ABA Declines to Grant JD-Next Full Approval

Last week, the ABA declined to grant the JD-Next law school admissions test full approval. This decision maintains the status quo in which schools must request a variance from standard 503—the ABA’s admissions test requirement—to use the test for admissions. Almost 25 percent of ABA-accredited schools have already received this exemption for the upcoming admissions cycle.

The ABA requested additional data in order to confirm the test as a "valid and reliable" predictor of law student grades, on par with the LSAT or GRE. Daniel Thies, Chair of the ABA Standards Committee, provided his reasoning by referencing an ABA-commissioned third party evaluation of the test. Although the report did conclude that the JD-Next was a valid predictor of grades, it came with “multiple cautions and caveats” that pointed to a need for additional data collection and study. 

David Klieger, the Program Director for JD-Next at Aspen Publishing, provided a statement to Reuters that expressed disappointment, but highlighted that "institutions still have the option to incorporate JD-Next through the use of a variance, and potential law students continue to benefit from it."

Related JD-Next: What You Need to Know About this Alternative to the LSAT

Survey Shows Law School Admissions Officers Concerned About Impact of Recent Supreme Court Decision

A recent Kaplan survey found that a vast majority of law school admissions officers worry about the impact of last year’s Supreme Court affirmative action ban. In the survey, which included 85 law schools, admissions officers from 74 schools expressed concern. Forty-six of those schools’ administrators reported that they were “very concerned.” 

When asked about the impact of the ban on their own school, admissions officers were slightly more optimistic. Fifty of the schools expressed concern, with just 18 saying they were “very concerned.” 

The survey found that diversity is valued “almost universally” at law schools by both students and administrators. 

Amit Schlesinger, Executive Director of Legal and Government Programs at Kaplan, summarized the findings, while also alluding to the news that the applicant pool has increased in diversity this year. 

"In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, Kaplan’s survey reveals that law schools are grappling with concerns about maintaining diverse student bodies, which is something many of them have long prioritized. However, the silver lining lies in the promising trend of an increasingly diverse applicant pool, which presents an opportunity to mitigate any challenges they may face in achieving a representative student body. It’s also important to note that while law schools can no longer explicitly use race as a factor, we know that some law schools have broadened their personal statement criteria, which may give admissions officers a deeper understanding of prospective students’ backgrounds, while also remaining within the bounds of the Court’s ruling,” Schlesinger said.

JD-Next: What You Need to Know About this Alternative to the LSAT

Next year’s law school admissions cycle will bring change. Law.com reported that almost 25 percent of ABA-accredited law schools have been granted a variance from Standard 503—the ABA’s admissions test requirement—to use the JD-Next, in addition to the LSAT and GRE, for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle.

What is JD-Next?

The JD-Next differs from the LSAT and GRE as participants must take an eight-week online course on doctrinal concepts and legal skills in addition to a final exam. The virtual exam is given at the course’s conclusion and is based on the content presented throughout. The test is given on one of two predetermined dates and is four hours in length. It includes multiple choice questions and an unscored essay. Students must take both the course and the exam.

The test is said to measure a student’s learning ability, predict their performance in law school, and actually help prepare them for law school. And according to various studies, the JD-Next is more equitable, perhaps an answer to the long-standing racial disparities seen in standardized test scores like the LSAT.

When is the test available?

The upcoming JD-Next administration runs April 29th through June 24th with the test available on either June 25th and 29th.

The price for the course, test, and score report is $250.

Who accepts the test?

These 47 schools have been granted the variance to accept the JD-Next:

• (University of) Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law

• Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

• Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School

• Boston College Law School

• Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School

• California Western School of Law

• (University of) California-Davis School of Law

• Case Western Reserve University School of Law

• Charleston School of Law

• (University of) Cincinnati College of Law

• City University of New York School of Law

• Cleveland State University College of Law

• Creighton University School of Law

• (University of) Dayton School of Law

• Drake University Law School

• Emory University School of Law

• Florida International University College of Law

• The George Washington University Law School

• Georgetown University Law Center

• (University of) Georgia School of Law

• Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law

• Indiana University-Bloomington Maurer School of Law

• Loyola University-New Orleans College of Law

• (University of) Maine School of Law

• (University of) Massachusetts Law School (Dartmouth)

• (University of) Miami School of Law

• Mississippi College School of Law

• (University of) Nebraska College of Law

• Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center

• Oklahoma City University School of Law

• (University of the) Pacific McGeorge School of Law

• (University of) Pittsburgh School of Law

• (University of) San Diego School of Law

• (University of) South Dakota School of Law

• St. Mary’s University School of Law

• Suffolk University Law School

• Syracuse University College of Law

• Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law

• Texas A&M University School of Law

• Texas Tech University School of Law

• Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Western Michigan University)

• (University of) Toledo College of Law

• Vanderbilt University Law School

• Western New England University School of Law

• Widener University Delaware Law School

• (University of) Wisconsin Law School

• Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

Structure Your Law School Personal Statement for Maximum Impact

When writing your law school personal statement, we encourage you to think like a storyteller rather than an academic. One of the goals of your writing is to inform, but it is equally important to engage your reader and get them personally invested in your journey. 

You might even take a cue from an action movie. When the lights go down and the curtain goes up, you see the star in a sports car going full throttle. What you don’t know, immediately, is who or where they are. Narrative writing does not have to be linear. After leading with an attention-grabbing scene, the writer can go back and provide additional context and information on what’s missing. 

Here is one type of outline example: 

Event/Problem: Engage your reader immediately in a scene that shows you in action. Is it a high-stress experience? A significant interaction? An unforgettable, formative moment? Then, share what you’re doing. 

Context/Background Info: Give the reader a wide-view angle on the situation. Who are you in this scenario? How did you get here? What are your responsibilities and greatest challenges in this role/scene? 

Re-engagement: This is the heart of the essay. You've introduced the event/problem and yourself. Now, take us back to the anecdote. Show your leadership, integrity, perseverance, critical thinking, or collaboration in action. Delve into the complexities of solving a problem. Sometimes there isn't a solution or grand finale. That's okay. You just want to make it clear why this is the scenario you opened with—why this was meaningful to you. And you don't have to bang the reader over the head with claims of your best qualities; you want to show them those qualities through your story. 

Takeaway/Reflection: What did you learn via your experience? How did it change you? What was the impact on your life or path? This should show that you’re dedicated to growth, self-awareness, and your values, and where these things will take you. 

Conclusion: How did this experience reinforce your commitment to the study of law and the pursuit of a legal career?