Legal Education

Plan to drop law school entry exam requirement withdrawn before ABA House vote

The ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar withdrew a resolution before the ABA House of Delegates on Monday that called for cutting Standard 503, which requires an exam for law school admission, and beefing up Standard 501 to include the use of admission credentials and academic attrition when determining accreditation compliance.

Aug 6, 2018 7:26 PM CDT

Legal education council delays action on questionnaire guidance

As the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar awaits action on a proposal to eliminate an admissions test requirement for law schools, its council postponed decisions on new guidance for annual questionnaires, which are used for 509 Reports. Part of the Friday’s discussion, held during ABA…

Aug 3, 2018 7:14 PM CDT

Panel denies motion to consolidate suits against ABA by 3 InfiLaw schools

An American Bar Association motion to consolidate three federal actions filed by for-profit law schools owned by InfiLaw, all alleging due process violations regarding law school accreditation, was denied by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

Aug 2, 2018 10:01 AM CDT

Legal education council to discuss admission standards, reorganization

While awaiting ABA House of Delegates action on two major legal education resolutions, the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar will discuss guidance for admissions standards and reporting disclosures during the open session of its Friday meeting.

Aug 2, 2018 6:00 AM CDT

Presidents of Arizona Summit and Cooley Law are leaving their positions

Both Donald Lively, the president of InfiLaw’s for-profit Arizona Summit School of Law, and Don LeDuc, the president and dean of Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, are leaving their positions.

Aug 1, 2018 2:29 PM CDT

More people are applying to law schools: Does the jobs data support increasing class sizes?

The pool of applicants is rising, but deans are chastened by a fragile job market for young lawyers.

Aug 1, 2018 1:45 AM CDT

While number of lawyer jobs have been decreasing, law school applications are up more than 8%

Law school applications have increased by more than 8 percent, and some schools are reportedly concerned about over over-enrollment.

“Because the demand was so strong, some schools are finding that they may have had higher yield rates than they had in prior years, and they may have larger classes than they aimed for,” Kellye Testy, president of the Law School Admissions Counsel, told Law.com. She advises matching enrollment with employment opportunities for new lawyers.

Jul 31, 2018 2:40 PM CDT

Does the adoption of the uniform bar exam foreshadow uniform regulation?

It seems a reasonable extrapolation to wonder whether, when, and how there will be more uniform regulation of lawyers once they have been admitted to the practice of law. Are we moving toward more national standards for attorney regulation?

Jul 31, 2018 6:05 AM CDT

Potential closure plan for Arizona Summit discussed while accreditation appeal is pending

Updated: If Arizona Summit School of Law, a for-profit InfiLaw campus, loses its ABA accreditation, students may have the option to finish their education at Arizona State University’s law school.

Jul 27, 2018 11:23 AM CDT

Ceiling leaks pause Colorado Bar Exam

Tuesday was a watershed day for some Colorado Bar Exam test-takers.

Jul 25, 2018 4:19 PM CDT

NCCU has taken ‘concrete steps’ toward admissions standards compliance, ABA says

North Carolina Central University School of Law, which in January was found to be out of compliance with an ABA accreditation standard regarding admissions, has now demonstrated compliance, according to a decision the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar posted to its website Monday.

Jul 23, 2018 4:43 PM CDT

Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh got mostly glowing evaluations from his law students

Law students who evaluated Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s classes gave mostly glowing evaluations to the future U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

One student at Georgetown was so impressed that the 2007 evaluation read: “I honestly believe I took a class that was instructed by a future Supreme Court justice." Others rated Kavanaugh as their best professor ever. Students said he was accessible outside of class, evenhanded, fair-minded, well-versed in the materials and smart. One noted his “great hair!”

Jul 23, 2018 7:05 AM CDT

Chicago to get a public law school: John Marshall acquired by University of Illinois system

After more than two years of discussions, the University of Illinois’ board of trustees Thursday approved a plan to acquire Chicago’s John Marshall School of Law, a private stand-alone institution.

Jul 20, 2018 7:10 AM CDT

Can law students improve contracts drafted by accomplished lawyers?

I had had great teachers of contracts, but they emphasized theory, not practice. I resolved to prepare law students to tackle the costly, time-consuming problems of contract ambiguities. Many years of practice allowed me to make good on this resolution.

Jul 16, 2018 7:15 AM CDT

Reforming law school: Start with the end in mind

Last month, I wrote here about some potential changes to legal training in the United States, based on my own experience and conversations within and outside both the industry and country. The response was overwhelmingly positive from those who understood that I am trying to improve our profession for lawyers and clients alike.

Jul 13, 2018 7:05 AM CDT