How Law Schools Almost Became Test-Optional
The Council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions has made so many head-spinning decisions regarding law school admissions tests over the past 18 months that I’m not even sure which one is most startling at this point: Allowing law schools to accept the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) for admission to law school, voting to make law schools test-optional or completely putting the kibosh on that decision.
In November of 2021, the Council voted to allow the GRE be used as an alternative test for admission to law school.
Six months later, the Council, in a nearly unanimous vote, voted to send out proposed amendments to Standard 503 for public comment that would remove the standardized admissions test requirement for ABA-accredited law schools—in effect making law schools test-optional.
For an entire year, the council was so resolute in its decision that it even “called out” the ABA’s House of Delegates in February after the House voted down the resolution that would have eliminated the standardized admission test requirement for ABA-accredited law schools with Council Member Daniel Thies saying, “We respect the HOD—they did an excellent job—our feeling there is more education to be done,” adding that he didn’t believe the HOD raised any new points that the Council hadn’t already considered.
“The council is disappointed in the House of Delegates’ vote on Resolution 300. It will consider next steps at the council meeting on Feb. 17, consistent with ABA rules and procedures,” Bill Adams, managing director of ABA Accreditation and Legal Education said in February.