SANTA CLARA, Calif. – March 31, 2006. Santa Clara University School of Law was named one of the top 100 law schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The annual graduate school ranking also recognized the law school’s intellectual property law program as among the top 5 in the country. SCU School of Law was also named one of the 10 most diverse schools in the country.

"We are pleased that the quality of our faculty, students, and programs continue to be recognized," said Donald Polden, dean of the SCU School of Law. "It is especially remarkable that three of the top 4 programs in intellectual property and technology law and policy – UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Santa Clara – are in the Bay Area. This is a tremendous reflection of the support and leadership of our technology community." He added that SCU was committed to attracting and graduating a highly competent, ethically centered, diverse student body who will serve as leaders in their communities and the legal profession.

Other California schools in the top tier include Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of Southern California; University of California, Davis; University of California (Hastings); Loyola Law School; University of San Diego; and University of San Francisco.

In addition to its J.D. program, the School of Law offers specialty certificates in high-tech law, international law, and public-interest law, as well as master’s degrees in intellectual property and international law. The university also offers a joint J.D./MBA degree.

The rankings were published this week in U.S. News &World Report’s annual " America ’s Best Graduate Schools" publication. The rankings are based on expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research, and students. To see a complete list of graduate school rankings, visit U.S. News & World Report online at www.usnews.com.

About Santa Clara University School of Law

The SCU School of Law, founded in 1912, combines a tradition of excellence with a commitment to ethics, diversity, and social justice, and is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. Many of its students work in criminal and civil community law clinics, and may earn certificates in intellectual property law, international law, or public interest law. Law degrees may be combined with an MBA or a master’s in taxation. The School of Law also offers lawyers master’s degrees in international and intellectual property law. More information is online at www.scu.edu/law.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its 8,397 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees. Distinguished nationally by the third-highest graduation rate among all U.S. master’s universities, California ’s oldest higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. More information is online at www.scu.edu.