The University of California, Irvine School of Law opened in 2009 with big ambitions—founding dean Erwin Chemerinsky aimed to debut among the Top 20 on the U.S. News and World Report ranking of law schools once it became eligible.

He missed—U.C. Irvine snagged the No. 30 spot in the rankings released Tuesday.

“This is so much higher than any other new law school has debuted. We've got to be proud of that,” Chemerinsky (left) said. “It's crucial to do everything we can to be a top school. If we create a top school, the ranking will take care of itself.”