Bracketology: Wisconsin law schools hold firm in annual rankings

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With the NCAA men’s basketball tournament set to tip off Tuesday night, law schools throughout the country are revisiting their own version of March Madness.

U.S. News and World Report on Tuesday released its annual ranking of fully accredited American Bar Association law schools.

Wisconsin’s two law schools – the University of Wisconsin Law School and Marquette University Law School – essentially held their ground after more dramatic swings in 2011.

UW Law School ranked No. 35, the same as last year, while Marquette ranked No. 95, down one spot from 2011.

UW Law School, which costs $19,683 per year for in-state students, tied with the University of Illinois College of Law and William & Mary Law School.

Marquette’s annual tuition is $37,550. The law school tied with Santa Clara University Law School and Syracuse University Law School in the rankings.

Last year, UW Law School fell seven spots from No. 28  in 2010 to a tie for No. 35. In 2011, Marquette rejoined the top 100 after falling off the list in 2010.

The rankings are primarily based on admissions selectivity, successful job placement for graduates and faculty resources.

Law schools must be accredited and fully approved by the ABA and draw most of their students from the United States to be included in the U.S. News rankings.