The Columbus School of Law ranks high on the lists of law schools whose graduates are included as 2014 Super Lawyers in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.

Super Lawyers is an annually updated, peer-nominated rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This year, Super Lawyers has published a state-by-state list of law schools whose alumni were included in the highest numbers in each locale. CUA Law alumni rank among the top five in D.C. and Maryland, and in the top nine in Virginia.

One hundred forty-four CUA Law graduates were recognized as Super Lawyers in Washington, D.C. last year. They represent four percent of the total number of DC Super Lawyers, placing the law school fifth on the top ten list. In Maryland, 61 alumni make up 5 percent of the total; and in Virginia, 16 graduates who practice in the state were recognized as Super Lawyers, comprising one percent of the total. But these statistics don't tell the full story, says Daniel F. Attridge, dean of the Columbus School of Law. "This is based on overall numbers and doesn't account for the fact that our school is much smaller than others. When one takes school size into account, our alums fare even better," he said. For example, Catholic University has produced 144 DC Super Lawyers from a law school with just 519 current students, making for a ratio of 1 to 3.6. On the same list, by comparison, Harvard Law School's ratio of Super Lawyers to enrolled students is 1 to 5.5; the University of Virginia's is 1 to 4.5; Yale Law School's is 1 to 5.06; The University of Michigan Law School is 1 to 9.51; and Columbia Law School's is 1 to 13.60. "Super Lawyers relies more heavily on peer nominations and peer evaluations than other services that assess attorneys," noted Dean Attridge. "It's clear that in the judgment of their colleagues, CUA Law graduates are standouts in every field of practice they pursue."