The Aspen Advisor Week in Review for November 30, 2018

Check out this week’s collection of interesting articles related to the Bar exam, law students, legal education, and other legal news.
Bar Exam
5 Tips For Utilizing Practice Questions During Bar Prep
Practice questions are the single most important part of bar exam preparation.
Bar Exam Pass Rates Suck, So Does Legal Education Need A Reboot?
Six out of 10 bar takers flunked. So, a bare 40 percent passed, which is the lowest bar passage rate for a California July bar in almost 70 years.
Law School Students
Harvard Law Students Push Major Firm to Drop Controversial Contract Provisions
After a Harvard Law student-led boycott of Kirkland & Ellis, the law firm announced last week it would no longer require associates to sign mandatory arbitration agreements — contracts that require employees to resolve workplace disputes with employers through an arbitration process, rather than through the courts
Learning while leading at Harvard Law Review
Michael Thomas Jr. makes a strong argument for rewards of his role as publication’s 132nd president
Legal Education
Beset by Problems, Thomas Jefferson Law School Is Trying to Avoid a Death Blow
The school has dramatically downsized its campus and taken on far smaller incoming classes as part of its effort to prevent the loss of its national accreditation.
Ex-Charlotte Law Students Balk at Class Action Settlement
Some former students of the now-closed institution are asking a federal judge to deny a proposed $2.7 million settlement on the grounds that owner InfiLaw Corp. has not adequately demonstrated that it has very little money to pay the plaintiffs.
Valparaiso Law School to write its final chapter in 2020
Valpo announced its 139-year-old law school would be ceasing operations after the last class graduates in 2020.
Law School Grades (Like Most Things In Life) Are Pretty Random
Law students learn early that success within the legal profession can be largely based on arbitrary factors.
First-Ever Skadden Fellows for Two Law Schools, and One of Them Is Closing
The renowned fellowships typically go to graduates from elite schools, but students at a handful of institutions outside the top tier do make the cut as well.
Other Legal News
Wolters Kluwer Gives $10,000 Award for Innovations Benefiting Law Students
The Leading Edge Prize for Education Innovation award offered prizes to two programs, one looking to identify factors undermining academic performance and the other connecting attorneys and those needing assistance.
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.