Legal Education

California bar entered $3.8M contract with ExamSoft without justifying value, auditor report says

When the State Bar of California selected ExamSoft as the software provider for its October 2020 remote bar exam, the test was administered appropriately, but the bar did not follow a procurement policy for outside vendors, according to a state auditor report.

May 4, 2021 2:43 PM CDT

2nd Circuit tosses Harvard Law grad’s Rehabilitation Act claim over bar exam accommodations

The New York State Board of Law Examiners has sovereign immunity from a lawsuit claim by a Harvard Law School graduate who sued over failure to accommodate her anxiety-related disability, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Apr 30, 2021 10:47 AM CDT

Florida Coastal’s proposed teach-out plan dinged by ABA’s legal ed section because of lack of details

A proposed teach-out plan from the Florida Coastal School of Law, which the ABA directed it to file in April, after the for-profit school lost access to federal student aid, has been rejected.

Apr 27, 2021 11:27 AM CDT

Human Rights Watch fires general counsel after she used N-word in classroom lecture

Human Rights Watch fired its general counsel earlier this month after she used the N-word in an April 1 Zoom lecture on hate speech as an adjunct professor at Columbia University.

Apr 27, 2021 9:47 AM CDT

Data shows increase in both first-time and 2-year bar exam pass rates

Despite the coronavirus chaos around July 2020 bar exams—including health fears for in-person bars, software problems with remote tests and jurisdictions making last-minute date and format changes—the first-time pass rate actually increased from the previous year.

Apr 23, 2021 2:11 PM CDT

NALP executive director talks empowering careers, recruiting and professional development

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Jim Leipold, the executive director of the National Association for Law Placement—an organization focused on career counseling and planning; recruitment and retention; and the professional development of law students, lawyers and its members.

Apr 23, 2021 9:06 AM CDT

2020 law school grads having harder time finding jobs, data shows

For 2020 graduates of ABA-accredited law schools, 77.4% had long-term, full-time jobs that required or preferred bar passage, compared to 80.6% for the class of 2019.

Apr 20, 2021 3:57 PM CDT

Colorful judicial writing style undermines legitimacy of opinions, law prof argues

Judges who write colorful opinions that are lively and engaging are undermining the integrity of the judicial role and the legitimacy of opinions, a law professor has argued in an upcoming law review article.

Apr 20, 2021 3:43 PM CDT

If Biden approves loan forgiveness, what could it mean for law school debt?

People with law school loans could benefit if President Joe Biden authorizes a plan to forgive all or a portion of student debt, but it could exclude those who owe private lenders and impose limits based on income, experts say.

Apr 12, 2021 11:25 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Slower-paying law students wait-listed; ‘tiger mom’ law prof back in the news

Law school wait-lists students who finished late in deposit race The University of Notre Dame’s law school is facing criticism for putting pressure on would-be law students to make their decisions quickly. The school requires admitted students to pay their $600 deposit by April 15—but if the school meets its…

Apr 9, 2021 4:26 PM CDT

Law profs abound on Biden’s new commission to study changing the Supreme Court

Law professors make up the bulk of the members on President Joe Biden’s newly created Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, tasked with studying proposals to reform the high court.

Apr 9, 2021 3:15 PM CDT

Student loan payoff program draws homebuyers to Illinois

Illinois is drawing homebuyers to the state with a $25 million SmartBuy program that helps pay off student loans and provides a loan of $5,000 for a down payment or closing costs.

Apr 7, 2021 3:21 PM CDT

As Florida Coastal tries to get student loan funds reinstated, ABA seeks teach-out plan

The U.S. Department of Education has terminated the Florida Coastal School of Law’s access to federal student financial aid, and the for-profit school has been directed to file a teach-out plan with the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Apr 6, 2021 12:51 PM CDT

Law prof proposes a middle-ground theory of judging to guide centrist judges

Conservative judges are guided by the original meaning of the Constitution, while liberal judges view the Constitution as a living document. But what about centrist judges?

Apr 5, 2021 10:05 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Last equal pay claim against Jones Day is tossed; law students’ quest for refunds is rejected

Judge tosses last equal pay claim in suit against Jones Day A federal judge on Wednesday tossed the last equal pay claim by the last plaintiff in the gender bias suit against Jones Day. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss of the District of Columbia said Jones Day did not undercompensate…

Apr 2, 2021 12:33 PM CDT