Beth Ford always knew she wanted to go to law school. After getting her undergraduate degree in Missouri, she came to Eugene to work as a reporter and knew that the University of Oregon law program was a good fit.
In Ford’s time at the law school enrollment changed significantly. According to the Office of Institutional Research, enrollment in the law school’s J.D. program has dropped, from 532 in 2010-11 to 380 in 2014-15.
According to Michael Moffitt, dean of the law school, the biggest factors for students are the costs and debt burdens associated with a law degree as well as, “the slump in the market for newly minted lawyers in the kinds of traditional legal jobs that were once assumed to be the reason why people went to law school.”
The law school’s dean of students and Associate Dean for Student Affairs Jennifer Espinola believes that the strategic choice to decrease class size at the School of Law was a good one.
“Applications to law schools have decreased on a national-scale in a significant way,” Espinola said via email. “In response to that, Oregon Law decided to maintain the high standards and quality of students admitted to the law school, so that naturally means the class size is smaller.”
The law school’s ranking by US News has also fluctuated and UO’s law school has recently jumped from 100 to 82 after falling from 77 in 2o09. While rankings have risen and fallen, they are not necessarily an accurate reflection of the quality of the program for students like Ford.
“I don’t feel like that was accurately reflecting the quality of the school, the quality of the education,” Ford said. “My professors have been incredible. They’re incredible on paper – their accomplishments, their law school experience.”
“I just hope when people think about Oregon Law, they look beyond the number.”
According to Moffitt, now is an excellent time for students to consider law school, and UO’s law school is a great place to do so.
“This is the third law school at which I’ve had the opportunity to teach, and I can tell you that Oregon Law is different in how it feels,” Moffitt said via email. “I know that doesn’t sound academic or quantifiable.  I can just tell you that the community here manages to be both supportive and rigorous in a way that amazes and delights me.”
Espinola agrees, saying that the thing she is most proud might be the way the students treat each other.
“It’s commonly known that law schools are highly competitive environments,” Espinola said. “Our students describe that they feel the competition at Oregon Law is healthy and secondary to the way our students support each other. It’s a community we all love being part of.”
While rankings are important, Moffitt does not believe that decisions should be made “based on what moves the rankings needle.”
“We should be making decisions to attract the best and most diverse students we can, and then helping prepare them for professional success,” Moffitt said. “Happily, if we do those things well, the rankings ought to take care of themselves.”
Follow Francesca Fontana on Twitter: @francescamarief