The University of Virginia is ranked as one of the top public universities in the country with more than 23,000 students, and more than 3,200 faculty members. UVA Law was founded in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Thomas Jefferson. It is currently the second oldest continuously operating law school in America. The Law School is consistently ranked among the top ten law schools. UVA is a public university, but the Law School doesn't receive any state funding through an agreement known as financial self-sufficiency.