http://abovethelaw.com/2017/09/25-percent-of-law-schools-say-they-plan-to-accept-the-gre/
TTT News: On September 18, 2017, Kathryn Rubino posted an ATL entry labeled “25 Percent Of Law Schools Say They Plan To Choose The GRE.” Read this opening:
“Being able to take the GRE in lieu of the LSAT and still get into law school is a relatively new concept. It wasn’t too long ago that Arizona made shockwaves in legal education by announcing the LSAT — seen as a rite of passage by many lawyers — was no longer required to go to their school, and students could take the GRE instead. Now that idea has germinated, and, well — it is getting more popular.
In a survey done by Kaplan Test Prep of admissions officials from 128 law schools, a full 25 percent say accepting the GRE is an admission policy they plan on implementing. That’s a huge shift — in a similar survey last year, only 14 percent of law schools said they were thinking of accepting the GRE. The schools that say they are unsure remained constant year-to-year at 30 percent, and those that say they will not accept the GRE fell from 56 percent to 45 percent. That means the 11 percent increase in schools now onboard with the exam came from the group of schools that had said they were against the move last year.
So — why they big change? Well, to paraphrase South Park — Harvard did it.
That’s right, amid some controversy, earlier this year Harvard announced they would now accept the GRE. As one might imagine, when such a prominent school made the move, it opened the floodgates for others to follow. This summer, two other elite law schools, Northwestern and Georgetown, announced they were accepting the GRE. It’s officially open season on the LSAT.
According to Kaplan’s survey, the “me too!” logic is in full effect for those eyeing the move to the GRE, with respondents saying:
I’m thinking that it’s going to become the norm. It’s one of those situations where you’re going to be left behind.
And:
We plan to do it in part because Harvard is doing it. When they do things, people tend to fall in line, thinking it’s right.
But that route is not without peril. The ABA’s current rule allows law schools to accept an alternative to the LSAT if said alternative is proven “valid and reliable.” Only catch? They still haven’t weighed in on the validity studies done for the GRE to meet their standard. That fact was weighing on the minds of admissions professionals Kaplan surveyed:
Many people here don’t hold the same opinion about the validity of the GRE. We would also like to know the ABA’s disposition. Validity studies cost money and with law schools strapped for cash, that’s not easy.” [Emphasis mine]
Of course, the pigs are willing to accept the GRE as an alternate to the LSAT. It is offered more frequently, and it is typically taken by idiots seeking PhDs in Anthropology or a Master’s degree in French Literature. By the way, it is adorable that skeptics think that each ABA diploma factory will have to bear the costs of a validity study. If Harvard – or Georgetown – comes up with “confirmation” that the GRE is a valid and reliable entrance exam, then it will be accepted by the dolts at the American Bar Association. Just think of industry standards that are adopted in other areas of commerce.
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/more_law_schools_plan_to_accept_gre_scores_but_theres_still_hesitation_surv
Other Coverage: On September 18, 2017, the ABA Journal featured a Stephanie Francis Ward piece entitled “More law schools plan to accept GRE scores, but there’s still hesitation, survey finds.” Review the following portion:
“In its 2017 survey of law school admissions offices, Kaplan Test Prep found that there’s a sharp increase in those planning to accept Graduate Records Examination scores from applicants.
According to answers to a survey of 128 law schools released Monday, 25 percent indicated that they plan to implement the GRE in admissions. In 2016, only 14 percent of the schools surveyed planned to add the GRE as an admissions test option along with the Law School Admissions Test.
Several law schools, including the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law, Harvard Law School, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Georgetown Law School–the largest in the nation–currently accept or are planning to accept GRE scores in admissions.
The standard regarding entrance tests for ABA-accredited law schools is under consideration by the council of the organization’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The proposed revision to Standard 503 calls for the council to establish a process that determines reliability and validity of other tests besides the LSAT. That’s a change from the current version, which directs law schools using alternate admissions tests to demonstrate that the exams are valid and reliable. The council is expected to discuss the issue in November, according to a memo from Barry Currier, the the ABA’s managing director of accreditation and legal education.” [Emphasis mine]
As you can see, a mere council of the ABA’s $ecTTTion of Legal EducaTTTion and Admi$$ion$ to the Bar – comprised of lazy academics – can revise Standard 503. This means that individual cesspools will not have to shell out funds to show that the GRE is a valid alternative to the LSAT.
Conclusion: In the final analysis, the ABA council will come up with a rationale “showing” that the GRE is a wonderful and amazing entrance exam. Hell, they’ll probably declare that it is superior to the LSAT. When this occurs, expect the Biglaw types and “legal scholars” at that racketeer influenced and corrupt organization to rubber stamp this TTT decision by proclamation/voice vote. Why not just require prospective law students to write a short essay, stating the reasons why they want to practice law?