At its May 2024 meeting, the Chair-Elect of the Council appointed a 503 working group to determine next steps for the Council on the proposed amendments to Standards 501/503 to remove the requirement of a standardized test. After reviewing research related to the requirement of a standardized test for law schools and meeting with a small group of law school deans in August 2024, the 503 Working Group deliberated and recommended that law schools be permitted to seek a variance under Rule 28, to admit students without requiring an admissions test score. The granting of these variances will allow the Council to effectively assess the impact of students admitted under such a variance by collecting data over 3-5 years, including first-year grades, academic attrition, and academic support.
The Working Group requested that the Council approve the variance process (with an application), and bring individual variances for Council approval to the February and May 2025 meetings. The Council approved the recommendation at the November Council meeting.
The application form below must be used by law schools seeking a variance under Standard 107(a)(2) and Rule 28 from Standard 503 requiring a valid and reliable test, to admit first-year J.D. degree students without a standardized test. The Dean's signature page must also be completed and uploaded with the application form.
Council Meeting Dates Application Deadlines
February 20-22, 2025 January 17, 2025
May 8-10, 2025 April 4, 2025
Please contact Stephanie Giggetts, Deputy Managing Director, with any questions.