Welcome back to Ahead of the Curve. I’m Karen Sloan, legal education editor at Law.com, and I’ll be your host for this weekly look at innovation and notable developments in legal education.

This week, I’m reviewing all the drama surrounding this year’s U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, and what that tells us about the stranglehold those rankings have over legal education. Next up, I’m checking in on the cool venue Suffolk University School of Law has lined up for its May commencement ceremony. Batter up!