I am very pleased to announce that the Texas Tech University School of Law has retained its premier status among the nation's most highly-ranked law schools in the "Best Value" rankings published in the September issue of the Pre-Law and National Jurist magazines. This year, Tech Law is ranked number 19 among America's 200 accredited law schools, and we are the only one of Texas' nine law schools ranked in the top 35.

To quote the National Jurist: "It's relatively easy to find a law school with a strong academic program, great alumni and employer connections, or low tuition, but finding one like that that has all three can be a challenge." I agree, and I am extremely pleased that our combination of relatively low tuition cost, high bar passage rate, and high employment rate for our graduates has resulted -- again -- in recognition of Texas Tech Law's excellence in providing both opportunity and outstanding preparation for today's competitive job market.

The magazines also comment on the things the top schools in their ranking have in common: "small size, strong skills programs, and an emphasis on fostering relationships within the law school community." I believe both current students and graduates would agree with me that those listed attributes are high among the qualities -- though there are many others -- that make Texas Tech the exceptional law school that it is. It is rewarding to learn that the excellence we already know and appreciate is recognized throughout the nation.