Updates to Standards and Rules

(8/29/12) Amendments to Standard 509 (Consumer Information), Rule 176 (Sanctions), and Foreign Program Criteria

Law Schools Undergoing Accreditation Site Visits in Fall 2012

(7/31/2012) Written comments should be sent to: Shirley Gonzalez American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar 321 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654-7598 shirley.gonzalez@americanbar.org

Atlanta's John Marshall Law School
Belmont University College of Law
University of California-Irvine, School of Law
Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law
University of Georgia School of Law
University of Nevada-Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law
Oklahoma City University College of Law
Regent University School of Law
Samford University Cumberland School of Law
University of Tennessee College of Law
Washington University School of Law

Provisional Approval Granted to the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth School of Law

(6/12/12) The Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, at its meeting on June 8-9, 2012, granted provisional ABA approval to University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth School of Law.

Notice: University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth School of Law Granted Provisional Approval

Notice and Comment: Standard 509-Basic Consumer Information

(3/20/12) At its March 16-17, 2012, meeting the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar approved for Notice and Comment proposed revisions to Standard 509: Basic Consumer Information.

The proposed revisions are attached here and published on the Section’s website: www.americanbar.org/legaled.

The proposed revised Standard 509 mandates that all consumer information that a law school reports, publicizes or distributes must be complete, accurate and not misleading to a reasonable law school student or applicant, and specifically states that violations of the Standard may result in sanctions under Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools. The proposal delineates information that schools must disclose on their websites concerning employment outcomes of graduates. In addition, the proposal requires schools to disclose conditional scholarship retention data on their websites and to distribute this information to all applicants being offered conditional scholarships.

The proposed revision to Rule 16 of the Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools provides that the sanctions of probation and removal from the list of approved law schools may be imposed even where a school is in compliance with the Standards at the time sanctions are imposed.

These changes clarify the obligations of schools with respect to the reporting and publication of consumer information and strengthen the range of sanctions that may be imposed for violations of the Standard. The changes align employment outcomes disclosure requirements with the reporting requirements previously approved by the Council upon recommendation by the Questionnaire Committee. The changes also mandate disclosure of conditional scholarship renewal data to assure that prospective conditional scholarship recipients are fully informed as to the terms of the scholarship being offered.

We solicit and encourage written comments on the proposed change by letter or e-mail. A hearing on these proposed changes is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at the American Bar Association, 321 N. Clark St., 21st floor, Chicago, IL 60654. Please address written comments on the proposal and requests to speak at the hearing to JR Clark, Paralegal, at our Chicago office or at jr.clark@americanbar.org. Comments should be submitted no later than Friday, April 27, 2012.

Provisional Approval Granted to the University of La Verne College of Law

(3/26/12) The Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, at its meeting on March 16-17, 2012, granted provisional ABA approval to the University of La Verne College of Law (Irvine, CA).

Amendments to ABA Accreditation Standards

(2/10/12) At its February 6, 2012 meeting, the ABA House of Delegates concurred with the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar by voting in support of changes to the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools. These changes became effective immediately. Tell me more

ABA SECTION OF LEGAL EDUCATION AND ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR IMPROVES COLLECTION, PUBLICATION OF JOB PLACEMENT DATA

CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2011 — The Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has approved significant changes in the section’s collection and publication of graduate placement data provided by law schools. The changes are meant to enhance the accuracy, timeliness, completeness and specificity of the data.

The Council's actions will expand the level of detail law schools must report to the ABA, refine the definitions of reporting categories, and accelerate the timetable on which the data will be published by the ABA.

The changes, recommended by the section's Questionnaire Committee and adopted by the Council, require the following:

Law schools will be required to report placement data (nine months after graduation) directly to the section. This will help ensure the accuracy of the data, and permit its expedited publication. (In the past, this information was reported only to the National Association of Law Placement, which aggregated the data for individual graduates of each school, and sent a report to the schools that was then reported to the ABA in its Annual Questionnaire.)

Information on placement data will be posted online the year after it is collected. Data on a specific class, for example 2011, will be published in the summer of the following year (2012), as opposed to two years later.

Information will be more detailed and complete. The changes expand and refine the data reported by law schools. Law schools must report for each graduate:

Employment status (employed, unemployed/seeking, unemployed/not seeking, pursuing graduate degree full-time, unknown);

Employment type (law firm, business, government, public interest, clerkship, academia);

Employment location;

Salary;

Whether a position is short or long term;

Whether a position is funded by the school itself.

Going forward, schools will also report on employment type:

Bar passage required;

J.D. advantage;

Other professional/nonprofessional;

Full time or part time.

"There should be no doubt that the section is fully committed to the clarity and accuracy of law school placement data," said New England Law/Boston Dean John O'Brien, chair of the section. "As a result of these changes, future law students will be better informed about the prospects for employment than ever before."

To become accredited, law schools must comply with each of the Standards for Approval of Law Schools. Standard 509 requires that law schools publish basic consumer information, including placement data: “The information shall be published in a fair and accurate manner reflective of actual practice.” The ABA relies on law schools to provide fair and accurate information, which the ABA publishes for use by prospective students. A more detailed letter regarding the announced changes is available here.

The Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and its Accreditation Committee are both recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) as the only federal accreditors for programs leading to the first degree in law. In this function, the Section and its Council are separate and independent of the ABA, as required by DOE regulations.

ABA Journal Article

Online

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law

(12/20/11) Notice to Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law on behalf of Hulett H. Askew, Consultant on Legal Education to the American Bar Association. [Memo to Lincoln Memorial]

Comments Invited for Law Schools Scheduled for Accreditation Site Visits in Spring 2012

(12/12/11) Pursuant to the U.S. Department of Education recognition criteria, the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar is required to give notice of, and solicit comments about, the law schools scheduled for upcoming site visits.

Interested parties wishing to comment on current compliance with accreditation Standards by law schools undergoing accreditation site visits during spring 2012 are encouraged to submit signed, written comments to the Office of the Consultant on Legal Education by January 15, 2012.

The following ABA-approved law schools are scheduled for accreditation site visits during spring 2012:

Boston College Law School
Brigham Young University
Brooklyn Law School
Chapman University
University of Chicago
University of Denver
Drake University
Florida A&M University
Florida Coastal School of Law
Harvard Law School
University of Mississippi
New York Law School
Quinnipiac University
Saint Louis University
St. Thomas University (Florida)
University of San Diego March 18-21
Southern Methodist University
University of Texas
Western State University
William Mitchell

Written comments should be sent to:

Shirley Gonzalez
American Bar Association
Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
M.S. 21.2
321 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654-7598
shirley.gonzalez@americanbar.org

Note: Your comments must be signed. Comments, with the signatures redacted, may be provided to the law school and to members of the site team reviewing the law school. Only comments directly related to the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools will be considered.

Update on Job Placement Data

Recent commentary on the reporting of graduate placement data by law schools has raised questions about how the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar manages the collection and publication of such data. The Section has released a statement to clarify its role in this regard. Tell me more

Accreditation News

Notice and Comment: Rule 3. Accreditation Committee Consideration

House of Delegates concurs in amendments to Standard 105, Standard 306, Rule 20, Rule 24, and the addition of Standard 512.

House of Delegates concurs in amendments to Standard 509, Rule 10, Rule 22, and Rule 24

Communications from the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar relating to Council determinations regarding the accreditation status of the following schools is now available:

University of La Verne School of Law

Final Council Decision Regarding the University of La Verne College of Law

The University of La Verne College of Law Response Regarding Submission of Comments

The University of La Verne College of Law Denial of Full Approval

Other Council Decisions

Villanova University School of Law Public Censure

Charlotte School of Law Granted Full Approval

Elon University School of Law Granted Full Approval

University of California-Irvine, School of Law Granted Provisional Approval

ABA Accreditation Changes

At its June 10 - 11, 2011 meeting the Council of the Section considered and approved the following proposals for Notice and Comment:

new Standard 512 Student Complaints

amendment to Standard 306 Distance Education

amendment to Rule 24 Complaints

The proposed changes are attached here and are published on the Section's website.

For questions, contact Becky Stretch, Assistant Consultant.

Provisional Approval Granted to the University of La Verne College of Law

(3/26/12) The Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, at its meeting on March 16-17, 2012, granted provisional ABA approval to the University of La Verne College of Law (Irvine, CA).

Amendments to ABA Accreditation Standards

(2/10/12) At its February 6, 2012 meeting, the ABA House of Delegates concurred with the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar by voting in support of changes to the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools. These changes became effective immediately. Tell me more

ABA SECTION OF LEGAL EDUCATION AND ADMISSIONS TO THE BAR IMPROVES COLLECTION, PUBLICATION OF JOB PLACEMENT DATA

CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2011 — The Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has approved significant changes in the section’s collection and publication of graduate placement data provided by law schools. The changes are meant to enhance the accuracy, timeliness, completeness and specificity of the data.

The Council's actions will expand the level of detail law schools must report to the ABA, refine the definitions of reporting categories, and accelerate the timetable on which the data will be published by the ABA.

The changes, recommended by the section's Questionnaire Committee and adopted by the Council, require the following:

Law schools will be required to report placement data (nine months after graduation) directly to the section. This will help ensure the accuracy of the data, and permit its expedited publication. (In the past, this information was reported only to the National Association of Law Placement, which aggregated the data for individual graduates of each school, and sent a report to the schools that was then reported to the ABA in its Annual Questionnaire.)

Information on placement data will be posted online the year after it is collected. Data on a specific class, for example 2011, will be published in the summer of the following year (2012), as opposed to two years later.

Information will be more detailed and complete. The changes expand and refine the data reported by law schools. Law schools must report for each graduate:

Employment status (employed, unemployed/seeking, unemployed/not seeking, pursuing graduate degree full-time, unknown);

Employment type (law firm, business, government, public interest, clerkship, academia);

Employment location;

Salary;

Whether a position is short or long term;

Whether a position is funded by the school itself.

Going forward, schools will also report on employment type:

Bar passage required;

J.D. advantage;

Other professional/nonprofessional;

Full time or part time.

"There should be no doubt that the section is fully committed to the clarity and accuracy of law school placement data," said New England Law/Boston Dean John O'Brien, chair of the section. "As a result of these changes, future law students will be better informed about the prospects for employment than ever before."

To become accredited, law schools must comply with each of the Standards for Approval of Law Schools. Standard 509 requires that law schools publish basic consumer information, including placement data: “The information shall be published in a fair and accurate manner reflective of actual practice.” The ABA relies on law schools to provide fair and accurate information, which the ABA publishes for use by prospective students. A more detailed letter regarding the announced changes is available here.

The Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and its Accreditation Committee are both recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) as the only federal accreditors for programs leading to the first degree in law. In this function, the Section and its Council are separate and independent of the ABA, as required by DOE regulations.

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law

(12/20/11) Notice to Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law on behalf of Hulett H. Askew, Consultant on Legal Education to the American Bar Association. [Memo to Lincoln Memorial]

Comments Invited for Law Schools Scheduled for Accreditation Site Visits in Spring 2012

(12/12/11) Pursuant to the U.S. Department of Education recognition criteria, the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar is required to give notice of, and solicit comments about, the law schools scheduled for upcoming site visits.

Interested parties wishing to comment on current compliance with accreditation Standards by law schools undergoing accreditation site visits during spring 2012 are encouraged to submit signed, written comments to the Office of the Consultant on Legal Education by January 15, 2012.

The following ABA-approved law schools are scheduled for accreditation site visits during spring 2012:

Boston College Law School
Brigham Young University
Brooklyn Law School
Chapman University
University of Chicago
University of Denver
Drake University
Florida A&M University
Florida Coastal School of Law
Harvard Law School
University of Mississippi
New York Law School
Quinnipiac University
Saint Louis University
St. Thomas University (Florida)
University of San Diego March 18-21
Southern Methodist University
University of Texas
Western State University
William Mitchell

Written comments should be sent to:

Shirley Gonzalez
American Bar Association
Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
M.S. 21.2
321 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654-7598
shirley.gonzalez@americanbar.org

Note: Your comments must be signed. Comments, with the signatures redacted, may be provided to the law school and to members of the site team reviewing the law school. Only comments directly related to the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools will be considered.

Update on Job Placement Data

Recent commentary on the reporting of graduate placement data by law schools has raised questions about how the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar manages the collection and publication of such data. The Section has released a statement to clarify its role in this regard. Tell me more

Accreditation News

Notice and Comment: Rule 3. Accreditation Committee Consideration
House of Delegates concurs in amendments to Standard 105, Standard 306, Rule 20, Rule 24, and the addition of Standard 512.
House of Delegates concurs in amendments to Standard 509, Rule 10, Rule 22, and Rule 24

Communications from the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar relating to Council determinations regarding the accreditation status of the following schools is now available:

University of La Verne School of Law

Other Council Decisions

Villanova University School of Law Public Censure
Charlotte School of Law Granted Full Approval
Elon University School of Law Granted Full Approval
University of California-Irvine, School of Law Granted Provisional Approval

ABA Accreditation Changes

At its June 10 - 11, 2011 meeting the Council of the Section considered and approved the following proposals for Notice and Comment:

new Standard 512 Student Complaints
amendment to Standard 306 Distance Education
amendment to Rule 24 Complaints

The proposed changes are attached here and are published on the Section's website.

For questions, contact Becky Stretch, Assistant Consultant.

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Updates from the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

Placement Data

Section of Legal Ed

December 5, 2012

Past Announcements