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ABA Censures The University of Kansas For Degree Mishap

The ABA has been compiling a naughty-and-nice list this fall. Now, a third law school has found coal in its stocking.
Recently, Tipping the Scales reported that the ABA was investigating Florida A&M University’s law school for its high attrition rate and had fined Rutgers University of Camden for admitting students who hadn’t taken the LSAT. In a new action, the ABA has imposed a $50,000 fine on the University of Kansas School of Law. The fine stems from enrolling students in an unauthorized Master’s Degree program and making “misleading statements” during the ABA’s investigation. The university has also been publicly censured.
In 2012, the university introduced a graduate degree in American Legal Studies, which was designed to prepare overseas students to sit for the New York state bar. According to the ABA’s Final Report, the university violated ABA rules by enrolling two students in this program when it hadn’t been approved by either the ABA or the Kansas Board of Regents. In addition, both students lacked a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
While the university did approach the ABA about the program, it did so after the students were enrolled and a program application had been filed with the Kansas Board of Regents. Both the Board and the ABA later approved this Master’s degree.
Stephen Mazza, Dean of the University of Kansas School of Law, explained that the lapse stemmed from the university getting “ahead of ourselves.” However, the ABA noted in its report that the school was “grossly negligent” in establishing the program and felt the administration showed “an absence of candor” during the investigation.
The school has implemented new procedures to avoid a similar situation in the future, according to Dean Mazza.
Source: The Topeka Capital Journal

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