UND School of Law’s legal writing program rose 15 places to tie for 17th in the latest law school rankings of Best Legal Writing Programs from U.S. News & World Report. Last year, the program secured the 32nd place in the category.

R-L: Professors Carolyn Williams, Jennifer Cook, and Kimberly Dasse in the Gerald W. VandeWalle Courtroom at UND School of Law.

“This is terrific recognition of the diligent efforts of our dedicated faculty and staff, who for a long time have delivered high quality instruction,” said Brian Pappas, Dean of UND School of Law. “Our students truly benefit from having such a strong Lawyering Skills Program”.

“This ranking is a testament to the extraordinary work happening in Lawyering Skills at UND Law,” said Professor Carolyn Williams. “Moving from unranked to #17 in just two years reflects our Lawyering Skills faculty’s deep commitment to preparing students for real-world legal practice through a strong foundation in critical reading, early integration of generative AI tools, and direct alignment with the skills tested on the NextGen bar exam.”

UND School of Law’s legal writing faculty recently transformed their approach to teaching legal writing using a team-based-learning methodology – a style that is innovative and extremely effective. “We’re emerging as a leader in team-based learning—an approach that mirrors the collaborative nature of real-world legal work and reflects UND’s student-centered, relationship-driven approach to legal education,” stated Williams. “It’s exciting to see all of this work recognized on a national level.”

UND School of Law also ranked 26th in law schools with the most graduates in federal clerkships and 161st overall among the 2025 best law schools.

For more information about the legal writing program at UND School of Law, please contact Jennifer Cook at jennifer.cook@UND.edu or 701.777.1462.