Update From the Managing Director: Six-Month Reflections

Jennifer Rosato Perea
Managing Director

Dear Section Members:

It is hard to believe that it has been six months since I started as Managing Director of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The time has flown by (which is a good thing!) and I have learned so much. As I have introduced myself to the legal education community in this new role, I have been so impressed by the dedication of those who I have had the honor of connecting with and learning from,  including ABA Section staff;  Council members; deans, associate deans and assistant deans; judges; affiliated organization leadership; on-line educators; law students; bar leaders and professional organizations. We have had important conversations regarding our respective roles to improve legal education and especially “to prepare…students, upon graduation, for admission to the bar and for effective, ethical, and responsible participation as members of the legal profession.” [Standard 301 (a)]. 

In addition to the day-to-day issues of accreditation and data collection and analysis, the staff and I have been reflecting on and improving in a few key areas:  communication, participation, and implementation.

First,  we have been enhancing regular communication with different constituencies, including:

• Sending emails to Deans/Associate Deans on a regular basis, especially following Council actions;
• Providing timely notice on upcoming changes;
• Participating in the monthly Deans Dialogue;
• Using a shared document (updated regularly) to address Annual Questionnaire (AQ) questions as they arise;
• Organizing website information in a more user-friendly way, including a dashboard related to recent Standards revisions: Timelines for In-Progress Revisions: ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools
• Mapping out the timing on when actions are needed by law schools, and communicating in advance of those actions (e.g., responding to the AQ)

Second, we are considering the ways that we include meaningful participation in advance of Council actions.  The primary way the Council ensures participation of all constituencies is the Notice and Comment period.  Before the Standards Committee recommends or the Council makes any revisions to the Standards, they carefully review and consider all comments that are received. For example, a revised version of Standard 206 is in the notice and comment period, until January 6, 2024, and instructions for filing a comment are here: November 2024 Memo for Notice and Comment for Standard 206.

We enhance this Notice and Comment process, where appropriate, with roundtables that bring together a variety of perspectives to discuss a particular issue. For example, in October the Data Policy and Collection Committee (DPC) convened a roundtable on whether to continue to collect and publish the median LSAT and median UGPA.  Following this roundtable with various perspectives and robust discussion, the DPC decided to continue to collect and publish this information. 

Other ways that we receive additional input for Council decisions include discussion in open session meetings with affiliate organizations; our advisory groups related to data and employment reporting; focus group discussions; research (provided by others or internally); and surveys. Recently, we had a deans focus group to discuss Standard 503 and had affiliate organizations discuss issues related to accrediting fully on-line law schools. And the Council itself—by design and to comply with Department of Education regulations—includes a range of perspectives of deans and legal educators, judges, practitioners, and public members. See Section Bylaws, Article IV, Section 3.

Third, we are finding ways to assist schools with implementing the standards with more clarity and less burden where possible. We are reviewing the guidance memos to determine where they may need updating or additional guidance; we are discussing common issues that arise in site reviews that may benefit from clarification; and the DPC is reviewing the AQ to ensure that the AQ efficiently tracks the Standards (including our obligation to provide consumer information) in the least burdensome way for schools.

As I continue on my “listen and learn” tour this year, I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions about participation, communication, and implementation. And you can also email me anytime at [email protected].

Have a joyous and peaceful holiday season!