Accreditation & Standards

JD-Next should be backup to traditional entrance requirements, says ABA consultant

JD-Next, a prelaw school exam administered by Aspen Publishing, should be used only as a secondary supplement to more established measurements of potential law student success, such as undergraduate grades or more established testing scores, according to a new report from a consultant for the ABA.

Jan 17, 2024 12:26 PM CST

LSAC launches hybrid program for DC-area law school applicants

As diversity remains a hot topic after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College decision, the Law School Admission Council is piloting a hybrid version of its Plus Summer program to offer support to more potential law school applicants from underrepresented communities around Washington, D.C.

Jan 10, 2024 12:33 PM CST

JD enrollment up but 1Ls down, new ABA data shows

Fall 2023 had a slight increase in JD enrollment but a small decrease of first-year students over the previous year, according to data released Friday by the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Dec 15, 2023 12:49 PM CST

California bar examiners committee withdraws Peoples College of Law registration, ends degree-granting program

Updated: After 15 years of noncompliance issues, the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners made “a first-of-its kind move” by withdrawing the Peoples College of Law’s registration and terminating its degree-granting authority, according to a Dec. 14 release.

Dec 15, 2023 12:28 PM CST

George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School hit with noncompliance notice

The George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School has received a public notice of being out of compliance with ABA accreditation standards.

Dec 7, 2023 1:48 PM CST

ABA Legal Ed council rejects Golden Gate University’s plan to end its JD program

After years of struggling to meet the ABA’s accreditation standards and financial woes, Golden Gate University School of Law announced it will discontinue its juris doctorate program when this academic year ends. However, the ABA Legal Ed council rejected the plan because it “did not include sufficient detail relating to the operation of a teach-out.”

Dec 1, 2023 1:50 PM CST

Legal Ed council votes to send academic freedom proposal to ABA House of Delegates

Also at the Friday meeting in Dallas, the council voted to move a proposal regarding online library standards to the House, and it approved for public notice and comment proposed revisions to loosen accreditation standards for new online-only law schools.

Nov 20, 2023 12:33 PM CST

Indiana Supreme Court releases proposal allowing grads of nonaccredited law schools to take the bar

The Indiana Supreme Court is now seeking comment on a proposed amendment allowing graduates of non-American Bar Association-accredited law schools to sit for the Indiana bar exam.

Nov 16, 2023 3:53 PM CST

University of Akron School of Law offers guaranteed admission for qualified Ohioans

The University of Akron School of Law will guarantee admission to Ohio residents who meet or exceed an LSAT score of 151 and an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.4, officials said this week.

Oct 19, 2023 9:06 AM CDT

Southwestern Law School will accept applications to first-of-its-kind online JD program

Students who want to attend law school online and full time now have an option.

Oct 6, 2023 10:18 AM CDT

New law school targeting part-time students planned for Charlotte, North Carolina

Elon University plans to open a part-time, in-person law school in Charlotte, North Carolina, after the only other law school operating in the city was forced to shut down in 2017.

Sep 21, 2023 8:53 AM CDT

Oregon and Kentucky law schools are back in compliance, ABA Legal Ed Section says

The University of Oregon School of Law and the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law have demonstrated compliance with accreditation standards, according to the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Sep 8, 2023 1:47 PM CDT

Up to $2.1 million in student aid improperly disbursed for LLMs, Education Department says

Five stand-alone, ABA-accredited law schools recently entered settlement agreements with the U.S. Department of Education for disbursing federal aid to LLM students without the necessary accreditation.

Aug 31, 2023 1:35 PM CDT

If law schools prohibit ChatGPT in writing, can they back it up?

Using artificial intelligence to write admissions essays now comes with significant risks at the University of Michigan Law School, which recently asked applicants to certify that they did not use the technology for drafting purposes.

Aug 31, 2023 10:32 AM CDT

1 of 3 law schools dinged for diversity standard demonstrates compliance

The Baylor University School of Law has demonstrated compliance with an accreditation standard requiring that schools demonstrate “concrete action” showing a commitment to having a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff, according to an ABA notice posted Tuesday.

Aug 30, 2023 11:47 AM CDT