Law School named to 2010 Princeton Review list

The Princeton Review has again selected the University of Richmond's T.C. Williams School of Law to appear in the 2010 edition of "174 Best Law Schools."

Richmond law students gave the school positive ratings in the areas of academics for the "family-like atmosphere" and individual help from professors.

"I think that it is quite true that we offer an education here that is delivered on a very personal scale," said John Douglass, law school dean. "That can be a message that is hard to get across until people actually experience it."

Law students and faculty collaborate on many research projects, Douglass said.

"Much like Richmond as an undergrad institution, the law school has its tradition of collaborative faculty and student research," he said. "We have a history of student publication that originates often times with collaborative work with faculty."

The law school also received positive ratings for the variety of experiences that can be gained through internships and research. The city of Richmond has all the major courts based in the city, including the federal appellate court and state government. Richmond is the only law school in the city and there are many opportunities for law students to gain valuable experience, Douglass said.

"State government produces a wide range of opportunities," he said. "We have several programs that get our students involved in legislative advocacy at the General Assembly."

The University of Richmond law school has been selected into the group of 174 schools every year the book has been published, said Michelle Rahman, associate dean of admissions. There are about 200 law schools that are accredited by the American Bar Association and Richmond is usually ranked in the top 75, she said.

"The advantage of being in such publications is that many students look to such publications to learn about schools that they don't know much about thus broadening their horizons," Rahman said. "They are thus encouraged to apply more broadly than they may have otherwise.

"A distinct benefit is that this publication actually surveys students to get their perspective of the school and their experience. Fit is such an important element for prospective students to consider and this publication provides far more valuable information than just numerical values.

"We survey applicants to find out how they found out about our school each year and such publications as Princeton Review play a large role in helping students decide where to apply."

Contact reporter Stephen Utz at stephen.utz@richmond.edu