May 16, 2007
Dean Bernard Dobranski
Ave Maria School of Law
3475 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Dear Dean Dobranski:
We write to give you a summary of our discussions in the April and May Alumni Association Board of Directors conference calls concerning the recent publication of the 2007 law-school rankings in the U.S. News and World Report. Though your proxy, Dave Kelley, was present for both meetings, we feel that this topic is important enough to require special correspondence directly to you.
As you are aware, Ave Maria School of Law placed somewhere in the fourth tier in the school’s second year of eligibility for the rankings. While the members of the Alumni Board are disappointed with this ranking, an analysis of Ave Maria’s individual scores in comparison with other ranked law schools provides reason to believe that Ave Maria is on the cusp of an imminently attainable third-tier ranking. We base our conclusion on the following statistics. . .
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May 16, 2007
ReplyDeleteDean Bernard Dobranski
Ave Maria School of Law
3475 Plymouth Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Dear Dean Dobranski:
We write to give you a summary of our discussions in the April and May Alumni Association Board of Directors conference calls concerning the recent publication of the 2007 law-school rankings in the U.S. News and World Report. Though your proxy, Dave Kelley, was present for both meetings, we feel that this topic is important enough to require special correspondence directly to you.
As you are aware, Ave Maria School of Law placed somewhere in the fourth tier in the school’s second year of eligibility for the rankings. While the members of the Alumni Board are disappointed with this ranking, an analysis of Ave Maria’s individual scores in comparison with other ranked law schools provides reason to believe that Ave Maria is on the cusp of an imminently attainable third-tier ranking. We base our conclusion on the following statistics.
There are 35 total law schools ranked in the third tier and 45 total law schools (including Ave Maria) ranked in the fourth tier.
• In the lawyers/judges assessment, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 11% of third-tier schools, and 68% of fourth-tier schools. (15% of overall score).
• In the 75th percentile GPA, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 40% of third-tier schools, and 70% of fourth-tier schools.
• In the 25th percentile GPA, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 37% of third-tier schools, and 80% of fourth-tier schools. (combined 12.5% of overall score).
• In the 75th percentile LSAT, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 26% of third-tier schools, and 50% of fourth-tier schools.
• In the 25th percentile LSAT, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 77% of third-tier schools, and 91% of fourth-tier schools. (combined 10% of overall score).
• In the student/faculty ratio, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 23% of third-tier schools, and 66% of fourth-tier schools. (3% of overall score).
• In nine-month employment rate, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 20% of third-tier schools, and 80% of fourth-tier schools. (14% of overall score).
• In bar-passage rate, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 86% of third-tier schools, and 95% of fourth-tier schools. (2% of overall score).
• In acceptance rate, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 6% of third-tier schools, and 5% of fourth-tier schools. (2.5% of overall score).
• In the peer-assessment, Ave Maria scored the same or better than 0% of third-tier schools, and 23% of fourth-tier schools. (25% of overall score).
• Other unreported statistics (employment at graduation, expenditures per student, and library resources) constitute the remaining 16% of the overall score.
Ave Maria clearly scores the lowest in the peer assessment and overall acceptance rate of applicants. The peer-assessment score, however, is weighted 10 times more heavily than the acceptance rate when calculating the total score. We are pleased to report that Ave Maria scores comparable or better than many third-tier schools in the remaining categories. The import of this analysis is clear---if Ave Maria could improve its peer assessment score only marginally, perhaps to a 2.0 or higher, while maintaining at least status quo in the other ranking factors, the Law School would likely achieve a third-tier ranking.
While our objective in this letter is to encourage and request action to improve the school’s ranking, we do recognize that the U.S. News and World Report ranking is not an unassailable, objective judgment on the quality or success of a law school program.
Indeed, because subjective criteria such as the peer assessment and judges/lawyers assessment are weighted so heavily in the statistics (40%) over more objective criteria, the rankings could be criticized as more of an opinion poll or popularity contest. For better or worse, however, the rankings are generally accepted in the legal community as a fair indicator of the quality of the legal education offered and the abilities of the Law Schools’ respective graduates. Thus, to ensure a talented pool of future student and faculty applicants, as well as future career-placement success, it is paramount that the Law School prioritizes the improvement of its current ranking.
With this in mind, we would like to hear your assessment of Ave Maria’s current fourth-tier ranking, and whether there are any concrete steps in place to improve Ave Maria’s ranking, with particular emphasis on the peer assessment.
By this letter, we would like to emphasize the willingness of the Alumni Board and all alumni to cooperate and be partners in a joint-endeavor to improve the current ranking in whatever capacity appropriate. We recognize that Ave Maria’s receipt of accreditation in the shortest amount of time possible is a tribute to the leadership and abilities of the Law Schools’ talented administrators and faculty. For that reason, we believe that the administrators and faculty of our alma mater can and will improve our current ranking, provided this goal is afforded sufficient priority, attention, and follow-through.
We look forward to hearing back from you regarding this subject on or before our next meeting that will take place on June 5, 2007, 8:00 pm EST. We also look forward to working with you to ensure that the public’s perception of the quality our Law School program matches its actual, objective value.
Sincerely,
Ave Maria School of Law
Alumni Association Board of Directors
cc.
All alumni
Associate Dean Eugene R. Milhizer
Associate Dean Charles W. Roboski
The Ave Maria School of Law Board of Governors
(via email for all)
Does anyone know what the Dean's response to this letter was?
ReplyDeleteDid he offer any indication of a strategy to promote opinion of the school in the eyes of our peers?
Please follow up on this Cheeseburger in paradise.
As far as I know, the Dean didn't respond to this letter. I don't think he has a strategy to increase the opinion of the school.... instead he is only thinking about the transition to Florida.
ReplyDeleteExactly my point. He won't respond because he has no strategy. He has no strategy intentionally so that when the school flounders, he can say, "Well its a good thing we are moving outta here. Florida will solve everything."
ReplyDelete