LAW profs. ranked No. 1

In the case of Boston University School of Law versus its national peers, the jury at Princeton Review has reached a verdict: BU’s professors rank at the top, bar none.
The Princeton Review’s latest rankings rated LAW first in the category of Best Professors in the nation in its ‘Best 174 Law Schools: 2009 Edition.’ The rankings, which are based on student evaluations, went on sale Oct. 7.
Quality of teaching has been a LAW ‘point of pride’ for some time, because faculty members are hired based on teaching ability instead of their impressive resumes alone, LAW Dean Maureen O’Rourke said in an email.
‘We are one of the few ‘-‘- if not the only ‘-‘- schools of our rank that will not hire either at the entry level or laterally if we think someone will not be a good teacher,’ she said. ‘While we do many things at the law school . . . at the end of the day, our primary mission is to educate the next generation of lawyers and teaching is of course a critical aspect of that.’
BU clinical law associate professor David Breen said he stresses real-life teaching methods, like bringing his students to court, where they are in charge of real trial cases.
‘We talk about issues of the particular case, but ultimately the student is responsible for taking the case to trial,’ Breen said. ‘So if she knows she has to go to trial, she’ll know I’m there for a safety net and maybe I’ll give a nudge for an objection, but ultimately she’s the one who has to stand up.’
Breen, a LAW alumnus, returned to campus after practicing law for nine years.
‘It’s nice to see that this is an ongoing tradition,’ he said. ‘The teachers I had took an interest in me as a person, an individual. And [they were] not just lecturing and publishing, but knowing that they were preparing me for a career in law.’
BU third year LAW student Stephany Collamore attended Columbia University for her undergraduate degree, but said she finds that LAW has a better focus on the learning experience.
‘ ‘They knew what they were talking about [at Columbia], but they didn’t care about students at all,’ she said. ‘The professors here are here to teach number one.’
First year LAW student Evan Panich said two of his professors this semester had served as clerks to Supreme Court Justices and are ‘brilliant people.’
‘You get the sense that these are people that because of their pedigree could have got jobs and been making a gazillion dollars somewhere,’ Panich said. ‘And they’ve chosen to come here and teach. When you’ve got people to come here and make those kinds of choices, you’re bound to get great teaching.’
Rob Franek, the Princeton Review Publishing vice president, said readers should remember that the rankings are based on student opinion and, consequently, subjective, but said they are still legitimate reflections of a school’s value.