The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has initiated a three-month public consultation to gather opinions on proposed revisions to the definition of academic legal training and handling consequential waivers and exemptions. The BSB aims to simplify the existing rules governing the academic component of Bar training to better align with objectives of maintaining high standards, flexibility,…
AI is increasingly important in law firms, but does it have a place in law schools?
In the legal profession, the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT remains uncertain. Law schools and faculty members are currently grappling with the decision of whether to allow students to use these AI applications in their coursework. While AI is already deeply integrated into legal practice, generative AI goes beyond traditional tools…
New US legal admissions pipeline helps initially rejected applicants to become law students
In the US 22 law schools have developed a new admissions pipeline, ‘LexPostBacc’, specifically for prospective students who were initially rejected during the admissions process. This year-long program offered by these law schools aims to prepare aspiring lawyers, particularly minorities candidates, for the rigors of legal education. Participants must either be from an underrepresented ethnic…
The National Requirement Review Committee of Canada is conducting a review of National Requirements.
The National Requirement Review Committee (NRRC) is conducting a comprehensive review of the National Requirement, which specifies the knowledge and skills required for graduates of Canadian law school programs and internationally trained graduates and lawyers to be admitted to law society admission programs in the Canadian common law jurisdictions. The NRRC has received input from…
American Bar Association publishes bar exam pass data by ethnicity and gender
The Managing Director’s Office of the ABA Section of Legal Education has released the newest set of bar exam pass data aggregated by race, ethnicity and gender. The data from ABA approved law schools provides ultimate and first time pass grades. The charts, which are incorporated into the section’s Legal Education Statistics, include aggregate data in nine…
One year into the Solicitors Qualifying Exam in England and Wales shows good progress is being made
Introduced in September 2021, the Solicitors Qualifying Exam has reformed how solicitors qualify in England and Wales. Reports into the first year shows that good progress has been made in implementation of the assessment. More than 3000 candidates across 42 countries have so far sat the exam, with the SQE Independent Reviewer Report concluding that…
I Think I Can: How Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulation Impacts Black and Latinx Bar Examinees
This study examined experiences of bar exam takers of color who passed on either the first or the second time. The theories of self-efficacy and self-regulation served as a conceptual framework for this study and were used to shape the interview questions as well as the data analysis. Eight participants were interviewed who graduated from…
The Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education is engaging with stakeholders to identify potential skill gaps in those recently called to the bar.
The Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) is attempting to enhance and evolve the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) so as to be recognized as a “best-in-class” Bar admission program. To achieve this, CPLED is engaging with key stakeholders to gather information on potential skill gaps in lawyers who have been called to the Bar in the last…
NOvA, the Dutch Bar, has extended the subsidy for trainee lawyers working in social law firms
NOvA, the Dutch Bar, has extended the subsidy scheme for trainee lawyers working in socially- minded law firms. The scheme was first introduced in 2020 and reached its full allocation, with 175 lawyers making use of it. The scheme finances the training costs of lawyers seeking to work in a socially based law firm. The…
The US National Conference of Bar Examiners holds consultation on exam content for the new bar entrance exams
The National Conference of Bar Examiners has sought the input of the US legal market as it continues its plans to implement a new bar entrance exam. The new exam will place greater emphasis on essential lawyering skills while decreasing the number of legal subjects tested. The proposed changes are the result of an effort…