Legal Education

St. Thomas College of Law reinstates fired tenured professor, will start termination hearings

Updated: After firing a tenured professor in July, the St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law has reinstated her for the purpose of formally terminating her via the due process rights spelled out in the faculty handbook.

Aug 29, 2024 10:22 AM CDT

To address lawyer shortage, Indiana could fund scholarships, approve allied professionals, commission says

Indiana could help address an attorney shortage in underserved communities through law student scholarships and loan-repayment assistance, according to initial recommendations by the Indiana Supreme Court’s Commission on Indiana’s Legal Future.

Aug 28, 2024 9:04 AM CDT

Interest in law school is up, LSAC tallies show

More people are interested in attending law school, with the number of aspiring lawyers taking the Law School Admission Test up by 11.6% over last year and the number of applicants to law schools up 5.7%

Aug 27, 2024 11:19 AM CDT

Tenured professor sues St. Thomas College of Law after firing

Updated: A tenured professor filed a civil lawsuit against the St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County after being fired, claiming she did not receive due process in violation of her contract.

Aug 21, 2024 11:20 AM CDT

4 of 5 modern lawyer presidents graduated from T-14 law schools; Harris wouldn’t be in that group if elected

Updated: Vice President Kamala Harris would be the second modern president with a law degree from a school outside the top 14 if she is elected in November.

Aug 20, 2024 8:50 AM CDT

Legal Ed council broadens proposed accreditation standard addressing diversity

The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has proposed reframing a contentious law school accreditation standard that encourages diversity to instead focus on achieving “access to legal education and the profession” for all qualified aspiring lawyers.

Aug 16, 2024 4:35 PM CDT

California signs deal with Kaplan for bar exam with plan for potential copyright issues

Despite concerns about copyright issues, the State Bar of California and Kaplan Exam Services signed an agreement allowing the company best known for test prep to create multiple-choice, essays and performance test questions for a California Bar Exam for use starting in February 2025.

Aug 15, 2024 2:52 PM CDT

Racial disparities in law school applicants remain, AccessLex Institute says

Racial disparities among law school applicants persist, according to the AccessLex Institute’s Legal Education Data Deck.

Aug 15, 2024 9:36 AM CDT

Golden Gate Law students and alums race to court to keep school open

“The court hearing is set for Sept. 13, but I plan to request to have the date shortened,” Ryan Griffith, attorney for the alums and students, and an adjunct professor at and graduate of the Golden Gate University School of Law, told the ABA Journal via email.

Aug 14, 2024 12:16 PM CDT

Tests into and out of law schools—what’s changing and why

Not much can strike more terror into the hearts of aspiring lawyers than the LSAT and the bar exam. Right now, these tests are having a moment.

Aug 14, 2024 8:49 AM CDT

5th Circuit nixes ‘general, exploratory rummaging’ of location data to find suspects

A federal appeals court's decision Friday on the constitutionality of geofence warrants has “case-of-the-year importance,” according to a law professor's blog post.

Aug 13, 2024 10:58 AM CDT

Is the National Conference of Bar Examiners losing power?

As the National Conference of Bar Examiners sunsets the Uniform Bar Exam in 2028, other pathways to practice outside of its exam offerings are emerging, leaving some to question the NCBE’s hold on controlling licensure.

Aug 13, 2024 9:35 AM CDT

How is AI affecting courts and law practice? ABA task force report has answers

Do the Federal Rules of Evidence have to be changed to address issues created by artificial intelligence? That is one of several issues addressed by the ABA Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence in a report on AI’s impact on the practice of law released Monday.

Aug 8, 2024 9:38 AM CDT

Victims of sex assault should not have to disclose it when applying for bar admission, House says

Bar applicants should not have to disclose a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment or stalking, the ABA House of Delegates said Tuesday.

Aug 6, 2024 1:05 PM CDT

Misconduct complaint tossed against federal judges who pledged not to hire clerks from Columbia

Federal judges didn’t violate ethical rules by refusing to hire law clerks from Columbia University or Columbia Law School, according to a review panel of the judicial council of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans.

Aug 6, 2024 10:19 AM CDT