ABA Moves Closer To Ending LSAT Requirement For Law Schools

Reuters, ABA Moves Closer to Ending LSAT Requirement For Law Schools:

Capping years of debate and a deluge of public comments, the American Bar Association is poised to do away with its longtime requirement that law schools use standardized admissions tests such as the Law School Admission Test.

The ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar is scheduled to vote Nov. 18 on a proposal that would eliminate the testing mandate from its law school accreditation standards. A key committee on Friday recommended it take that step. ...

The Law School Admission Council, which makes the LSAT, has repeatedly defended the testing requirement, saying it serves a consumer protection function for applicants who might not be ready to handle the rigors of law school, but could incur heavy debt attending.

Reached Monday, a spokesman for the Law School Admission Council cited a comment signed by 60 law deans that said ending the testing requirement could harm the goal of diversifying the legal profession.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• New York Times, ABA May Eliminate Standardized Tests For Law School Admissions (May 7, 2022)
• Wall Street Journal, ABA Council Votes To Advance Proposal Permitting Law Schools To Go Test Optional. What Are The Implications Of Admitting Students Who Don't Take The LSAT Or GRE? (May 23, 2022)
• Newsweek, In Defense Of The LSAT (May 28, 2022)
• Inside Higher Ed, The ABA Proposes Eliminating Standardized Tests For Law School Admissions (June 16, 2022)
• Law.com, So Far, Public Comments Largely Support ABA Proposal To Make Law School Admission Tests Optional (June 22, 2022)
• Wall Street Journal, The LSAT And Other Standardized Tests Are Good For Diversity (July 25, 2022)
• Law.com, ABA Gaining Public Support In Proposal To Make Law School Admission Tests Optional (Aug. 3, 2022)
• ABA Journal, ABA Loosens Distance Learning Accreditation Standard; Council Withdraws Diversity Proposal After Public Criticism (Aug. 9, 2022)
• Higher Ed Dive, More On The ABA's Proposal To Make Law School Admission Tests Optional (Aug. 27, 2022)
• ABA, Over 100 Comments On Proposal To Make Law School Admission Tests Optional (Sept. 5, 2022)
• Letter, Sixty Deans Oppose The ABA's Proposal To Make Law School Admission Tests Optional (Sept. 2, 2022)
• Law.com, As ABA Deadline Ends, More Than 100 Public Comments Highlight Split Over Law School Admissions Test Requirement  (Sept. 7, 2022)
• Inside Higher Ed, If ABA Makes LSAT Optional, Will U.S. News Follow Its College Rankings Approach: Reduce Weight Given LSAT Medians (11.25%), Punish Schools (15% Reduction) With < 50% Test-Takers? (Sept. 14, 2022)