Legal Education

Which law school is producing the most BigLaw associates?

Columbia Law School has the highest percentage of 2016 graduates hired by large law firms, according to information released by the National Law Journal.

Mar 7, 2017 7:00 AM CST

Free LSAT prep courses to be offered by Khan Academy: Could state bar exam help come later?

Khan Academy, a nonprofit online platform known for its large library of interactive math courses, today announced it will offer free LSAT practice materials, working with the Law School Admissions Council. Many LSAT prep courses now are offered by for-profit groups for a fee. “We’re always looking for ways to…

Feb 28, 2017 5:15 PM CST

Will delaying the exam, adding training help Arizona Summit students pass the bar?

Corrected: A year ago, Kelly Blake was stressed out. The Arizona Summit School of Law graduate was studying for the state bar and suspected that her chance at passing was about 50 percent.

Feb 27, 2017 8:30 AM CST

California State Bar investigating former Los Angeles city attorney

Updated: The State Bar of California has filed discipline charges against former Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, the Los Angeles Times reported. The charges stem from a death penalty case Trutanich handled in 1985, well before he was elected city attorney in 2009, the State Bar of California said…

Feb 23, 2017 5:55 PM CST

Heather Gerken, known for federalism scholarship, is first woman to become Yale law dean

Yale law professor Heather Gerken will become dean of the law school beginning July 1. Gerken will be the first female law dean and first federalism scholar at Yale Law School, the Volokh Conspiracy, a blog published in the Washington Post, reports. She also is an expert in election law…

Feb 22, 2017 2:31 PM CST

Any LSAT alternatives must be validated through new process, according to proposed rule revision

There’s still no official green light for ABA-accredited law schools to rely on entrance exams other than the Law School Admissions Test, but a recently proposed standards revision suggests how a validation process for LSAT alternatives should be developed. Under the proposed revision (PDF) to Standard 503, the Council of…

Feb 14, 2017 4:10 PM CST

Indiana University law profs are among those targeted by white supremacist group

Professors at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law were among academics targeted by a white supremacist group on that campus and as many as 30 universities across the country. Indiana University contacted the FBI after fliers were posted on campus that were “clearly meant to intimidate, threaten, scare, and provoke…

Feb 8, 2017 2:42 PM CST

Affluent students get law school merit scholarships while others foot the bill, study finds

Law schools have become more generous with merit scholarships, and the money has been flowing to privileged students whose parents are college-educated, according to a report released by the Law School Survey of Student Engagement. Individuals whose parents had no college experience were the least likely to receive merit scholarships,…

Feb 8, 2017 2:31 PM CST

ABA House rejects proposal to tighten bar-pass standards for law schools

The ABA House of Delegates on Tuesday voted against a proposal to tighten bar passage rate standards for accredited law schools. Under ABA rules, the house can send the proposed rule, Resolution 110B, back to the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar twice for…

Feb 6, 2017 3:33 PM CST

Wyoming law school ends out-of-state tuition—for three students per year

Corrected: In-state tuition will be offered to three nonresident students per year at the University of Wyoming College of Law, its board of trustees decided last month. Annual in-state tuition at the law school is approximately $16,000, according to the Wyoming Business Report. Previously, annual out-of-state tuition at the Laramie…

Feb 6, 2017 1:15 PM CST

Resolution recommending CLE on substance-abuse disorders, ethics and diversity approved by ABA House

The ABA House of Delegates has adopted Resolution 106, which imposes a new Model Rule for Minimum Continuing Legal Education to replace the older model rule, which was first adopted in 1988. The new rule recommends that lawyers be permitted to select CLE programs and their method of delivery—whether at…

Feb 6, 2017 10:12 AM CST

Charlotte School of Law reportedly files teach-out plan to ABA

Charlotte School of Law has submitted a teach-out plan, which lists Florida Coastal School of Law as its partner, to the American Bar Association, a Charlotte School of Law spokesperson told the ABA Journal. Both for-profit schools are part of the Infilaw System, which is owned by the private equity…

Feb 6, 2017 9:19 AM CST

How can law schools encourage diversity and opportunity? Two Florida deans speak out

Law schools are adapting to changing times with courses and training that go beyond the goal of teaching students to practice law. They are also ensuring that students gain an understanding of diversity and inclusiveness as well as be able to demonstrate technological competence, according to two Florida law school…

Feb 3, 2017 3:10 PM CST

IRS lawyer who is an adjunct Georgetown law prof is charged in alleged meth conspiracy

An undercover sting operation has led to drug charges against a lawyer who worked as an attorney adviser with the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Professional Responsibility. The lawyer, Jack Vitayanon, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, according to a Justice Department press release issued Wednesday. The New…

Feb 3, 2017 11:52 AM CST

LSAT scores at high-risk schools getting worse, according to analysis by law school reform group

Despite increased attention to admissions standards for ABA-accredited law schools, LSAT numbers and bar-pass rates are getting worse at those schools seen as the most at risk for exploiting students, according to an investigation released Thursday by Law School Transparency. The group, which focuses on law school reform, first published…

Feb 2, 2017 2:25 PM CST