Harvard and Yale are recognized for producing the highest number of law professors, closely followed by New York University (NYU), Michigan, Columbia, and Georgetown. An analysis of data from initial faculty appointments registers, which track candidates for entry-level law teaching positions, highlights the institutions that consistently graduate the most individuals entering legal academia.
Top Institutions Producing Law Professors
Based on a detailed distribution from an analysis of candidates in an initial Faculty Appointments Register (FAR), the following 16 law schools produced the most law teachers:
| Rank | Law School | Number of Professors (from First FAR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard | 24 |
| 2 | Yale | 21 |
| 3 | NYU | 10 |
| 4 | Michigan | 9 |
| 5 | Columbia | 8 |
| 5 | Georgetown | 8 |
| 7 | Berkeley | 7 |
| 8 | Stanford | 6 |
| 9 | UCLA | 4 |
| 10 | Chicago | 3 |
| 10 | Virginia | 3 |
| 10 | Penn | 3 |
| 10 | Cornell | 3 |
| 10 | Duke | 3 |
| 15 | Northwestern | 2 |
| 15 | Texas | 2 |
Key Observations
- Dominance of Top Schools: Harvard and Yale collectively accounted for nearly half of the professors produced by these top 16 schools in this specific analysis, underscoring their historical role as incubators for legal academia.
- Strong Tier: NYU, Michigan, Columbia, and Georgetown form a strong second tier, consistently contributing a significant number of faculty members to law schools across the country.
- Broad Representation: While the numbers decrease for schools further down the list, institutions like Berkeley, Stanford, and UCLA, along with several others, demonstrate a consistent ability to place their graduates into academic roles.
This data provides a snapshot of where aspiring law teachers typically graduate from, highlighting a strong correlation between highly-ranked institutions and the production of future legal scholars.
