TALLAHASSEE—Florida State University College of Law has jumped 11 slots in the latest edition of the influential national rankings of law schools by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine’s 2006 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools also ranks the College of Law as one of the most diverse in the country. 

The magazine also ranked the law school’s Environmental Law Program 14th strongest in the nation. Florida State is the only Florida school in the top 20. This is the third of the past five years that the school has been ranked in the top 20 for environmental law. Florida State ranks ahead of programs at Yale University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California at Los Angeles and directly behind Duke University, the University of California at Berkeley and Georgetown University. 

Compared to last year, Florida State’s law school increased its overall standing in a number of ways. Its reputational rankings rose, both among judges and lawyers and among academics. The figures also reflect a much stronger entering class, an improved student-faculty ratio, and an increased job placement rate. 

U.S. News’ ranking of 179 accredited law schools lists only three of Florida’s law schools in the top 100: the University of Florida at 41, Florida State University at 56, and the University of Miami at 73. 

“We are thrilled that the outside world recognizes that we have made great strides, but we also believe that the rankings still understate the level of our excellence,” said law Dean Don Weidner. 

Provost Larry Abele added: “Our law school is, by many measures, among the best in the nation, and, because reputation often lags behind performance, we expect that this is only the beginning of the national recognition of the quality of our faculty and students.”