The USD Knudson School of Law also continued to rise on the U.S. News & World Report “Best Law Schools list, finishing at No. 133 for 2023, which is one spot higher than last year and eight spots higher than 2021. The law school was also notably ranked on graduate indebtedness.

“The jump in our ranking for advocacy reflects the exceptional work of Professor Laura Rose and Knudson School of Law students who compete effectively and ethically against the biggest schools in the country,” said Neil Fulton, dean of the Knudson School of Law.  “Our continued improvement in the general rankings reflects the value of our program. We are affordable with the second lowest student debt rate in the nation and effective with great placement and bar passage rates. A USD Knudson School of Law education is a great investment in your future.”

The publication’s “Best Law Schools” rankings evaluate institutions on the successful placement of graduates, faculty resources, academic achievements of entering students and opinions by law schools, lawyers and judges on overall program quality. The rankings measure 193 law schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association.

“This jump in ranking is national recognition of the fact that at USD’s Knudson School of Law, we guard the right to trial by jury with zealous ethical advocacy, and we are impacting the discipline and the profession through our efforts,” said Laura Rose, assistant professor and head coach for the USD Law Trial Team. “Through our innovative approach to advocacy curriculum, our dedication to ensuring that our advocates care about their ethics as the result of a competition and the continual support of our community of excellence, service and leadership, we have proven that we are in the top third of law schools for trial advocacy in the nation.”

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