Legal Education

Private equity fund that owns Charlotte School of Law sued in Illinois state court for alleged fraud

Former students at Charlotte School of Law recently filed two Illinois state court actions alleging consumer fraud and deceptive business practices against Sterling Capital Partners, a Chicago private equity firm that owns the law school. On March 22, a group of former students filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit…

Apr 1, 2019 3:57 PM CDT

ABA legal ed section finds Puerto Rico law school back in compliance with accreditation standard

The University of Puerto Rico School of Law has taken “concrete steps” to demonstrate compliance with an accreditation standard regarding academic support, according to a decision recently posted online by the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The section’s council considered the matter when it met…

Mar 29, 2019 9:22 AM CDT

Father and daughter who graduated law school together await bar results

Sarah Smith credits her father and an LSAT study guide for her interest in law school. Tim Smith was working with an LSAT study book in early 2014 when his daughter picked it up and started doing some of the problems. “I thought the questions were fun, and it piqued…

Mar 28, 2019 8:15 AM CDT

Is there an optimum age to go to law school?

The typical trajectory for a lawyer’s education is a high school diploma to an undergraduate degree to a JD. With this life plan, you can be a practicing attorney by your mid-20s—which is not uncommon. About half of all law school applicants from 2011 to 2015 were between 22 and…

Mar 20, 2019 2:09 PM CDT

This 16-year-old was accepted at nine law schools

Haley Taylor Schlitz loves learning and likes standardized tests. She is looking forward to classes this fall at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.

Mar 18, 2019 8:15 AM CDT

Argosy receiver says he’s working on finding buyer for Western State College of Law

After going months without federal loan money, students at Western State College of Law, which is part of the embattled Argosy University system, learned Wednesday that the receivership for their school will continue. The U.S. Department of Education in February pulled the schools’ federal financial aid, based on allegations that…

Mar 14, 2019 10:13 AM CDT

Nonprofit AccessLex Institute to offer bar prep courses at reduced cost

The AccessLex Institute, a nonprofit group that focuses on law students, plans to offer bar exam preparation courses in time for the July 2021 test, for at least $1,000 less than existing offerings. The group announced its new prep course Wednesday. The program, which will function like a cooperative, will…

Mar 13, 2019 3:24 PM CDT

US News releases its 2020 law school rankings

There’s little variation in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings among the top 20 law schools, and the top seven are identical to last year.

Mar 12, 2019 12:01 AM CDT

While one law school plans for closure, two others receive full ABA accreditation

A teach-out plan for Valparaiso University Law School, which calls for it being accredited until the end of August 2020, has been approved by the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Mar 8, 2019 9:14 AM CST

Can judges and law clerks participate in educational seminars? Partisanship is a factor, opinion says

Federal judges and law clerks should consider whether an organization sponsoring an educational seminar is viewed as partisan when deciding whether to participate, according to a new advisory opinion. The opinion was released after several Democratic senators raised questions about a Heritage Foundation training camp for judicial clerks, according to…

Mar 8, 2019 7:30 AM CST

Married couples from Harvard Law’s ‘love section’ offer lawyer relationship advice

Lawyers in love shouldn’t behave like lawyers, according to advice from one of six married couples from Harvard Law School’s class of 1979. All six couples met while first-year students in Harvard’s Section 3, which is similar to a homeroom period, the New York Times reports. The New York Times…

Mar 7, 2019 11:33 AM CST

Public service attorneys in loan-forgiveness suit still could face rejection, experts warn

In late February, a federal court reversed and remanded U.S. Department of Education determinations that three out of four lawyers—two of whom worked for the American Bar Association—did not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Whether they will ultimately have their student loans discharged remains to be seen, say administrative law attorneys.

Mar 7, 2019 7:00 AM CST

Law firms shouldn’t overlook value of soft skills

Soft skills do not get much attention in law firms. That was my experience when I was practicing in small, medium and larger firms, and it still is the case today.

Mar 7, 2019 6:30 AM CST

Former JAG Corps captain draws from history and sports for diversity advice

Kenneth Imo spent years playing college football for Southern Methodist University, working his way up in the U.S. Air Force and leading the charge for diversity in two international law firms. Imo mined his experiences for his book, Fix It: How History, Sports, and Education Can Inform Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Today.

Mar 6, 2019 7:05 AM CST

Would-be law student gets record expunged with help of legal services group

A Kentucky woman who plans to attend law school hopes to someday help others expunge their criminal records because of her own experience. Kristen Hawthorne returned to Bloomington, Illinois, last month to pick up a judge’s order expunging her felony conviction, the Bloomington Pantagraph reports. Hawthorne had been convicted for…

Mar 4, 2019 9:30 AM CST