Today we’re introducing a new monthly series on this blog in which we’ll bring you some of the latest, more important news about the law school admissions process and legal education from media outlets across the world. And as you probably know, this has been an especially busy few weeks in this sphere! Here’s what’s going on:
Law school and legal education are at a crossroads – we knew that and you knew that. And because of some recent comments by President Barack Obama, more and more of the general public knows it now too. His suggestion that law school could be shortened to two years from three years as a way to help students save money got a lot of attention, including in The Wall Street Journal – to The New York Times – to one of the largest student newspapers in the country, the University of Florida’s Independent Florida Alligator.
And speaking of two year programs, New York Law School has become the latest JD program to launch an accelerated program. Important distinction – as you know, accelerated programs don’t cut the hours of coursework. They simply condense it all into two years, which means no real summer vacations. It’s not for everyone, but it’s something that may work for some of your students. Read more in Crain’s New York Business.
Most students looking to enroll in law school in the immediately following fall take the LSAT in October and December. Some late starters or those who want to try to raise their score one more time take it in February. But now it seems more and more law schools are accepting LSAT scores from June! This will be a trend to watch. The National Law Journal reports.
Even as most law schools around the country feel the enrollment pinch of dropping LSAT administrations, George Washington Law School reported an enrollment surge of 22% this year. How did they buck the trend? GW’s student newspaper The GW Hatchet reports.
You cannot think about going to law school without thinking about how to pay for it. Forbes reports that smaller applicant pools mean more financial aid for prospective law school students – and smartly, they are using this to their advantage. Key strategy: learn the art of the bargain!
