The major concern with all these rankings is that they re-enforce the existing elitist perception with little empirical evidence.

They propagate old boys networks and pre-existing conceptions more than reflect the quality of graduates or students at these institutions.

@ Alum -

I think you're being overly cynical in totally writing off these rankings, and should perhaps discard the conspiracy theories. There can be little doubt that the new breed of law colleges have shaken up the way law was taught in India, and more than a few of the older colleges are struggling to match the academic standards and the quality of students these newer institutions attract. Ergo, the perception of these institutions being better than the rank and file law schools of old.

I wouldn't want to attribute motives to your comment, but I do feel that you should check with recruiters, who are candid enough to admit that any of them would much rather hire Rank 1 at Amity than Rank 50 at NLS. At the same time, they would tell you that Rank 50 at Amity is not a patch on Rank 50 from NUJS or NALSAR.

All little perspective perhaps, and fewer conspiracy theories?

Comon Legally India, Outlook rankings are not even worth mentioning. Outlook just started rankings after huge popularity of India Today Rankings. Have they even visited any of these universities or called information from them, like India Today do. India Today still make goofups here and there but still they have more credibility. For instance they have ranked NL Bhopal absurdly. This column is waste of space on your otherwise great website.

How does India today have any credibility if they goof up and put schools in absurd places!!

For all you know they just pull their rankings out of a magic hat. Or from worse.

@Comon Legally India

I believe you were trying to say Come On, Legally India!

I don't think you were in one of the "new age law schools", were you? Nah... I don't think so. If nothing else, they would have taught you to write better!!!

PS: Read India Today religiously - may be it'll do wonders for you!

I have to admit, this is the first time I've heard anyone argue for the India Today rankings. They have been dismissed, time and time again, by one and all. From my experience, I've found that the Outlook rankings at least find more lawyers/firms/law students nodding in agreement.

Having said that, I'm not a big fan of rankings. I much prefer what the Law School Tutorials and Halsbury (2008) came out with - they categorized the law schools into "tiers".

@ alum - While I totally agree with NLS Grad, I also think that the "old boys networks" and the "pre-existing conceptions" do play a vital role (as they should) because they stem from an industry reputation that a University carries with itself, which cannot be overlooked. That reputation, in turn, is built over time with the quality of graduates, facilities, etc.

The Outlook rankings are based a lot more on the "empirical evidence" that you talk about, than most other rankings (India Today included).

You should have known better and noted that most of the top ranked law schools in these rankings are too young for you to dismiss these rankings as a propaganda reinforcing "pre-existing perceptions" based on "old boy networks".

@ Common India Legally - The bottom line is that the India Today rankings are a disappointment. (For quite some time they did not even include NUJS in the top 10, forget top 3!). They manage to stun the most seasoned industry-men year after year. They are better of left unspoken of, or maybe even ridiculed.

This ranking has to be dismissed in no uncertain terms. India Today has to take into cognizance the Common entrance examination being conducted for the National Law Universities, as one of the parameters. I would like to bring to their kind attention the fact that some of the Law schoolities who's law schools have been unreasonably ranked higher,didn't even qualify in CLAT-2008!
Secondly, the arrogance that only the NLSIU, NALSAR, NUJS, NLIU and NLU are the only lions who will finally fight for their pound of flesh is completely flawed. And the new categories "average", "below average" and so on is uncalled for. There has been instances of "other lawschoolites" competing equally well with well established NLUs and even surpassing them.

I don't understand "Why these rankings are so much hyped"?
We the members of legal fraternity know best about the rankings and college standings. I dont know what standards, parameters they use for rankings and competency of those journalists in terms of legal understanding. Everyone would admit journalism has turned into a money making industry, hardly anyone here feels any responsibilty towards society. However its certain fact that National Schools have a rigourous curricullum which moulds a student in good shape. I dont even doubt about students of other mentioned colleges in rankings specially Symbi & ILS whoose students are equally bright but the curriculum they follow is more relaxed. And the one liner I always find true is "Its not necessary that you would be great at work if you were good at your school whosoever it is".

Yet again I see the familiar whines about the rankings and the divide between the haves and the have-nots. Let me pen down what I have learnt from my experience in the legal community-

(a) Law Schools versus the rest - Yes,- whether we like them or not, the law schools have drastically changed legal education in india. Most companies and firms today find hires from these law schools much easier to train, more receptive to new ideas, up-to date with legal developments and certainly better equipped to take on large deals, acquisitions, due-diligence and corporate work than graduates from the traditional 'universities'. Many lawyers I know grumble how it took them years of experiance to acquire a level of understanding in certain fields that these young graduates already have. Exceptions are always to be seen but as a general rule, even students who are 'mediocre' in their law school batch display a high level of intelligence and pattern-recognition.

(b) The Rankings - are they correct ? - Rankings always have their detractors. While the tests for 'perception' in IT and Outlook may be a bit questionable, one should follow the CLAT demand to gauge whatrs on the mind of the students. I followed the results (partly due to my cousin who appeared for CLAT this year) and the general impression that I received was that NLSIU, NALSAR and NUJS were the most in demand (in that order). I must also add that most of the graduates whom I know from the other law schools private admit that these three were their first preference. On the basis of this, the India Today rankings do indeed appear dodgy and Outlook it seems is closer to the mark.

(c) Finally, the legal practice scene in India is extremely unfortunate. Despite being extremely wealthy, senior cousel rarely pay more than a few thousand a month to fresh juniors who want to start under them. Whether there is any scientific reason for this I have never been able to understand but the net result is that most law school graduates prefer firms, companies and occassionally even teaching where they can earn a respectable return on their talent. Sensibly enough, very, very few of them (excluding the ones who have a family practice) go into litigation which still therefore remains dominated by lawyers from the old school - the vast bulk of whom are anything but professional. I don't blame the law schoolites for avoiding practice - I blame the current generation of practising lawyers. They make cynical statements about the law schools being good only for air conditioned offices and fancy computers and yet do nothing to attract the same set of people to practise.

the ranking of NLIU,Bhopal at 10th position is ridiculuous and questions the very credibility of the magazine's selection process. The name is itself spelled wrongly as "TN National Law Institute Univ". A good joke in placing ILS over NLIU!!!