Law Schools

Feds Probe: Does Harvard Law School Sexual Harassment Complaint Policy Violate Title IX?

Responding to complaints made by an attorney on behalf of a Harvard Law School student, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating whether the HLS policy for handling sexual harassment complaints violates Title IX. Attorney Wendy Murphy, who is a professor at New England School of…

Apr 21, 2011 9:34 PM CDT

UVa to Pay Bar Review Expenses for Law Grads Who Are Unemployed

For law graduates who don’t yet have jobs lined up, the University of Virginia is trying to eliminate a potential financial obstacle to getting licensed to practice. It will pay up to $500 in bar application costs and $1,500 in bar review expenses, reports Virginia Law Weekly. Hat tip: Above…

Apr 21, 2011 7:32 PM CDT

What Is the Cost of a Law Review Article by a Top Prof? Estimate Is $100K

Top law professors make big bucks—money that supports law review articles that can cost as much as $100,000 each in salaries and other costs, according to an estimate made at a conference on the future of legal education. The cost can range from $100,000 for an article by a well-paid…

Apr 21, 2011 4:57 PM CDT

Florida Law Prof Accused of Shoving Student Who Criticized Him, Gets One-Week Suspension

A University of Florida law professor was suspended for a week based on allegations he shoved a student who criticized his handling of a room mix-up during exams. Criminal law professor Kenneth Nunn got a letter from the dean warning he could be fired if he engages in similar conduct…

Apr 21, 2011 12:36 PM CDT

Are Laptops Too Tempting? Most 2Ls and 3Ls Doodle for More than Half the Class, Study Finds

Law students in upper-year courses are being distracted—a lot—by their laptops in class, a new study has found. St. John’s University law professor Jeff Sovern sent observers into six classrooms and found that 58 percent of the upper-year students using laptops spent at least half the class using the devices…

Apr 20, 2011 1:12 PM CDT

Associate Survey Gives Low Marks to Law School Pro Bono, Props to Legal Clinics

Law school pro bono work didn’t fare well in a new survey designed to assess hands-on learning opportunities in law school. Law firm associates surveyed said legal clinics and externships provide better hands-on training, according to the 2010 Survey of Law School Experiential Learning (PDF) by NALP, the association for…

Apr 19, 2011 12:27 PM CDT

After Latest $450K Poker Win, Yale Law Student Says She May Practice Only Part-Time

Unlike many professional poker players, Vanessa Selbst has a potentially lucrative second career to fall back on should she ever experience a run of bad luck. With only one more year to go at Yale Law School, she has a law license—and the civil rights practice that motivated her decision…

Apr 18, 2011 9:41 PM CDT

6 Law Schools Form Global Group to Discuss Legal Tech Collaboration, Invite Others to Join

The deans of six law schools have formed a global group to discuss how they might collaborate more effectively and develop new shared technology specifically designed for legal education. The founding members of the group are Australian National University College of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law; New York Law School,…

Apr 18, 2011 5:56 PM CDT

‘The Wire’ Cast Members Participate in Panel at Harvard Law About Urban Poverty

The creators and five cast members of The Wire—a TV series about police officers and inner-city drug dealers in Baltimore—participated in a panel discussion at Harvard Law School on Tuesday where they talked about both the celebrated show and America’s inner-city poor. “We’re going to need to pick up a…

Apr 14, 2011 2:09 PM CDT

Widener Law Prof Whose Hypothetical Involved Dean’s Murder Now Sues Her in Real-Life Defamation Case

A tenured associate law professor at Widener University School of Law has sued the dean over statements she made during an earlier battle over a controversial classroom hypothetical. Lawrence Connell contends that dean Linda Ammons falsely characterized him as racist and sexist in administrative proceedings when she sought to oust…

Apr 8, 2011 5:25 PM CDT

US News Weighs Request to Add Diversity Measure to Law School Rankings

The rankings czar for U.S. News & World Report plans further discussions on a proposal to include a diversity measure in its rankings, but he warns of several hurdles ahead. Writing at the Morse Code blog, research director Robert Morse says U.S. News has a diversity index, but it’s not…

Apr 8, 2011 3:28 PM CDT

Northwestern Accuses J-School Prof of Misleading Prosecutors re Innocence Project Work

Ratcheting up a controversy that led to a popular journalism professor sitting on the sidelines rather than teaching at Northwestern University this spring, the school has just released a statement accusing former Medill Innocence Project Director David Protess of making false and misleading statements to Cook County prosecutors. It isn’t…

Apr 6, 2011 11:39 PM CDT

Harvard Posts Law School Exams Dating to 1871, When the Questions Were Easier

Harvard Law School was a lot easier in 1871. Or maybe the professors weren’t so cruel. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog is speculating about those possibilities after taking a look at exams posted by Harvard Law School going all the way back to 1871. The blog illustrates with this…

Apr 6, 2011 11:48 AM CDT

TV’s ‘Divorce Court’ Judge Hated Law School and Law Practice

The judge who presides on TV’s Divorce Court didn’t enjoy working 60 hours a week at a law firm, and was too shy to enjoy law school. Lynn Toler talked to McClatchy News Service about her path to a TV judgeship. She goofed off at Harvard University and hated law…

Apr 6, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

As Applications Plummet at Other Law Schools, U of Colorado Sees Record 12.7 Percent Increase

As recent ABAJournal.com posts have noted, applications are down significantly this year at a number of law schools throughout the country, including some of the top institutions in the country. Nationwide, the trend is a reduction of about 11.5 percent, on average. But the University of Colorado has seen law…

Apr 4, 2011 10:28 PM CDT