American Bar Association Considers Dropping LSAT Requirement
Reuters | Karen Sloan
The American Bar Association is considering dropping the LSAT as a requirement (or any standardized test) for law school admissions. The decision will be put to a vote in May 2022.
In 2018, when a similar measure was considered, “Supporters of the LSAT requirement argued then that eliminating it would disadvantage weaker students, because the test is designed to gauge first year law school performance…. The Law School Admission Council, the nonprofit that designs and administers the LSAT, made a similar point in a statement—’Studies show test-optional policies often work against minoritized individuals…’ The LSAC added…that it can significantly promote diversity when used in a holistic review of applicants.”
“Others have countered that the dominance of the LSAT hurts efforts to diversify legal education and the legal profession. Studies have shown significant disparity in LSAT scores across racial groups. A 2019 study found the average score for Black LSAT takers was 142, compared to 153 for white and Asian test takers.”
