If you're interested in pursuing a law degree, you know that the  

LSAT

  has long been considered the "gold standard" of law school admission. And it still is, for the most part. But some current developments suggest that the LSAT may not be mandatory at every school, and may not be mandatory forever.

Most recently, the University of Michigan announced that its law school will start admitting a small share of its students without LSAT scores. Michigan Law is no small school, of course -- it's ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 10 law schools in the country.

According to the school, the goal of the new Wolverine Scholars program is to attract more students from its home state of Michigan. The program is open only to University of Michigan undergrads with a GPA of at least 3.8.

A similar program exists at Georgetown University Law Center. Through Georgetown's Early Assurance Program, applicants are exempt from taking the LSAT. The goal is to encourage top Georgetown undergrads (3.8 minimum GPA) to apply to the Law Center.

Though these moves represent just a fraction of the students at two top law schools, one wonders if they could start a trend. Is it possible for law schools to make informed admissions decisions without the LSAT?

The Massachusetts School of Law thinks so. It has never required the LSAT and doesn't consider it in admissions even if an applicant has taken it. Instead, the school requires all applicants to be interviewed and to take an essay test it has developed. But because the law school does not consider LSAT scores, the American Bar Association (ABA) will not approve it. (The school is still accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.)

For now, most law schools seem to want to stay on the good side of the ABA and maintain their approved status. So study hard for the LSAT. But remember that there may come a day when standardized testing, even at the grad school level, is no longer the gold standard for admission.

Facebook | del.icio.us | Digg

About the author:


Sound Off! Post Your Comments




You are not currently logged on. Please login to add a comment.