Law Schools

Number of LSAT tests administered jumps nearly 8 percent; is optimism or scheduling the reason?

The number of LSAT tests administered in December increased 7.6 percent over December of last year, according to figures released by the Law School Admission Council. The increase is the largest year-over-year growth in administration of the tests since December 2009, according to Russell Schaffer, senior communications manager for Kaplan…

Jan 18, 2017 2:09 PM CST

More law schools should consolidate, writes former dean

There aren’t enough jobs for new lawyers, and the ones that are available don’t provide a “return on investment,” which leads to fewer people attending law school, writes Frank H. Wu, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of Law who served as its dean and chancellor from…

Jan 18, 2017 1:30 PM CST

Teach-out plan for Charlotte School of Law in the works

Updated: Charlotte School of Law will file a teach-out plan, which the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar will review, managing director Barry A. Currier told the ABA Journal on Tuesday.

Jan 17, 2017 2:00 PM CST

Department of Education flags 5 law schools’ debt-to-income ratios, including 3 in InfiLaw System

Two for-profit law schools are not meeting the U.S. Department of Education’s gainful employment standard, which measures debt-to-earnings ratios, the agency reported Monday. If Florida Coastal School of Law and Charleston School of Law fail the gainful employment standard again next year, they lose access to federal student aid, the…

Jan 11, 2017 5:30 PM CST

Charlotte School of Law students reportedly will receive loan money for spring semester

Updated: Spring semester student loan proceeds for Charlotte School of Law students will be disbursed, a school spokesperson told the ABA Journal on Tuesday. Students were informed Tuesday that the spring semester, previously announced as starting Jan 17, would begin Jan. 23 “to aid in a smooth transition.”

Jan 10, 2017 11:17 AM CST

Obama publishes a Harvard Law Review article on criminal justice reform

President Obama apparently found time to write a law review article as he wrapped up his presidency. Obama was once president of the Harvard Law Review, and he wrote an article published by the review on Thursday titled “The President’s Role in Advancing Criminal Justice Reform,” report Law.com (sub. req.),…

Jan 6, 2017 9:00 AM CST

Harvard law dean will leave her post

Harvard law dean Martha Minow will leave her post at the end of the academic year after serving since 2009. Minow says she will still teach, and will finish a book about law and alternative ways to resolve disputes, Law.com (sub. req.) reports. A press release is here, while TaxProf…

Jan 4, 2017 9:03 AM CST

Lynching cold cases are re-examined as law students compile archive

The document is more than 85 years old, handwritten and hard to read. Many death certificates from this period are ambiguous or euphemistic: The victim died from a “broken neck.” Not this one. The cause of death, recorded in loopy cursive, is “hanged by mob.” Robert Appleberry, 22 and known…

Jan 4, 2017 9:00 AM CST

Judge tosses consumer fraud claims against Arizona Summit Law School

A federal judge in Arizona has dismissed part of a lawsuit claiming the Arizona Summit Law School committed fraud by failing to report information about students admitted through an alternative program. U.S. District Judge Neil Wake tossed the claims of fraud, consumer fraud and misrepresentation in a Dec. 27 order…

Jan 3, 2017 3:32 PM CST

Law students offer free legal services to help transgender people change their names

In July, John Marshall Law School’s Pro Bono Program & Clinic launched the Name & Gender Marker Change Project, through which students help transgender people navigate federal, state and local laws to obtain corrected passports, licenses and other documents.

Jan 1, 2017 2:50 AM CST

Conflicting views on proposal to link accreditation to bar passage results

No ABA-accredited law school has ever been out of compliance with a standard regarding bar passage percentages, and that may indicate that the standard is not working well. The ABA House of Delegates is expected to consider a proposal to revise the standard.

Jan 1, 2017 1:10 AM CST

Students file $5 million class action against Charlotte School of Law

Updated: Two students filed a $5 million class action lawsuit Friday against Charlotte School of Law and its parent company, Infilaw. The complaint (PDF) accuses the law school of engaging in misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty and constructive fraud. The filing follows the U.S. Department of Education announcement…

Dec 23, 2016 1:00 PM CST

Reinventing Professionals: Where is the legal industry headed in 2017?

Ari Kaplan talks to a panel of industry leaders in a virtual roundtable about where the legal industry is headed and advice for navigating prospective 2017 challenges. They include: • Laura Broomell, COO of Greene Espel, and president of the Association of Legal Administrators • Ray English, assistant dean for…

Dec 23, 2016 7:30 AM CST

Law prof who wore blackface violated school’s anti-discrimination policies, report finds

An University of Oregon law professor who wore blackface to a Halloween party violated the school’s anti-discrimination policies, according to an administrative investigation report released Wednesday. Scott Coltrane, the school’s provost, in a statement wrote that Nancy Shurtz didn’t “demonstrate ill intent” with her costume choice. Shurtz claims that her…

Dec 22, 2016 2:34 PM CST

Charlotte School of Law students express anger at school, circulate petition for free tuition

Updated: Following the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that it’s cutting off federal student financial aid at Infilaw System’s Charlotte School of Law in North Carolina, students say they’re scrambling to figure out what they’ll do next. They blame the for-profit law school—which in November was found to be out…

Dec 22, 2016 12:35 PM CST