Practice Management

Should you review the blogosphere the last couple or so days concerning law schools, you will notice a giant preoccupation with the recent U. S. News Rankings. Schools bragging about their increased rankings, other being attacked for their ranking tactics or in their lack of ranking success. It is all really pathetic for the U.S. News rankings truly fail to justly grade law schools based upon what matters most - cost and bar passage rate.

In this regard, Ave Maria School of Law has its critics that jump on anything to collaterally attack an active Catholic law school they do not like. It is politics mainly. Let us face facts, Catholic bashing of the Pope on down is really quite a popular sport of late, and it is no different with Ave Maria Law. For me, however, I think perspective law students need to look past the hate and questionable motives of people and see what Ave Maria can truly offer.

One such critic is FUMAR who recently called Ave Maria Law the worse law school in the country based on its U.S. News rankings. But, it is just bashing. It is powerfully unfair. Further, it does a disservice to those that might get accepted but not attend Ave Maria because of this kind of junk commentary.

I have said often that the U.S. News rankings are useless for the overwhelming majority of students. What should be considered most by students, and what is considered less in the rankings, is whether a law school is ABA approved, not its tuition but cost of education, and its bar passage rate.

Despite the efforts of its critics, Ave Maria maintains its accreditation despite its move from Michigan to Florida.

The law school's tuition is expensive and that can be a deterrent. However, it is the cost of a legal education overall that matters. Florida is obviously a better environment and offers a cheaper cost of living. And, Ave Maria is one of the most generous law schools in the country in terms of scholarships. Both substantially decrease the costs of education at the law school and perspective students need to consider these things.

As for the bar passage rate, look at the recent Florida bar passage results for first time test takers. Ave Maria had the highest bar passage rate in the state with 100% (read that as every single law school graduate passed the bar on the first try).

You hate Catholics or Catholic institutions or the concept of social justice then so be it. You do not need to attend Ave Maria. You can call it the worse law school in the country based upon some U.S. News statistics. But, presently, Ave Maria is the best law school in Florida if you grade law schools on the results that should matter most to new law grads.