lsac repor t - Law School Admission Council

LSAC REPORT
MAY 2015
NO.2015-1
LSAC REPORT
NEWSLETTER OF THE LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION COUNCIL
Annual Meeting: Following the Yellow
Brick Road
At this meeting, you can expect to fill your brain
with strategies and techniques for immediate
implementation; generate ideas and network
with colleagues, the better to keep your heart in
your work; and bolster your courage through
understanding and managing a constantly
changing landscape.
The conference, which begins officially on
Wednesday, May 27, with an Opening Reception
and Welcome Dinner, will conclude on Saturday
evening, May 30, with Fiesta del Mar, a Mexicanthemed celebration.
Hotel del Coronado
Speakers and workshops and beaches, oh my!
The charming 19th century Hotel del Coronado,
located across the Big Bay from San Diego, will be
the setting for LSAC’s 2015 Annual Meeting and
Educational Conference. The legendary hotel has
a fascinating history: many believe it to be the
inspiration for the magic Emerald City of Oz in the
Wizard of Oz book series. The annual meeting takes
that story as its theme this year: “A Brain,
a Heart, and Courage: Leading Law School
Admissions Today.”
There will be concurrent sessions and mini-sessions,
as in previous years. The mini-sessions are 35minute “how-to” workshops that focus on a single
topic. If you’re a newcomer, there is an orientation
for you, where veteran law school admission professionals will guide you through conference events,
pointing out sessions that may interest you. Be sure
to stop by the Learning Lounge to chat with members
of Law School Support Services (LSSS), who can
provide details about LSAC’s electronic services or
discuss your training needs. The LSSS team will be
on hand throughout the conference.
(SEE ANNUAL MEETING, PAGE 5)
IN THIS
ISSUE
PAGE 2
• View from the Chair
PAGE 3
• President’s Report
PAGE 4
• Board Nominations
PAGE 5
• Diversity Initiatives
PAGE 7
• LLM Usage
PAGE 8
• Fee Waivers
• MPRE
PAGE 9
• SOGAP
PAGE 12
• Research Reports
PAGE 13
• Calendar
2 • LSAC REPORT
VIEW FROM
THE CHAIR
The Leadership of Admission Professionals in the
Land of Oz
“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. We must be over the rainbow!”
ATHORNIA STEELE
Professor of Law, Nova Southeastern
L
egal education, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, has been caught in an ill wind. Negativity
about the value of a law degree, ethical dilemmas in the admission process, questions
about the qualifications of the applicant pool, declines in the legal job market, increases in
student debt, and the resultant decrease in applicants to law school has made for a tumultuous
ride. You, the admission professionals, are like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and
the Lion courageously in search of a way home, a feeling of stability, and a sense of forward
momentum. We are all hoping that there IS a Wizard of Oz, or at least a Good Witch, who will
help us in our quest.
LSACREPORT
Published Biannually
© 2015 by Law School
Admission Council, Inc.
Executive Editor
WENDY MARGOLIS
wmargolis@LSAC.org
Managing Editor
BONNIE GORDON
bgordon@LSAC.org
Design and Production
Manager
DEBORAH VELSOR
“Oh, I’d give anything to get out of Oz
altogether; but which is the way back to
Kansas? I can’t go the way I came!”
using technology in administering the
LSAT. And, using the test development
knowledge and skills of LSAC staff, LSAC is
looking at developing skills-assessment
tools that might be used by colleges,
universities, and law schools in this age of
outcome and assessment focus. Similarly,
new ways of offering technology-based
LSAT test-orientation lessons to
prospective students is under
consideration. The Board of Trustees
identified several initiatives pertaining to
mission-related services, support services,
diversity initiatives, communications and
public relations, technology, and
governance that will need further
development in the next few years. One
such initiative is a comprehensive online
education strategy designed to strengthen
information available to prospective
applicants, admission professionals at
member schools, and prelaw advisors.
An online tutorial for critical reasoning is
another initiative being considered.
Diversity initiatives remain a high priority
for our organization.
LSAC also is working hard to escape Oz
with various program initiatives and plans
for the future. You will have the opportunity
to learn about the exciting potential for
Like the journey our Wizard of Oz friends
took across the poppy fields, into the
Emerald City, and through the dark forest,
the work of LSAC and member law schools
The planners of this year’s educational
conference, entitled, “A Brain, a Heart, and
Courage: Leading Law School Admissions
Today,” hope to provide you with
information and skill-building sessions
enabling you to better do your jobs with
renewed confidence and spirit. Three
keynote speakers: Ava DuVernay, writer,
producer, director, and distributor of
independent films including Selma;
Richard Clarke, cybersecurity expert and
former counterterrorism czar; and Jessica
Jackley, founder and former chief
marketing officer of KIVA, the world’s first
peer microlending website, will inspire us
to marshal all the resources at hand and
within to get beyond the rough times. As
always, there will be information-filled
sessions for learning and skill building, as
well as plenty of opportunities to have
some fun with your friends and colleagues
from Kansas and everywhere else.
(SEE THE LAND OF OZ, PAGE 10)
3 • LSAC REPORT
PRESIDENT’S
REPORT
A Look into the Crystal Ball
DANIEL O. BERNSTINE
President, LSAC
T
he Annual Meeting and Educational Conference is a welcome retreat where we can spend
some time in comfortable surroundings and take stock of the state of legal education. I am
not going to do that here—my intent is to look ahead and share with you some of the things we
in Newtown see in our crystal ball.
In an era when travel can be extremely expensive and time-consuming, an increasing
number of organizations are relying on online solutions for training, professional
development, and other educational needs. As much as we value face-to-face
communication for LSAC’s interactions with members, we are investigating ways that we
can virtually accomplish some of our goals in this area, with flexible scheduling,
consistency in delivery, and the ability to increase our offerings outside of the limits of
real-time staff availability. We think implementation of an eLearning strategy could be a
win-win for delivery and receiving. The Board of Trustees supports this strategy, and has
provided the resources to develop the infrastructure for it over a five-year period.
In a similar vein, we are considering ways to enhance our LSAT-orientation offerings
online. We are in the early stages of this exploration and will update you as we know
more. Leveraging of our knowledge base and inventory of LSAT items is looming large
in our crystal ball.
Of course, this perfectly segues into our vision of a Digital LSAT. This vision is still a bit
blurry in the crystal ball, because there are as many or more hurdles to overcome as there
has been progress made; fortunately, there will be repeated opportunities at the annual
meeting to see the truly impressive results of our development efforts thus far. I encourage
you to make time to go to one of the Digital LSAT sessions to see for yourself.
LSAC’s Information Services Division (ISD) has already looked in the crystal ball and has
embarked on a modernization campaign that will update many of LSAC’s technological
offerings, including ACES2. There will be a variety of options for interacting with ISD staff
at the annual meeting. ISD is making a special effort to explore with schools the
alternatives to the ACES2 University Systems Interface (USI), now that USI is being phased
out. One opportunity for Banner schools will be a luncheon to be held on May 28 at the
annual meeting.
Of course, what we most want to see in the crystal ball is good fortunes for legal education
and law students. I remain optimistic! n
4 • LSAC REPORT
Dan Bernstine Tours Law Schools in India
LSAC President Daniel Bernstine visited India from March 30 through April 3 to meet with
law schools and Pearson Vue, the organization that administers the LSAT—India. Dan visited
Jaipur and Hyderabad, as well as Noida, where Pearson Vue offices are located.
LSAC Test Development staff in Newtown and Pearson Vue in Noida worked together to
put the finishing touches on the LSAT—India test administered on May 17. This year will
mark the seventh year of the LSAT—India program, which promises to be the largest
administration to date, with registrations currently surpassing last year’s at this time by 25
percent. Sixty-one law schools in India will be accepting LSAT—India scores.
The number of seats in Indian law schools reserved for students who take the LSAT—India
is larger than the number of seats reserved for any other competitive law school admission
test in India. This year, that number will approach 5,000.
The LSAT—India is administered in English for admission to Indian law schools, where the
primary language of instruction is English. It is modeled on the LSAT, but is adapted
specifically for use in India, where legal education is offered at both the undergraduate
and graduate degree levels. Test forms developed for the LSAT—India are subject to a
special fairness review by staff at Newtown and at Pearson Vue India to ensure that the
subject matter for all test questions is appropriate for test takers in India. Additional
information can be found at pearsonvueindia.com/lsatindia. n
New Board Members Nominated
The 2015 nominees for the LSAC Board of Trustees are Douglas E. Ray, professor
of law at St. Thomas University School of Law; Rebecca L. Scheller, assistant dean
for admissions and financial aid at the University of Wisconsin Law School; and
John Valery White, executive vice president and provost at the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas.
Douglas E. Ray
The ballot is the result of a nominating process that began in December 2014
with LSAC Chair Athornia Steele’s appointment of a Nominating Committee.
That committee was comprised of three individuals: Cynthia R. Mabry (chair),
professor of Law, Howard; Robert L. Solomon, assistant dean for admissions and
financial aid, director of diversity and inclusion, Ohio State; and Christina B.
Whitman, Francis A. Allen Collegiate Professor of Law and professor of women’s
studies, Michigan.
Rebecca L. Scheller
Voting took place through an authenticated balloting procedure that was due at
LSAC by May 11. Results of the election will be announced at the LSAC Annual
Business Meeting in Coronado, California.
The three trustees elected through this ballot will succeed Janice L. Austin,
UC-Irvine; Steven I. Friedland, Elon; and Arthur R. Pinto, Brooklyn, whose terms
will expire in June 2015. n
John Valery White
5 • LSAC REPORT
A Diverse Calendar in 2015
LSAC’s Diversity Initiatives office has been busy so far in 2015, with no signs of slowing
down. All of their efforts support one of LSAC’s core objectives—to improve access to
diversity in legal education and the profession.
In January, the New York City Bar Association hosted the annual LSAT/Law School Prep
Series—three days of workshops for college students and recent graduates, with
information on the law school application process, the LSAT, and the first year of law
school. Kent Lollis, executive director for Diversity Initiatives, moderated a panel
discussion of important techniques for researching, selecting, and applying to law schools.
Yessenia García-Lebrón, assistant director for Diversity Initiatives, presented a workshop
about services and products offered by LSAC, as well as navigation of LSAC.org and
obtaining fee waivers for the test and the Credential Assembly Service.
Annual Meeting
(continued from page 1)
The winners of the Diversity
Matters Award, which honors
the highest levels of outreach
to racially and ethnically
diverse students by particular
law schools, will be announced
at the Welcome Dinner.
More than 500 admission
professionals from the United
States, Canada, and Australia
will participate in this premier
event of the law school
admission community. In
addition to learning, networking,
and sharing best practices,
guests will enjoy some rest
and relaxation at a charming
seaside location, experiencing
the services of a grand hotel
that has served US presidents
and Hollywood royalty alike.
(You may recognize this hotel
as the backdrop of the iconic
Marilyn Monroe movie, Some
Like It Hot.) There is lots to
see inside the hotel, and
outside—the beach! n
In February, the second annual DiscoverLaw.org Day was held at the Temple
University—James E. Beasley School of Law. Nearly 100 high school students attended
from three Philadelphia high schools and the Trenton Central High School—West (in New
Jersey), a local high school sponsored by LSAC. The day-long program was designed to
expose students to various career opportunities in law, provide them with undergraduate
and law school resources, and motivate them to stay focused in school so they can
continue a successful path to college and law school. The event included a panel
discussion with law students, an interactive legal exercise, and local minority attorneys in
one-on-one conversations with students during lunch.
In March, Yessenia García-Lebrón and Yusuf Abdul-Kareem, assistant director for Diversity
Initiatives, served, respectively, on the College Board’s National Planning Conference
Committee for the Prepárate: Educating Latinos for the Future of America and A Dream
Deferred: The Future of African Americans—two conferences held back to back in New
Orleans with shared sessions and networking opportunities. More than 200 high school
administrators, colleges, superintendents, and organizations from across the country
attended. Diversity Initiatives staff members were able to reach out to undergraduates and
professionals at the conference to discuss the early preparation for legal education often
needed by underrepresented students.
Finally, in April the first Diversity Retention Conference took place in Las Vegas (see
story on next page), and Diversity Initiatives staff attended the Ninth Annual Meeting
of Law School Diversity Professionals at the Charlotte School of Law. The conference
brought together law school diversity professionals and supporters in a collaborative
environment to promote a system of networking, information sharing,
and resource sharing. n
6 • LSAC REPORT
LSAC Hosts First National Conference on
Diversity Retention
The first national conference on diversity retention in legal education drew approximately
100 law school representatives to Las Vegas in April. Participants took a close look at what
students need to excel and to maximize their potential. The conference aimed to identify
the factors that affect student performance, and to leave participants with specific
strategies and tools for implementation at their schools. The program included
presentations by 19 national experts from education, social science research, and law—
and also included a panel of law school students. A highlight of the conference was the
keynote speaker, Terrell Strayhorn, director of the Center for Higher Education Enterprise
(CHEE) at The Ohio State University.
Workshop topics included the importance of an inclusive classroom, institutional barriers to
success, and student advising. Among the breakout sessions on best practices were such
topics as creating mentoring programs, developing student leaders, creating partnerships
with external groups, and educating faculty and staff on diversity and inclusion. n
KENT LOLLIS (right), executive director for Diversity Initiatives, stands behind an electronic display of the
conference website’s main page. At left is Yusuf Abdul-Kareem, an assistant director for Diversity Initiatives.
7 • LSAC REPORT
LLM CAS Usage on the Rise
In 2014–2015, more law schools used at least one of the services available as part of the
LLM Credential Assembly Service—transcripts, letters of recommendation, or electronic
applications. There were 133 schools using LLM CAS as of April 1, 2015, compared to 122
schools at approximately the same time last year.
On the candidate side, there were 12,364 registrants in 2014–2015, compared with 11,760
in the previous year. This represents a 5 percent increase.
During the same period in 2014–2015, there were 27,781 letters of recommendation
processed (a 6 percent increase from 2013 to 2014); 15,080 transcripts received (10 percent
more than last year); and 4,710 AACRAO evaluations processed (a 7 percent increase).
LLM CAS staff received 14,164 phone calls (a 24 percent rise over the previous year) and
21,620 emails (a 14 percent rise from last year).
The majority of LLM service registrants are from the United States (2,582), with China a
close second (1,531), and India following (806). n
LLM Applicants By Country (First Degree in Law)
COUNTRY
NUMBER OF APPLICANTS
United States of America/Territories
2,582
China
1,531
India
806
United Kingdom
724
Brazil
528
Nigeria
374
France
358
Mexico
294
Saudi Arabia
294
Korea, Republic of (South)
274
Japan
237
8 • LSAC REPORT
Fee Waivers Hold Steady
A report on the fee waiver applications for 2014–2015 compared with the previous year
shows steady numbers in applications, approvals, denials, approvals and denials of
appeals, and number by ethnicity and gender.
Some noticeable results:
• the number of fee waiver applications is about the same—10,511 this year compared
to 10,770 last year;
• 53.6 percent of eligible applications were approved compared to 55 percent last year;
• 46.4 percent of applications were denied compared to 45 percent last year;
• total appeals were approximately the same—822 this year compared to 814 last year;
• of all the fee waiver appeals reviewed this year, 43.6 percent were approved and 56.4
percent were denied;
• 63.6 percent of approved fee waivers are female; 36 percent are male; and
• about 34 percent of approved fee waivers are for Black/African American applicants,
followed by 25 percent for Caucasian/White, and 16.5 for Hispanic/Latino.
Slightly more than half of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applications were
approved—54 percent this year as compared to 50.8 percent last year. n
MPRE 2014, By the Numbers
In 2014, more than 67,000 test takers took the
Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination
(MPRE), a test that is given by the National Conference
of Bar Examiners (NCBE) and administered by LSAC.
The two-hour, 60-question, multiple-choice exam is administered three times a
year around the US. Last year, there were 361 centers open for the March MPRE
administration, 352 centers for August, and 336 for November.
Nearly 23,000 test takers took the March test last year; just over 17,000 in August,
and just under 20,000 in November.
A positive working relationship between LSAC and NCBE has contributed to the
success of the MPRE administrations since the partnership began in 2013. n
9 • LSAC REPORT
Statement of Good Admission Practices Revised
The long process of reviewing and revising the Statement of Good Admission
Practices (SOGAP) that began over a year ago has resulted in approval of the new
version by the LSAC Board of Trustees.
Following the SOGAP work group’s initial revisions and feedback solicited from
member schools, the work group convened in February to discuss the feedback and
provide recommendations for a final draft that captured the core ideals of law school
admission professionals in the emerging legal education environment. The
Statement was edited to ensure consistency and restructured to make it easier to
find relevant sections; in addition, some suggested guidelines for transfer
admissions were added.
The Services and Programs Committee approved the suggested recommendations, and
submitted the revised version to the Board of Trustees. The work group has recommended
that the Services and Programs Committee periodically reassess the Statement to refine the
language as needed.
The new statement is available at LSAC.org/lsacresources under Publications. n
Reporting of Older Scores to End
Officially, We’re 222
Law Schools Now
Now that the Board of
Trustees has approved
Lincoln Memorial University—
John J. Duncan, Jr. School
of Law; Widener University
Delaware Law School;
and Widener University
Commonwealth Law School,
there are 222 LSAC-member
law schools. That includes
204 US member (ABAapproved) schools, 17
Canadian member
schools, and one Australian
member school. n
We want to make sure that this message is disseminated as widely as possible so that
affected test takers will take action to obtain their scores for their records before
July 1, 2015. As of July 1, LSAC will no longer provide scores older than five years plus
the current testing year either to law schools or to candidates. Scores earned prior to
June 1, 2010, will neither be reported to law schools nor available to candidates. Please
help us spread the word. n
10 • LSAC REPORT
New SuperPrep to Be Published
A new LSAT preparation book, The Official LSAT SuperPrep II,
is being prepared for publication and should be available by
mid-June. Like its predecessor—the original SuperPrep—
published more than 10 years ago, the book will include
three previously administered tests with an explanation for
each question. This amounts to 303 mini-lessons. This
practice book will help users learn how to approach LSAT
questions as they prepare to take the test.
SuperPrep ll will replace SuperPrep as the test prep book
provided to LSAC fee waiver recipients upon request. n
The Land of Oz
(continued from page 2)
will not take place overnight and without some challenges. Unlike the journey to Oz, we’re
not dreaming up these challenges; they are very real. For more information about how
LSAC is working to help you and others reach your goals, I encourage you to review the
committee reports posted on LSACorg.
I have always loved the story of the Wizard of Oz and believe it to be a story directed to adults
as well as children. If you go to your library’s catalog or Google any combination of the words
leadership and/or personal development along with Wizard of Oz, a number of books and
articles written on the leadership and personal development lessons of the Wizard of Oz
appear. Of course, many of you have long ago observed that the Scarecrow complaining of
no brain, the Tin Woodsman lamenting the absence of a heart, and the Cowardly Lion crying
about his lack of courage each possessed and demonstrated that which they thought they
lacked. Granted, it took a journey, confrontation with a wicked witch, and a little eye-opening
assistance from the Wizard and Glinda, the Good Witch, for them to recognize what they had.
Legal education in general, and admission professionals in particular, are engaged in a
journey. It may take a bit more than clicking our heels together to overcome the wicked witch
of the scam bloggers, rankings, negative media stories, declining applications, and pressuring
deans, but at least at this annual meeting and educational conference, we can take some time
to consider possibilities, recharge our internal strengths, and bask in the support of our
friends and colleagues (and some lovely beaches and sunshine).
Of course, a conference with our theme would not be as much fun if it didn’t have a song
from the movie (singing is permitted). So here it is:
Cowardly Lion:
Tin Woodsman:
Scarecrow:
Dorothy:
Scarecrow:
Tin Woodsman:
Dorothy:
Cowardly Lion:
I'd be brave as a blizzard ...
I'd be gentle as a lizard ...
I'd be clever as a gizzard ...
If the Wizard is a wizard who will serve.
Then I'm sure to get a brain ...
A heart ...
A home ...
The nerve! n
11 • LSAC REPORT
Selected Statistics
Applicants by CRS Registration
This graph shows the number of fall applicants to ABA-approved schools who did,
and who did not, register for the Candidate Referral Service (CRS). The graph
shows applicant numbers for the past six years.
LSAT Takers by Administration
This graph shows LSAT takers by test administration for the last two testing years.
The most recent December and February administrations show an increase over
last year's administrations by 0.8% and 4.4%, respectively.
12 • LSAC REPORT
Research Reports Available on the LSAC Website
This list includes reports published online since May 2014. These reports and many other
LSAC-sponsored research reports (RR), computerized testing reports (CTR), statistical
reports (SR), grants reports (GR), and LSAT technical reports (TR) can be downloaded
at LSAC.org.
RESEARCH REPORTS
GRANTS REPORTS
Dmitry I. Belov
Research Report 14-01: Comparison Study
of Item Preknowledge Detectors
March 2015
Elizabeth H. Gorman and Fiona M. Kay
Grants Report 14-01: Law Firm
Employment Practices and the
Representation of Minority Associates
and Partners
March 2014
Sukaesi Marianti, Jean-Paul Fox, Marianna
Avetisyan, and Bernard P. Veldkamp
Research Report 14-02: Testing for Aberrant
Behavior in Response Time Modeling
March 2014
Jean-Paul Fox
Research Report 14-05: Modeling
Differential Working Speed in
Educational Testing
October 2014
Bernard P. Veldkamp
Research Report 14-06: Some Practical
Issues in Computerized Adaptive Testing
With Response Times
October 2014
LSAT TECHNICAL REPORTS
Susan P. Dalessandro, Lisa C. Anthony,
and Lynda M. Reese
LSAT Technical Report 14-02: LSAT
Performance With Regional, Gender, and
Racial/Ethnic Breakdowns: 2007–2008
Through 2013–2014 Testing Years
October 2014
Andrea Thornton Sweeney, Deborah A. Suto,
and Lynda M. Reese
LSAT Technical Report 14-03: Summary of
Self-Reported Methods of Test
Preparation by LSAT Takers for Testing
Years 2011–2012 Through 2013–2014
October 2014 n
Admission Professionals Survey Results Coming Soon
The third Admission Professionals Survey was administered in April to all LSACmember school admission directors. The results will be reported initially at the
Annual Meeting and Educational Conference, with broader dissemination later in
the summer.
LSAC first published information about the status of law school admission
professionals in 2003. Data was compiled on their roles, responsibilities, skills,
education, staff numbers, and salaries. That study was replicated in 2007 to track
the data over time. Given the upheavals in legal education in recent years, we are
especially interested to see how the latest results compare to those from the
earlier surveys. n
LSAC CALENDAR
MAY 2015
27–30
Annual Meeting and
Educational Conference
Coronado, CA
OCTOBER 2015
2
Services and Programs Committee
TBA
2–3
Test Development and
Research Committee
TBA
3
LSAT Administration
10
Law School Recruitment Forum
Los Angeles, CA
16–17
Law School Recruitment Forum
New York, NY
17
Law School LLM Recruitment Forum
New York, NY
19
Law School Recruitment Forum
Houston, TX
23
Law School Recruitment Forum
Atlanta, GA
29
Law School Recruitment Forum
Boston, MA
JUNE 2015
8
LSAT Administration
12–13
Committee Chairs Meeting
Aspen, CO
JULY 2015
25
Law School Recruitment Forum
Washington, DC
AUGUST 2015
7–8
Board of Trustees Retreat
TBA
SEPTEMBER 2015
9–13
Newcomers’ Conference
Philadelphia, PA
LSACREPORT
PO Box 40, Newtown PA 18940
LSAC.org
26
Law School Recruitment Forum
Miami, FL
28
Canadian Law School
Recruitment Forum
Toronto, ON
DECEMBER 2015
5
LSAT Administration