Santa Clara University

SANTA CLARA, CA– March 31, 2008.  Santa Clara University School of Law was once again named one of the top 100 law schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The annual graduate school ranking also recognized the law school as having one of the most diverse student populations.

"We are proud that Santa Clara University's law school continues to be appreciated on awider spectrum for our commitment to educating future lawyers of competence, conscience, and compassion and for preparing them for leadership roles in the legal profession and in our communities," said Donald J. Polden, dean of the law school.

The Intellectual Property Law program at the Santa Clara School of Law also ranked high, coming in among the top 10 in the country. Other California law schools recognized for their strong IP programs are University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.

"Our strong faculty, staff and student communities, our deep curricular offerings, and our location in the heart of the Silicon Valley combine to make Santa Clara Law School a very special place to study IP and high tech law," said Eric Goldman, assistant professor and academic director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara.

According to the survey, 92.5 percent of SCU law graduates were employed nine months after graduation.

In addition to its juris doctor program, the Santa Clara School of Law offers specialty certificates in high tech law, international law, and public interest law, as well as master's degrees in intellectual property and international law. The University also offers a joint J.D./MBA degree.

The rankings were published in U.S. News &World Report's annual "America's Best Graduate Schools 2009" publication. The rankings are based on expert opinions about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. To see a complete list of graduate school rankings, visit U.S. News & World Report online.  

About the diversity ranking

U.S. News creates a diversity index based on the total proportion of minority students—not including international students—and the mix of racial and ethnic groups on campus. The index is calculated using demographic data reflecting each law school's student body during the 2007-08 academic year, including both full- and part-time students. The groups that form the basis for the calculations are African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and non-Hispanic whites.

About Santa Clara University School of Law
The SCU School of Law, founded in 1912, combines a tradition of excellence with a commitment to ethics, diversity, and social justice, and is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. Many of its 974 students work in criminal and civil community law clinics, and may earn certificates in intellectual property law, international law, or public interest law. Law degrees may be combined with an MBA or a master's in taxation. The School of Law also offers lawyers master's degrees in international and intellectual property law. More information is online at www.scu.edu/law.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California's Silicon Valley, offers its 8,685 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master's and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master's universities, California's oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.