Accreditation & Standards

California Supreme Court approves state’s Kaplan-created bar exam

Updated: The State Bar of California’s plan to create a new exam enabling the licensing test to be taken remotely, as well as at in-person test centers, has been green-lighted by the California Supreme Court, allowing the first administration of the Kaplan North America-developed test to move forward in February 2025.

Oct 24, 2024 9:34 AM CDT

California Supreme Court shoots down portfolio bar exam proposal but clears path to state-specific exam

The California Supreme Court has rejected the proposal to run a pilot program for a pathway to licensure without taking the bar exam, but it did approve the bar developing “a California-specific bar examination” and offered content areas for a state-specific exam.

Oct 11, 2024 5:10 PM CDT

Connecticut allows fully online law school grads of Purdue Global to take bar exam

Graduates of the Purdue Global Law School, described as the oldest wholly online law school, can now take the bar exam in a third state, as the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee voted Oct. 4 to follow the lead of California and Indiana.

Oct 8, 2024 3:24 PM CDT

Changes to ABA accreditation standard addressing race and diversity meet pushback

Contentious proposed changes to the ABA’s diversity and inclusion standard go too far and could reverse progress made toward making law schools diverse, according to several legal education groups that wrote to the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Oct 3, 2024 1:29 PM CDT

How to integrate marketing insights into legal writing

Assuming that you share your legal knowledge and experience without oversimplification, advice from marketing experts can be worthwhile and immensely useful. Here are a few ways to embrace marketing advice without leaving your legal training behind.

Sep 3, 2024 1:10 PM CDT

Legal Ed council broadens proposed accreditation standard addressing diversity

The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has proposed reframing a contentious law school accreditation standard that encourages diversity to instead focus on achieving “access to legal education and the profession” for all qualified aspiring lawyers.

Aug 16, 2024 4:35 PM CDT

Is the National Conference of Bar Examiners losing power?

As the National Conference of Bar Examiners sunsets the Uniform Bar Exam in 2028, other pathways to practice outside of its exam offerings are emerging, leaving some to question the NCBE’s hold on controlling licensure.

Aug 13, 2024 9:35 AM CDT

Class of 2020 moves jobs, has less debt and is concerned about mental health, study says

The study from the National Association for Law Placement and the NALP Foundation, released Wednesday, showed 70% of all graduates have held two or more jobs in the three years since graduation, up from 69% of the class of 2019 surveyed a year earlier.

Jul 25, 2024 10:29 AM CDT

Online law grad has ‘truly extraordinary’ case meriting waiver of Utah admission rules, top state court says

Updated: A graduate of an unaccredited online law school may take the bar exam in Utah, even though she did not satisfy a requirement for 10 years of experience in another jurisdiction before admission, the Utah Supreme Court has ruled in a 3-2 decision.

Jul 23, 2024 10:17 AM CDT

New Paths for Licensure: California confirms Kaplan bar exam, Arizona launches second chance program

As California grapples with budget issues and Arizona faces a shortage of lawyers, both states announced shifts to their licensure protocols, with ripples potentially impacting other jurisdictions.

Jul 19, 2024 2:16 PM CDT

Purdue Global will add full-time JD program, while 2 small California law schools will close

The State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners approved several policy changes regarding its state-accredited and unaccredited law schools, along with unveiling a new report detailing their outcomes at its June 21 meeting.

Jun 26, 2024 11:20 AM CDT

19 state AGs fire back after others demand ABA diversity standards change

Nineteen state attorneys general signed a letter calling on the American Bar Association, Fortune 100 CEOs and other organizations to retain “their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Jun 20, 2024 3:58 PM CDT

5 more law schools now approved to use JD-Next for admissions

Five law schools joined the ranks of 52 others that allow applicants to take the JD-Next alternative admissions program instead of traditional standardized tests.

Jun 14, 2024 12:15 PM CDT

Oregon’s alternative pathway to the bar proves popular

Updated: Oregon’s new Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination that allows ABA-accredited law school graduates to join the state’s bar by working closely with a supervising attorney instead of taking the bar exam is gaining traction with candidates and potential employers.

Jun 13, 2024 9:54 AM CDT

21 state AGs sign letter demanding changes to ABA diversity standard for law schools

The attorneys general of 21 states are urging the council for the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to change a law school accreditation standard that encourages diversity in admissions and hiring.

Jun 5, 2024 9:00 AM CDT