Another Hurdle for Would-Be Lawyers in New York: 50 Hours of Pro Bono

New York’s chief judge has announced a new requirement: Would-be lawyers will have to perform 50 hours of pro bono before they can get a law license. New York will be the first state with the pro bono requirement, the New York Times reports. Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said the…

May 2, 2012 11:55 AM CDT

Mission Accomplished: Military Spouse Network Gets ABA, White House Attention

May 1, 2012 6:40 AM CDT

Despite ABA Accreditation Issue, Duncan Law Grads Can Sit for Tenn. Bar Exam

Denied in December the provisional accreditation it had hoped to win from the American Bar Association, a Tennessee law school, in addition to filing an appeal directly with the ABA, has been waging a federal court battle, as yet unsuccessfully, to force the ABA to change its mind. However, Lincoln…

Apr 25, 2012 7:30 PM CDT

Around the Blawgosphere: Suit Against Avvo Dismissed; Ex-Associate Starts Book on Cross-Country Walk

Was NYLS Suit Dismissal a Win for Law Schools? At Balkinization, Washington University law professor Brian Tamanaha (whose book Failing Law Schools comes out in July) wonders if the dismissal of a lawsuit against New York Law School by nine of its graduates is really a victory. Tamanaha said that…

Mar 30, 2012 1:30 PM CDT

These Schools Exceed Expectations for Bar Pass Rates

Most law schools have bar exam pass rates that correlate to their students’ scores on the Law School Admission Test. But some outperform expectations. The National Jurist (reg. req.) developed a mathematical model to determine which schools most exceeded expectations for bar pass rates in 2009 and 2010, compared to…

Feb 21, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Suit by Law Student Claims Her School Negligently Admitted Her

A law student in Tennessee with $80,000 in education debt claims in a suit filed this week that her school should not have admitted her. The $750,000 suit by Morgan Crutchfield says Lincoln Memorial University accepted her even though she had not completed her undergraduate degree and will be ineligible…

Feb 17, 2012 12:30 PM CST

ABA Urges Accommodations for Disabled LSAT Test Takers

The ABA House of Delegates has jumped in to the debate over accommodations for students taking the Law School Admission Test. Resolution 111, which was approved by the policy-making body on Monday, urges entities that administer law school admission tests to provide appropriate accommodations for test-takers with disabilities. The resolution…

Feb 6, 2012 9:31 PM CST

ABA Urges Easier Bar Admission for Lawyers Who Are Military Spouses

Military spouses who are also lawyers have unique needs when forced to move frequently, and bar officials should accommodate them, according to a resolution passed unanimously on Monday by the ABA House of Delegates. Resolution 108 urges state and local bar admission authorities to offer accommodations for these lawyers that…

Feb 6, 2012 9:12 PM CST

Law School Offers Free 7th Semester of Study to Some Students, If They Postpone Taking July Bar Exam

One might think that a New York law school’s offer to cover the cost of a seventh semester of legal education for struggling third-year students would be seen as a positive. But some are complaining that the move is intended to benefit City University of New York School of Law,…

Feb 3, 2012 10:38 PM CST

Lawyer Admits Stealing Case File, Got Law License Despite Prior Bomb-Threat Charge

A Massachusetts lawyer told a judge last Thursday that he should have heeded the advice of the state Board of Bar Examiners, which had warned him not to start a solo practice because of the stress it entailed. The board issued a law license for the lawyer, Ilya Ablavsky, even…

Jan 30, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Lawyer Who Backs Easier Bar Admission for Military Spouse JDs Is Contest Finalist

A lawyer who founded a support network for military spouses with law degrees is one of 30 finalists in a competition for military spouse of the year. Mary Reding, co-founder of the Military Spouse JD Network, is one of five finalists in a category for spouses of National Guard members.…

Jan 20, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Law Student Who Made Up Racial Profiling Claim Received His JD

Updated: A University of Virginia law student who admitted fabricating a racial profiling claim has received his law degree. The student, Johnathan Perkins, was acquitted of a university honor charge this summer by a jury of fellow students, report Above the Law, the Daily Progress and the Cavalier Daily. The…

Jan 18, 2012 2:16 PM CST

Want to Trim Costs of Legal Education? Allow Undergrad Law Degrees, Law Prof Says

A law professor and a BigLaw lawyer have a solution to the high cost of legal education: Allow would-be lawyers to take the bar exam after obtaining an undergraduate law degree. Northwestern University law professor John McGinnis and Kirkland & Ellis associate Russell Mangas outline their proposal in an opinion…

Jan 18, 2012 1:53 PM CST

Longtime Legal Assistant Bypasses Law School, Passes the Bar

Jennifer O’Brien is now a California lawyer, even though she never attended law school. O’Brien had worked for 15 years as a legal assistant to lawyer Chris Neary in Willits, Calif., before taking the bar exam for the first time this summer, the Willits News reports. In November, O’Brien learned…

Jan 6, 2012 2:19 PM CST

Alleged Cheater Loses Suit Challenging ‘Copy Analysis’ of Her Bar Exam

A would-be lawyer has lost an appeal challenging a decision to toss her 2009 bar exam results for alleged cheating. Rose Dewitt had claimed she was denied due process when the New York State Board of Law Examiners nullified the results based on a “copy analysis” by a professor who…

Jan 3, 2012 4:40 PM CST