Law schools need web presence just like everyone else. And, with lawyers being the competitive sorts that they are, it is hard to resist a top ten list pitting one law school’s design sensibility against another. Check out Roger Skalbeck’s list of top sites (link here) porting to legal academia, and check out the sites themselves to see what’s happening. Skalbeck, of Georgetown Law, notes in his intro:

The website home page represents the virtual front door for any law school. It’s the place many prospective students start in the application process. Enrolled students, law school faculty and other employees often start with the home page to find classes, curricula and compensation plans. Home page content changes constantly. Deciding which home pages are good is often very subjective. Creating a ranking system for “good taste” is perhaps impossible.

This brief ranking report attempts to identify the best law school home pages based entirely on objective criteria. The goal was to include elements that make websites easier to use for sighted as well as visually- impaired users. Most elements require no special design skills, sophisticated technology or significant expenses.

I am almost as interested in how Mr. Skalbeck designed his “scientific process” for sussing out the best sites as I am the list itself. But my favorite part of all is that the vast majority of schools represented are not top-tier schools. Although my alma mater is sadly absent.

Congrats to the winners and better luck next year to the runners-up!