The National Law Journal (NLJ) has ranked Boston University School of Law ninth in the nation for alumni promoted from associate to partner at 250 of the biggest US law firms in 2013.

With 17 BU alumni making the grade last year, NLJ’s annual list of Go-To Law Schools places LAW ahead of UCLA, Stanford, UC-Berkeley, and Vanderbilt.

“Our graduates are well prepared for the professional demands of big law practice,” says LAW Dean Maureen A. O’Rourke. “Large firms that hire our graduates get practice-ready associates with the talent and determination to rise to the partner level.”

The NLJ also identified the 50 law schools with the highest percentage of 2013 JD graduates hired by the largest 250 firms. LAW ranks 24th, with 20 percent of its 2013 graduates accepting positions with those firms.