UNH Today

The University of New Hampshire School of Law made a significant climb up the list of Top 100 law schools in the most recent rankings from U.S. News & World Report, rising 15 positions to reach the 85th spot. UNH Law also was again ranked sixth for the study of intellectual property (IP) law, an area of legal specialty that the school has been pioneering since its founding roughly four decades ago. The law school has been ranked in the top 10 for IP nationwide every year since U.S. News & World Report began ranking IP programs 27 years ago.

By reaching 85th overall, UNH Law achieved the single biggest rise among top 100 schools this year and is ranked 57 positions higher than it was six years ago.

“Our school has always been focused on preparing students for success in legal practice. We are proud to have our achievements recognized on a national scale,” says Megan Carpenter, dean of UNH Law. “This recognition is a direct reflection of the outstanding caliber — and character — of our students, as well as the tireless dedication of our tremendous faculty and staff.”

This marks the second consecutive year that UNH Law has been ranked sixth for the study of IP — and the school has been at the forefront of advancing IP law in the state, country and around the world ever since its inception. UNH Law students receive a unique, fully immersive IP experience, thanks to one of the most comprehensive and creative IP curricula at a U.S. law school, extensive externship placements at Fortune 500 companies and top law firms and critical real-world experience gained in live-client clinics.

"We were founded to be different, to innovate in ways law schools had yet to consider 40 years ago."

UNH Law graduates now work in more than 80 countries, with several leading national IP offices around the world, and the school’s alumni have played significant roles in setting IP policy all over the globe.

UNH Law faculty, often with valuable contributions from current students, also have a worldwide impact. Faculty are involved in development work in Argentina, Armenia, Algeria, Vietnam and Thailand. And recent work through the UNH Law International Technology Transfer Institute has included IP issues related to HIV vaccine technologies, Dengue fever diagnostics and Chagas disease vaccines.

“We were founded to be different, to innovate in ways law schools had yet to consider 40 years ago, and the success of our program and our graduates has solidified an IP legacy we continue to be incredibly proud of as IP grows ever more important in the everyday lives of individuals, businesses and other institutions,” Carpenter says. “We pride ourselves on providing an IP education you can’t get anywhere else in the world, as well as achieving first-class results for students’ professional success across the board.”

UNH Law’s many recent successes include standout job placement and bar passage results. According to the annual ABA Employment survey, 91.8 percent of 2016 UNH Law JD graduates were employed within 10 months of graduation.

In addition, 94.1 percent of first-time takers passed the New Hampshire bar exam last summer, with 100 percent of first-time takers passing in Massachusetts — higher than the first-time taker pass rate at all law schools in Massachusetts except for Harvard Law School. First-time takers from UNH Law also achieved 100-percent passage in New York, California, Vermont and Washington, D.C.

“These results and our rankings reflect the caliber of the entire UNH Law community,” Carpenter says. “That community goes beyond the walls of our building to include our alumni, our colleagues across UNH and the USNH system, the New Hampshire bar and many other strong supporters.”

The UNH Law rankings are part of U.S. News & World Report’s current edition of Best Graduate Schools.