The Aspen Advisor Week in Review for October 5, 2018
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) announced last week that beginning in June 2019, the LSAT will be delivered as an all-digital test. Instead of the current paper and pencil format, test takers use a tablet loaded with special software. The substance of the test will not change. In addition, the test will be offered 9 times per year instead of the current 6. As we’ve seen more schools accepting the GRE, a digital and adaptive test offered year-round for acceptance into a variety of graduate programs, it makes sense that the LSAT is becoming more convenient in order to stay competitive. Once the LSAT is all digital, scores will be available more quickly and there will be more chances to take the exam and apply to law school. All-in-all, a positive development.
I encourage you to read the paper recently published by Bernie Burk, Jerry Organ, and Emma Rasiel called Competitive Coping Strategies in the American Legal Academy: An Empirical Study. The study is summarized in the article, “Study Finds Law Schools Are Losing $1.5 Billion Annually in Tuition” and analyzes how law schools have responded to the shrinking applicant pool from the 2010 through 2017 academic years. It suggests that the decision by top law schools to reduce their class sizes has likely protected 20 of the weaker law schools from closure. It also notes that the students with the least promising prospects for obtaining a law degree are paying the highest price to obtain them. And, since both tuition revenue and student credentials decreased at many law schools, the gap between student needs and school resources has increased. This could be a factor in the recent decreases in Bar Exam performance. Much food for thought!
Bar Prep
3 Tips For Choosing A Bar Review Company
Many students rush into this decision without giving it enough thought. Don’t let this happen to you.
Law Professors
Bacow Says Kavanaugh Chose to Leave Harvard Law School on His Own
Facing mounting pressure to leave his post as a visiting lecturer at Harvard Law School amid allegations of sexual assault, Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh decided on his own not to return to teach at the school this winter, University President Lawrence S. Bacow confirmed Tuesday
Legal Education
Florida Coastal School of Law Sued by Former President
The former president of Florida Coastal School of Law is suing the school, alleging wrongful termination and unpaid compensation.
Harvard Law School Rocked by Kavanaugh Turmoil
Many Harvard Law students want the school to back an investigation into U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who has taught there for a decade. They say the administration has been silent about their concerns.
Diversity & Inclusion: Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Mitchell Hamline School of Law is reaching out online to undergraduate students of color in the hope of increasing diversity in law classes and the legal profession.
LSAT Will Go All Digital
The Law School Admission Test will be all digital, abandoning its traditional paper-and-pencil approach, starting after July 2019. The Law School Admission Council, which runs the test, said that the structure and substance of the test will not change, only the way it is given, which will be on tablets loaded with special software.
Study Finds Law Schools are Losing $1.5 Billion Annually in Tuition
A comprehensive analysis of how law schools have responded to the shrinking applicant pool concludes that the decision by top law schools to reduce their class sizes likely staved off the closures of 20 weaker law schools
New Bronze of Antonin Scalia Unveiled at Law School in Virginia Bearing His Name
As debate raged on Capitol Hill over a Supreme Court nomination that could shape the court’s future for decades, five justices gathered Thursday at a law school just across the Potomac River for the unveiling of a statue honoring an icon from its recent past — the late justice Antonin Scalia.
Other Legal News
WMU Law School Founder Thomas Brennan Sr. Dies
Thomas E. Brennan Sr. died peacefully on Saturday in Lansing, surrounded by family. Brennan was the founder of the Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing and the 81st Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.
Publishing
Cengage Reaches Deal in Suit Over Subscription Service
Cengage has reached an agreement to settle with two of its authors who had filed suit against the educational publisher in May, alleging that the company’s Cengage Unlimited subscription service will improperly cost them sales and royalty payments.
The Aspen Advisor Week in Review is a collection of interesting articles from the past week that pertain to Legal Education. Some may be especially relevant to law professors and others to law students. Many stories focus on the pedagogical, technical, and financial innovation occurring in law schools today. We hope that these articles inspire you.
Nicole Pinard is the Executive Director of Market Development for the Legal Education division of Wolters Kluwer Legal and Regulatory Solutions U.S.