Another Law School Drops LSAT Requirement for Its Undergrads
The University of St. Thomas law school is seeking to boost diversity with a new early admissions program that drops the requirement for the Law School Admissions Test for some applicants.
St. Thomas undergrads will be considered for law school admission based on grades and college entrance exams, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. A personal statement and letters of recommendation will also be required, according to Tommie Media. The school is one of a handful that got permission from the ABA to waive the test for a limited number of students.
Cari Haaland, the school’s director of admissions, told Tommie Media that the Tommie Law Early Admission program could save the average student nearly $1,000 in fees.
Law schools that have announced similar programs include the University of Michigan, the University of Alabama and the University of Illinois.
The University of Minnesota law school tried a different tack, the Star-Tribune says. Two years ago it started an LSAT preparation program for students in under-represented populations, and about 25 participated. Only one enrolled at the school.
A recent study found a drop in the percentage of African-Americans and Mexican Americans entering law school from 1993 to 2008. Over that period, entering enrollment dropped by 7.5 percent for African-Americans and 11.7 percent for Mexican Americans. The study was a collaboration of the Society of American Law Teachers and the Lawyering in the Digital Age Clinic at Columbia University’s law school.
