July 10, 2023
Bloomberg Law
By: Joshua Sohn, Robert A. Mantel, Shauneida C. Navarrete, Mark D. Lee
According to Partner Joshua Sohn, Special Counsels Robert A. Mantel and Shauneida C. Navarrete and Associate Mark D. Lee, it’s time for the American Bar Association (ABA) and law schools to consider removing the LSAT from admission requirements, saying it doesn’t accurately measure student ability to excel in law practice.
In an article appearing in Bloomberg Law, they say given that 5% of active lawyers in the US are Black, 5% are Asian, 6% are Latino, and very few lawyers come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, a lack of confidence in the fairness of the American justice system and the call for more diversity isn’t entirely surprising.
What they find surprising is the ABA’s refusal to allow law schools discretion about whether to require standardized tests—specifically the Law School Admission Test—despite its demonstrated disparate impact on all these populations.
They observe that by striking down affirmative action admissions policies, the U.S. Supreme Court has just made it more difficult for law schools to achieve educational equity and produce a diverse new generation of lawyers. Taking a critical look at standardized tests like the LSAT may be one of the best tools left to address the legal profession’s diversity problem.
Read the full article here.
July 10, 2023
Bloomberg Law
By: Joshua Sohn, Robert A. Mantel, Shauneida C. Navarrete, Mark D. Lee
According to Partner Joshua Sohn, Special Counsels Robert A. Mantel and Shauneida C. Navarrete and Associate Mark D. Lee, it’s time for the American Bar Association (ABA) and law schools to consider removing the LSAT from admission requirements, saying it doesn’t accurately measure student ability to excel in law practice.
In an article appearing in Bloomberg Law, they say given that 5% of active lawyers in the US are Black, 5% are Asian, 6% are Latino, and very few lawyers come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, a lack of confidence in the fairness of the American justice system and the call for more diversity isn’t entirely surprising.
What they find surprising is the ABA’s refusal to allow law schools discretion about whether to require standardized tests—specifically the Law School Admission Test—despite its demonstrated disparate impact on all these populations.
They observe that by striking down affirmative action admissions policies, the U.S. Supreme Court has just made it more difficult for law schools to achieve educational equity and produce a diverse new generation of lawyers. Taking a critical look at standardized tests like the LSAT may be one of the best tools left to address the legal profession’s diversity problem.
Read the full article here.
