranking according to Pepperdine School of Law Dean Paul Caruso’s analysis.

U.S. News & World Report is the latest ranking to recognize McGeorge School of Law’s continued successes. In the Winter 2022 edition of preLaw Magazine, McGeorge received an A+ ranking in Trial Advocacy and an A ranking in Public Policy Law for the second straight year. McGeorge is one of two law schools in the nation, and the only one on the West Coast, to earn that recognition.

In the same issue of the magazine, McGeorge was named among the top law schools in the nation for Hispanics and Asians, one of the 25 most innovative law schools, and made preLaw Magazine’s Diversity Honor Roll. These recognitions also come after a third in the nation ranking for Government Law by preLaw Magazine last summer.

U.S. News & World Report's rankings evaluate 192 law schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association. The rankings are based on a weighted average of the 12 measures of quality including bar passage rate.

McGeorge is led by professors who have attained national and international renown in their fields, including retired U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the law school's longest continuously serving faculty member.

McGeorge also houses renowned law clinics that provide students experiential learning opportunities to support community members in bankruptcyelder and health lawhomeless advocacyimmigrationlegislative and public policy, and prisoner civil rights.

U.S. News & World Report's full methodology for best law school rankings can be found here.


For more information about McGeorge School of Law, visit law.pacific.edu/law.

Media Contact: Ashley Golledge, Director of Marketing and Communications, agolledge@pacific.edu, 916.325.4687.