U.S. News & World Report has broadened its horizons beyond ranking colleges and graduate schools;  posted at midnight, the publication served up a list of top law firms, offering “a comprehensive view of the U.S. legal profession that is unprecedented both in the range of firms represented and in the range of qualitative and quantitative data used to develop the rankings.” 

Unlike the law school ranking, which is a single list of first-to-worst, these are divided up in 81 different practice areas, from mass torts to antitrust to timber law.  What’s more, the rankings are in a tiered structure, with as many as 20 firms in a top tier, followed by a second tier, and so on. 

As the NYT Dealbook puts it, "All this slicing and dicing makes the rankings, which were done in conjunction with the Best Lawyers referral service, far less sexy than the school lists.  After all, “We’re No. 1! We’re No. 1!” is a way more impressive chant than “We’re first tier in general commercial litigation! We’re first tier in general commercial litigation!”  [C-I Note:  Enjoy it for what it is.]  

For complete details, click onto:  [ U.S. News & World Report, 9/15 ] [NYT Dealbook, 9/15]. 

The nationwide results for "Securities / Capital Markets Law" lists 72 firms, beginning with these "Tier 1" firms: 

1. Gibson Dunn
2. K&L Gates
3. Mayer Brown
4. Morrison & Foerster
5. Sidley Austin
6. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
7. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
8. Cravath, Swaine & Moore
9. Davis Polk & Wardwell
10. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
11. Kirkland & Ellis
12. Latham & Watkins
13. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius    
    
14. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
    
15. Sullivan & Cromwell
    
16. Vinson & Elkins 
    
17. WilmerHale.