On 2 May 2025, the Standards Committee of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar issued a memo recommending that enforcement of Standard 206, which governs diversity and inclusion in law school accreditation, remain suspended until 31 August 2026. This recommendation comes ahead of the Section’s Council meeting scheduled…
California scraps new bar exam for July, adjusts scores on February test
On 6 May 2025, Reuters reported on California’s bar exam, highlighting the fallout from the state’s failed attempt to implement a new licensing format. The California Supreme Court has ordered the cancellation of the state’s newly developed bar exam for the July 2025 sitting, following significant issues during its February administration. The February exam, which…
California State Bar Board of Trustees approve updated law school accreditation rules
At its meeting on May 13, 2021, the California State Bar Board of Trustees adopted new accreditation rules for California accredited law schools. The new rules will come into effect on January 1st, 2022, with law schools required to demonstrate compliance by January 1, 2024, and are designed to incorporate best practices and provide a…
The End of Law Schools: Legal Education in the Era of Legal Service Businesses
Abstract Law school as most of us know it is doomed. Law school today – which is but a gloss on Langdell’s Harvard – attempts to prepare students to practice general law in an 1870s world. Students learn a bit about criminal law, a smattering of contracts, a little about torts, a smidgeon of property…
Law School as a Consumer Product: Beat ’em or Join ’em?
Abstract: With rising costs, pressure on performance metrics and competitive high-profile rankings, law schools are more than ever before being judged on a consumer satisfaction basis by both students and the public. While this perception has been growing over the past two decades, it has reached a crisis point in legal education. When students have…