Southern University Law Center ranked among most outstanding | Schools

Southern University Law Center (SULC) is one of the nation’s most outstanding law schools and is ranked number one in most faculty diversity, according to the education services company, The Princeton Review, which features SULC in the new 2013 edition of its book, “The Best 168 Law Schools.”

The Princeton Review does not rank the law schools in the book on a single hierarchical list from 1 to 168, or name one law school best overall. Instead, the book has 11 ranking lists of the top 10 law schools in various categories, such as “Most Diverse Faculty,” in which SULC gets the top ranking; “Most Chosen By Older Students,” in which SULC ranks #2; and “Best Environment for Minority Students,” in which SULC ranks # 3.

According to Chancellor Freddie Pitcher, Jr., the SULC administration and faculty are pleased, and not surprised, with the rankings in these areas as they mirror what SULC tries to accomplish in addressing its mission of access and opportunity. “Through the evening division, we have attracted more mature students,” Pitcher said.

“Strong supporters of diversity in the educational setting, we believe that the contributions of mature students, as well as that of various racial/ethnic groups and females, are valuable and beneficial assets to the academic environment of the Law Center,” he said. “The students recognize that we encourage an inclusive environment.”

SULC is one of 59 schools (about 35 percent of the 168 profiled) in the book that appear on one or more of the book’s ranking lists. The lists in the book are posted at www.PrincetonReview.com/law-school-rankings.aspx.

The top 10 lists are based entirely or partly on The Princeton Review’s surveys of 18,000 students attending the 168 law schools profiled in the book. Conducted during the 2011-12, 2010-11, and 2009-10 academic years, the student surveys were completed online.

Institutional information for SULC during this time period includes a 14:1 student-faculty ratio; 4 percent faculty part-time; 37 percent faculty female; 61 percent faculty underrepresented minority, and 41 total faculty.

Student comments are presented in a two-page profile of SULC in the “Best 168 Law Schools: 2013 Edition” with write-ups on their academics, student life and admissions, plus ratings for their academics, selectivity, and career placement services. In the profile on SULC, the Princeton Review editors describe the Law Center’s faculty and administration through the eyes of the students in this way:

“Some profs can be very intimidating,” but the full-time faculty is full of “sincere, challenging, intelligent people” who are “downright awesome.” The faculty is notoriously approachable as well. Most professors are “always willing to help.” “I have a great amount of respect for ninety percent of my professors,” explains a 2L. “I feel that all of them have been knowledgeable in the subject matter.”

The “generally excellent” part-time program tends to have more adjunct professors. They’re more of a mixed bag. “Some of the evening professors are practicing attorneys during the day and are not as accessible or as devoted as the full-time day professors.”

 Students offer considerable praise for the “very professional” administration. SULC administrators are “approachable and available,” and they “work diligently in their efforts to help the students succeed” and to “know who their students are.”