In Flat Demand and More Law Schools,I suggested that new law schools were more likely to compete with U.S. NewsTier 3 and Tier 4 schools (especially the latter). To illustrate that, lets look at the 27 schools accredited after 1988. Only two of the schools (Seattle and UNLV) were ranked in Tier 2, and only three of the schools (Chapman, Florida International and Quinnipiac) were ranked in Tier 3. The remaining schools were ranked in Tier 4 (10 Schools) or were not rated by U.S. News (12 schools).
The chart shows the distribution of the LSAT 25th percentiles for the Fall 2008 entering classes, as shown in the 2010 Official Guide. The 25th percentile for all ABA-approved law schools (other than the three in Puerto Rico) was 151. Over 74% of the post-1988 law schools (19 out of 27) had entering classes with an LSAT 25th percentile of 151 or lower.
To be sure, UC-Irvine will be a much stronger law school. Perhaps U. North Texas in Dallas will also do well. Bothhave a lot of money being put into them, which is always good. But UNT-Dallas is bound to hurt Texas Wesleyan in the other half of the Dallas- Ft. Worth metroplex.
Gary Rosin