U.S. News Ranks UA Law School 30th in the Nation; UA School of Library and Information Studies Ranked 22nd

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama School of Law is ranked 30^th in the nation and the UA School of Library and Information Studies is ranked 22nd, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2010 edition of its annual “Best Graduate Schools” publication. 

The rankings are the highest ever for both UA schools.

The law school ranking places UA 11^thamong public law schools. UA is tied with the law schools at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the University of Washington, Washington and Lee University and Fordham University. The law school ranked 32^nd in last year’s report.

The report notes the UA School of Law’s bar passage rate of 99.2 percent for 2007 graduates and that more than 99 percent of 2007 graduates were employed within nine months after graduation.

The School of Library and Information Studies, a part of the UA College of Communication and Information Sciences, was previously ranked 30th by U.S. News. Those rankings were conducted in 2006.

“This is very good news because we have shown improvements since the last rankings,” said Dr. Elizabeth Aversa, director of the school. “It is attributable to our fine faculty, superb student body, generous alumni and the support of a great parent institution – The University of Alabama.” 

The UA School of Library and Information Studies is the only American Library Association-accredited program in the state.