Legal Education

A COVID-19 year in review: Courts, juries and technology

Happy anniversary. It’s been about one year now since the world was introduced to the coronavirus pandemic. What else can we say? This is as good a time as any to reflect on the changes to the world, especially to the world of law.

Mar 10, 2021 12:33 PM CST

More people are applying to law schools, and those with top LSAT scores are also increasing

Securing a spot at a top law school could become more difficult this year, as more people with high scores on the Law School Admission Test are submitting applications.

Mar 8, 2021 9:03 AM CST

Law student using American Sign Language wins 4th Circuit appeal

Jehanne McCullough, a University of Virginia School of Law student who is deaf, recently argued a federal excessive force appeal through the school’s appellate clinic, and three American Sign Language interpreters were also involved in the process. McCullough, a 3L, signed oral arguments, which one interpreter, Kate O’Regan, spoke to…

Mar 4, 2021 10:01 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyer gives frank reply to Justice Barrett; new site has law school scholarship information

GOP lawyer gives candid answer to Justice Barrett A lawyer for the Arizona Republican Party gave a frank answer in oral arguments Tuesday when Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked why the GOP didn’t want to count votes cast in the wrong precinct on Election Day. “Because it puts us at…

Mar 3, 2021 4:30 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Another state plans remote bar exam in July; Texas AG sues electric company over huge bills

So far, 9 jurisdictions have plan for remote bar exam in July California’s July 2021 bar exam will be remote, the California Supreme Court announced Friday. The first testing day, on July 27, will consist of five one-hour essay questions and a 90-minute performance test, according to the administrative order.…

Mar 2, 2021 4:45 PM CST

Difficulties of pandemic should be acknowledged in law school transcript, students say

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on many student population groups, and law students at the University of Minnesota Law School are asking that it be mentioned in the transcript for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Mar 2, 2021 3:10 PM CST

The death of a lawyer: A journey from law school to retirement

On some mornings, fog shrouds the Ohio River, settling into the river valley like loosely applied caulk. Twenty-three years ago, while on my way to work, my car weaved through the thick, shape-shifting strands as I navigated Kellogg Avenue, which follows the contours of the river toward downtown Cincinnati.

Mar 2, 2021 2:50 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Judges tosses transgender woman’s pageant bias suit; SCOTUS allows indoor church services

Judge tosses suit against pageant company by transgender woman U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman of Oregon has tossed a lawsuit by a transgender woman who accused a beauty pageant of discriminating against her by banning her from the competition. Anita Noelle Green had sought to compete in the Miss United…

Mar 1, 2021 4:50 PM CST

4 more law schools found to be in compliance with ABA’s new bar passage standard

Of the 10 law schools that did not meet an accreditation standard in the summer of 2020 requiring a 75% bar passage rate, six have now demonstrated that they are in compliance.

Mar 1, 2021 3:25 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: California opens process for retroactive bar admission; judge suspended after election-fraud charge

California opens applications for retroactive bar admission Provisional licensure applications, for people who recently did not pass the California bar exam but would have with the new cut score, are now open. People who took the California bar exam between July 2015 and February 2020 and scored no lower than…

Feb 25, 2021 3:39 PM CST

Judges tell of case delays, high caseloads as House committee considers expanding judgeships

Three federal judges told a House subcommittee Wednesday about case delays and high workloads as lawmakers considered whether to expand the number of federal judgeships.

Feb 25, 2021 12:08 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyers charged in Molotov cocktail attack get plea offers; Harvard Law profs launch equality journal

Lawyers charged in Molotov cocktail attack mull plea offers Two lawyers charged in a Molotov cocktail attack on an unoccupied police car are reviewing plea offers, according to a court filing. The incident happened during a Brooklyn protest in New York City over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old…

Feb 24, 2021 3:26 PM CST

How lawyers can reengineer our profession from the bottom up

Sometimes you just have to tear something down and start over again—like when you were a child and built a house of blocks or constructed a bridge with your Erector set, and it came tumbling down. You discovered too late that the foundation was not strong. It needed a redo.

Feb 24, 2021 9:23 AM CST

Texas offers makeup bar exam because of deep freeze

Following Texas’ freezing February weather, which led to power outages, disrupted water service and more than 20 deaths, according to CNN, the Texas Board of Law Examiners announced Friday that it would offer a makeup bar exam in March in addition to the test that starts Tuesday.

Feb 23, 2021 10:00 AM CST

Tampons and pads shouldn’t be prohibited at bar exam, ABA House says

The right of bar examinees to bring tampons and pads with them was addressed in a measure overwhelmingly approved by the House of Delegates at the ABA Midyear Meeting on Monday.

Feb 22, 2021 3:53 PM CST