American Bar Association Pauses Plan to Eliminate LSAT

When last we wrote, we told you about how the American Bar Association (ABA) had voted to keep the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) requirements for attending Law School. The ABA’s House of Delegates voted in favor of the requirements in disagreement with the ABA’s Council of Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (CSLEAB). According to ABA guidelines, ABA’s CSLEAB could still vote to eliminate the testing requirements without the approval of the House of Delegates after two votes. 

This week, the CSLEAB has announced that they are reconsidering their push to eliminate the testing requirements. According to William Adams, the ABA’s Managing Director of Accreditation and Legal Education, the reconsideration allows the ABA “[T]o be sensitive and responsive to the concerns raised by law school deans and other stakeholders.”

Proponents of eliminating testing requirements argue that the LSAT creates a barrier for minority test takers. A 2019 study found that the average score for Black LSAT takers is 142 compared to the 153 average test score for white and Asian takers. Opponents of the elimination, however, argue that the elimination of test scores actually makes the process more unfair. Without measurable metrics, such as testing requirements, law schools will put more emphasis on subjective matters such as prestige of an applicant’s undergraduate college. 

As it stands now, Law Schools are allowed to admit up to 10% of students without test scores. Last month, a group of 125 law school deans introduced a proposal to change that number to admit up to 25% of students without test scores to test the waters in expanding access to law schools. 

We will continue to update you as this story progresses. In the meantime, if you need help in preparing for the LSAT, reach out to Ivy Link below. We offer one-on-one tutoring and test prep services, as well as advising on law school admissions.