California Law Deans Have ‘Grave Concerns’ About New Bar Exam Plans
ABA Journal: “Fifteen deans from ABA-accredited law schools have signed a letter to the California Supreme Court stating that they have “grave concerns” about Kaplan Exam Services’ ability to develop a multiple-choice bar exam “in a responsible manner” in time for the February 2025 administration of the newfangled exam.
The Sept. 17 letter was delivered the day before the state supreme court froze out the cash-strapped State Bar of California’s plan to launch the Kaplan-developed exam. The new exam offers remote options instead of using the National Conference of Bar Examiners-created exam, which mandates in-person testing and rings up expenses related to renting huge halls for the exam.
“We are here, in part, because the admissions fund is facing insolvency, and we listened to our partners at the law schools that we should not raise admission fees any higher and to applicants who have told us they would prefer remote and smaller test center testing options,” wrote Bridget Gramme, special counsel in the division of consumer protection, admissions, and access and inclusion at the State Bar of California, in an email to the ABA Journal.”
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Harvard Law School Students. Harvard photo
Enrollment of Students of Color Drops 8 Percentage Points at Harvard Law School
The Harvard Crimson: “The share of students of color enrolled in Harvard Law School’s J.D. Class of 2027 dropped by eight percentage points compared to last year, according to data released by HLS on Thursday.
The Class of 2027 is the Law School’s first class admitted after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action.
The proportion of students of color in HLS’s first-year class fell to 43 percent from 51 percent the previous year. The share of first-generation and/or low-income college students also fell from 14 percent to 11 percent.
The Class of 2027 ties the Class of 2020 for the lowest proportion of students of color since 2014. HLS did not report a more specific demographic breakdown by race.:
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California Judge Rejects Bid To Reopen 123-Year-Old Law School
Reuters: “Golden Gate University’s shuttered law school will remain closed after a judge on Monday denied, opens new tab an injunction to reopen it, as a group of former students and alumni had asked.
It’s “unlikely” that the plaintiffs will be able to secure a court order to reopen the 123-year-old San Francisco school following California Superior Court Judge Richard Ulmer’s latest ruling, said Golden Gate Law alum Ryan Griffith, who is representing the plaintiffs.
A Golden Gate spokesperson said on Wednesday that the university is “satisfied” with the ruling and that nearly all of its former law students are completing their studies at other American Bar Association-accredited law schools.”
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