- ABA Takes a Stand- As reported by The National Law Journal, the ABA has announced that it will be “drafting a rule spelling out consequences for law schools that intentionally falsify jobs data, possibly including monetary fines or the loss of accreditation.” The organization had already planned on gathering employment data directly from law schools instead of through the NALP, but will this movement have any impact (especially with the focus solely on job data and less on admissions data)? Steven Harper is skeptical—he writes for American Lawyer that “this one-school-at-a-time approach misses the larger targets. Along with many law schools’ dubious sales tactics, the ABA itself has contributed to the chronic oversupply of lawyers.” Harper suggests a “larger strategy,” that results in prospective law students obtaining more accurate and thorough information at the beginning of the process. Meanwhile, an article in the National Jurist proposes that the issue is less likely a falsification of the employment data, but rather the “integrity of the data collection process itself.” The article thus advocates an ABA-NALP partnership, which would “bring the greatest level of accountability.”
- No More Lending for Law School Loan Provider- According to The National Law Journal, Access Group Inc., the largest single law school loan provider, is no longer offering new loans and losing most of its staff. Through the federal Health Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, the U.S. Department of Education is now the “sole provider of federally guaranteed student loans.” While this affects new students, those who already have loans through Access Group, including graduates repaying their loans, shouldn’t be affected.
- New J.D,/M.D. Program at Indiana- The Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis is now offering a joint law and medical degree program in conjunction with the Indiana University School of Medicine, the National Jurist reports. Students can complete the program in six years, and can either begin with law school or medical school. This new program can only enhance Indiana’s 92.1-percent employment rate for graduates.
- You Might Want to Rethink that Status Update- Better go check your Facebook profile. In a Kaplan Test Prep survey, 37 percent of law school respondents admitted to checking applicants out through social networking sites (versus 22 percent of business school respondents). Plus, 32 percent of these admissions officers have discovered something that “negatively impacted a student’s admissions chances,” U.S. News reports. While admissions officers at Michigan Law claim they have not made admissions decisions based solely on social media, there have been instances when information reported on an application contradicts what is found online. Regardless, it’s best to keep your social media profile clean, or at least adjust your privacy settings accordingly.
- Chicago Focuses its Energy on Law and Economics- The University of Chicago School of Law has launched an initiative called Law and Economics 2.0, which includes: “the formation of a formal Institute for Law and Economics; a joint J.D./Ph.D. program intended to produce faculty well-versed in the law and economics; a number of joint faculty appointments in the university’s economics department and law school; and a series of internationally focused conferences and collaborations with legal educators and judges outside the United States,” according to The National Law Journal. Funding for the initiative comes from the university, law school, and a future fundraising campaign. The school will also add three more clinics, and is offering one or two students free tuition and a stipend each year to work toward the J.D./Ph.D.
- Best Firms for Summer Associates- Gibson Dunn in Los Angeles has the best summer associate program, according to the American Lawyer Summer Associates Survey, the National Jurist reports. Second and third place went to Dickstein Shapiro in Washington, D.C. and Bingham McCutchen nationwide, respectively. The rankings consider scores in nine areas, such as the associates’ desire to accept a job offer and interest level of the work.
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