Law Schools

‘Whirlwind’: Bill Kurtis memoir tells how law school trained him for covering trials

The ABA Journal talked with the retired CBS News anchor and executive producer of many legal-oriented television documentary series—including Cold Case Files, American Greed and Investigative Reports—at his home outside Chicago.

Oct 2, 2025 9:08 AM CDT

ABA law school accreditation should end, Texas justices say

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday tentatively approved minimizing or possibly eliminating the role of the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar in accrediting the state’s law schools, moving those powers to the court itself.

Sep 29, 2025 3:50 PM CDT

Changes in leadership, oversight come to State Bar of California

In the wake of California’s disastrous rollout of a new, proprietary bar exam in February, the state is mandating additional oversight responsibilities to its testing process.

Sep 26, 2025 2:09 PM CDT

Proposal for one-year degree for criminal justice lawyers rejected by Arizona Supreme Court

A proposal to allow graduates of a special one-year program to prosecute or represent criminal defendants has been rejected by the Arizona Supreme Court.

Sep 25, 2025 9:27 AM CDT

St. Thomas College of Law found out of ABA accreditation compliance

The St. Thomas University College of Law has fallen out of compliance with a core accreditation standard titled “Nondiscrimination and Equality of Opportunity,” according to a memo from the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Sep 23, 2025 12:44 PM CDT

Cooley Law School found noncompliant with ABA accreditation standard

The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has found Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School to be not compliant with law school accreditation standards.

Sep 22, 2025 2:44 PM CDT

Tennessee joins 3 other states in reconsidering law school accreditation process

Citing the need to address access to justice, the Tennessee Supreme Court is asking for comments on potential reforms for accrediting law schools and admission to the bar, which include reconsidering the ABA’s role in that process.

Sep 22, 2025 1:22 PM CDT

Legal Ed council hands down compliance decision for two Puerto Rican law schools

The council informed the Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law that it is on probation for not meeting the bar passage standard, while the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law is in compliance with Standard 316.

Sep 19, 2025 1:03 PM CDT

New Hampshire law school returns to compliance with ABA accreditation standard

he University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is back in compliance with ABA standards, according to an August memo posted by the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Sep 18, 2025 11:34 AM CDT

Delcianna Winders has woven a web of animal law clinics and programs

“Becoming a lawyer was a good pathway to channel my animal advocacy, and the law plays a really important role in the status of animals,” says ABA member Delcianna Winders. “It’s an important lever that I could have an impact on.”

Sep 2, 2025 11:55 AM CDT

July Multistate Bar Exam scores continue upward trend

July 2025’s Multistate Bar Exam mean score hit 142.4, about a 0.6-point jump over a year earlier and one of the highest recorded in 12 years, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Aug 28, 2025 1:34 PM CDT

ABA Legal Ed council holds off on experiential learning recommendations

After pushback from many law school deans, the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar decided that it would take more time to reconsider tweaks to its proposed mandate to increase the number of hands-on learning credits from six to 12 at its quarterly meeting Friday in Chicago.

Aug 22, 2025 4:09 PM CDT

First-time bar pass rates hit 82%, AccessLex study says

Bar passage rates for first-time examinees hit 82% in July 2024, matching the 10-year record high of July 2020, according the AccessLex Institute’s summer 2025 update of the Legal Education Data Deck.

Aug 21, 2025 9:33 AM CDT

Professionalism: The ABA requires it, employers want it, students need it; so let’s teach it

By graduation, law students should understand what it means to act professionally: to succeed as a professional in a professional field. This doesn’t seem like a radical or controversial notion. But when looking back at your own legal education, where exactly were you taught the soft skills, norms and insights that underlie professionalism in practice? Was it embedded in the required 1L curriculum? Offered as an upper-level course? Mandated as a graduation requirement?

Aug 19, 2025 11:05 AM CDT

Based on allegations of cheating services, online LSAT testing will be suspended in mainland China

In an attempt to shut down cheating services, the Law School Admission Council will suspend online LSAT testing in mainland China following next month’s international administration.

Aug 18, 2025 1:29 PM CDT