TUSCALOOSA, Ala.-For the fifth consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report has ranked The University of Alabama School of Law among the Top 50 law schools in the nation.

UA’s School of Law is ranked 45th in U.S. News’ 2004 edition of its annual “Best Graduate Schools” publication. The ranking is the highest ever for the UA Law School, and places the school among the top 25 law schools at public universities.

“This national ranking is important insofar as it represents a commitment to academic excellence,” said Ken Randall, dean of the UA School of Law.

Randall credited fundraising support from friends and alumni with helping the School of Law “implement a blueprint for improvement in every facet of its educational program.”

“The national ranking is due to the support of The University of Alabama System and the University itself, and fueled by outstanding faculty, students and staff,” Randall said.

The UA School of Law is Alabama’s only public law school. About 80 percent of its students are Alabamians.

“The state deserves no less than a first-rate law school,” Randall said. “We want Alabama’s sons and daughters to remain in Alabama for their legal education and their careers, contributing to Alabama’s future prosperity. What is good for our state’s only public law school is good for all of Alabama.”