Posts Tagged ‘school’

The Top 14 Law Schools

September 19th, 2011

The U.S. News and World Report publishes an annual ranking of law schools in the country. Though they rank almost 200 schools annually, the top 14 schools have always been in the top 14, ever since the rankings were introduced. Though the schools can move up and down relative to each other, they have always been measured by the U.S. News as the top 14 law schools in the country. These schools include: Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Chicago, NYU, Berkeley, Virginia, Michigan, UPenn, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, and Georgetown.

Because these schools have always been at the top, these schools have become the standard by which law school applicants aspire to. “T14 or bust” is a common mentality of many applicants. There is also a commonly held belief that these 14 schools are the only “national” law schools, with every other school being “regional.” That means, while a student at a national school can practice wherever he/she wants, a student at a regional school can only practice in the schools jurisdiction (for example, UCLA and USC students in LA and Fordham students in NY). While this view is a bit extreme (students can go anywhere to practice, provided that they network and interview well), there is a certain modicum of truth to the fact that the higher ranked schools give degrees that are truly portable, while lower ranked schools tend to specialize in their home markets.

The top 14 schools typically break down into mini tiers. The holy grail of law schools is Yale, Harvard and Stanford, followed closely by the second mini tier of Chicago, Columbia and NYU. The next tier of schools consists of Virginia, Michigan, Penn and Berkeley, and the final tier is composed of Duke, Northwestern, Cornell and Georgetown. Within these tiers, on any given year, we can see major jumps between the schools, but we hardly ever see a school break into another min tier. For example, Chicago and NYU can switch places, but hardly ever will you see Northwestern or Virginia within the top 6 schools. Though these distinctions are important with potential applicants, most lawyers seem to agree that splitting the T14 into mini tiers is rather imprudent, and don’t consider any school below Harvard, Yale and Stanford to be substantially greater or worse than each other. » Read more: The Top 14 Law Schools

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Education Law and Right Schools

September 15th, 2011

According to recent estimates, almost a third of all schools in England and Wales are right schools, and almost a quarter of all children are educated in a right school. These types of schools were a key plank in the labor government’s strategy for education, and the Coalition has indicated that it will continue to increase the amount of educational services which are provided by religious groups.

There are three types of right schools: voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and independent religious schools, and different rules apply to each of these.

Voluntary Controlled Right Schools
These are schools which are funded by the state and where the state is responsible for the day-to-day management and control of the school. The buildings and land are owned by a religious group, and that religious group has the right to appoint the governors and often the head teacher, but other teachers are employed by the local education authority. The appointment of these teachers is subject to the same conditions as teachers in regular state schools and there is no requirement that the teachers profess the same right as the religious group which established the school.

In voluntary controlled right schools, the admissions policy is set and administered by the local education authority. This means that these types of schools are usually open to all students and there is no requirement that the student has an attachment to the right held by the religious group which established the school.

Voluntary Aided Right Schools
These are schools which are funded by the state but are managed and controlled by a religious group. The religious group owns the land and buildings, appoints the governors of the school and selects and appoints teachers. All teachers are directly employed by the religious group, and it is lawful for the religious group to require teachers to profess the same right and to discipline staff for breaching religious principles or acting in a way which is inconsistent with the schools ethos.

In voluntary aided right schools, the admissions policy is determined and enforced by the governors of the school. This means that very often prospective students are required to demonstrate some adherence to the religious principles on which the school is founded.

Independent Right Schools
These are schools which are entirely funded and controlled by a religious group. The religious group appoints the governors and employs all of the staff as well as setting the admissions policy. Independent right schools often require both teachers and students to be professing members of a particular religious sect or denomination, and can discipline both staff and students if they act in a way which is inconsistent with the schools ethos and religious values. » Read more: Education Law and Right Schools

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An Overview Education Law

September 15th, 2011

Education law covers all elements of a kid’s schooling. This includes different types of schools, school admissions, exclusions, home schooling, attendance and special needs schooling.

One of the first sections of schooling law is school admissions. A parent can state a preference for the school they need their kid or teenager to attend. While all kids have the right to a state schooling, if the school that a parent applies to is oversubscribed, they may must make a second choice or appeal against the decision. A parent would must make sure that their kid meets the admission criteria for the school that they are applying for before they make an appeal.

The second area of schooling law to think about is school exclusions. There’s types of school exclusion, the first is a fixed term exclusion where the kid is given the exact dates of when they must leave and return to the school. A fixed term exclusion will be given when other smaller punishments have not been successful. The second is a permanent exclusion where the kid will no longer be allowed to attend their school. A permanent exclusion will only be given if the school and kid have tried all other options unsuccessfully. A parent can appeal against an exclusion as long as the exclusion was for a period of over five days.

The next area of schooling law is home schooling. In the United Kingdom, it is legal for a kid to be schooled at home providing that the parent can show to the local authority that their kid is getting a nice schooling from the age of five up until they are 16. A kid who is home schooled does not must follow the national curriculum or the usual hours of a school day. The local authority may carryover out checks on families that home school to make sure that the kids are being well educated. In the event that they find that the kids are being poorly educated they may issue the relatives with a School Attendance Order which would mean that the kid would must attend school formally. Parents ought to advise their local authority in the event that they plan to home school their kid.

Leading on from this in schooling law if the matter of school attendance. Parents must make sure that their kids are in some kind of schooling from the age of five up until they are 16. Legal action will be taken against parents who do not enforce this. The only legal reasons for a kid to be absent from school is in the event that they are sick or in the event that they have arranged the absence with the school beforehand. » Read more: An Overview Education Law

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