Law Schools Report Accurate Data to U.S. News

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The only thing transparent here is this latest, amateurish attempt at misdirection. Like all big businesses, US News doesn't give a flying #$%^ about their impact on people's lives; they exist only to make money, and as much of it as possible regardless of the consequences. Speak in the only language they understand - don't buy their product.

Fed up of NH 2:29PM February 09, 2011

News should be truth. Two lies don't make a truth. A lie to the ABA that is then passed along US News does not make US News any less accountable for publishing information they did not attempt to verify. The effect of the information coming from the ABA is much less impactive than coming from US News, as US News knows. Knowing how important this information is to the hundred thousand applicants of law schools every year, US News was reckless in taking the ABA's information without doing any fact checking.

This posting, weeks before the NY Times expose, testifies that US News knew of the lack of accountability behind the information it was using to create rankings. Knowing both that the statistics are fictitious and that their rankings are depended on by hundreds of thousands of people, US News should be held accountable for the debts law school graduates cannot pay back because they don't have jobs.

The only honorable thing US News has left to do at this point is to take responsibility for the lies it has perpetuated. US News needs to print retractions on current rankings and apologize to the law school community for the recklessness with which it acted.

I pledge my support to those who want to take legal action against US News for their recklessness. Thankfully, those US News harmed when turning a blind eye to information they knew was coming from a biased source and using false information to compile what is the by far the most important factor in hundreds of thousands of college graduates' decisions to take on over $150,000 in debt are at least armed with the tools necessary to implement justice. I think I am covering class actions next semester. I can't wait.

K of MD 8:51PM January 20, 2011

"The fact that Professor Bell was able to duplicate our methodology by using law school data he obtained directly from the ABA proves that the U.S. News rankings process is very transparent and can be duplicated using publicly available data."

That's not the issue, and it never has been. No one has ever disputed the law schools submit the same information to you as they do to the ABA. The problem is that the information they send to both of you is fatally flawed. THAT'S what transparency is about.

J-Dog of IN 12:54PM December 30, 2010

just like the law school employment stats

unperson of MI 11:43AM December 29, 2010

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Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings

Robert Morse is director of data research for U.S.News & World Report and has worked at the company since 1976. He develops the methodologies and surveys for the Best Colleges and Best Graduate Schools annual rankings, keeping an eye on higher-education trends to make sure the rankings offer prospective students the best analysis available. Morse Code provides deeper insights into the methodologies and is a forum for commentary and analysis of college, grad, and other rankings.

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