As has been widely reported, the ABA has formally denied LaVerne College of Law full accreditation citing its low bar passage rates. I've already written extensively on this topic and have noted that the many of the current students may suffer most, so I'll not regurgitate those feelings here. That said, I'm happy the ABA took a stand against a mediocre institution and only wish they would do it in areas other than bar passage (which, let's face it, can be taught with an intensive study course and can be gamed like any other standardized test), like actual attorney employment [x] months after graduation.
Now that the hammer has fallen on LaVerne, should anyone else be sweating?
According to this link, Thomas Jefferson, Whitter, Western State, and Southwestern were all at least 15% below the California State average in 2010. But all of them are already fully accredited, and they didn't do nearly as bad as LaVerne, so I don't expect any action here.
What about the nation's other four provisionally-accredited law schools? Well, none of them provide an easy out for the ABA.
The Charleston School of Law had a 72% bar pass rate last July, -4% against the overall, and -11% compared to the University of South Carolina. The previous exam was similar. Although there's no compelling reason to have more than one law school in South Carolina, they're in almost no danger on this front, and they're in the worst shape.
Drexel had an excellent year in 2009 and posted the state's best result in Feb. 2010. Elon has done well, and Charlotte isn't doing nearly as bad as LaVerne.
So unfortunately, I fear this will just be a one-time thing. The other new schools apparently have learned how to emphasize bar pass rates and teach to the test so that the ABA won't have a good reason to reject them. Not that being a graduate of Elon will be any easier for a prospective student than being a graduate from LaVerne, but I suppose one less school in the mix is a net positive.
EDIT: Looks like Charlotte and Elon both gained full accreditation (the title of the article reads "earned...") at the most recent vote despite graduates from either having little to no chance at meaningful legal employment. Way to go, ABA.
Your pretentious elitism is exactly the opposite of what the legal profession needs in order to "restore dignity." You know what the biggest problem with denying accreditation based on employment after law school is? It ignores any number of other variables that lead to low job placement rates, not the least of which includes the misconception that a Harvard graduate (or a graduate from whatever the hell school you go to) is more qualified to work than a student from Charleston School of Law. You peddle the same crap that the thugs at the American Bar Association do, who have no real concern for dignity, but would rather limit access and competition. Why do you think the ABA is still criticized for being mostly lead by white male corporate lawyers? I know you think what you are doing is right, but remember that there is no substitute for humility, and your contribution to the legal profession already looks pretty backwards.
ReplyDeleteI don't think pretentious elitism quite does "J-Dog" justice. His obvious inability to fully grasp anything other than statistics and his pompous need to degrade any other school other than his own shows the exact opposite of what he claims to represent. Had he actually considered any number of aspects that could lead a person to attend a school other than Harvard or like you said whatever the hell school he goes to he may actually even for a little sound remotely intelligent. However, perhaps not having the ability to come down from his throne makes him see the rest of the world as blurry. Having read several other posts on this guys blog it seems not that this one post was just a slip in what could only be called a blessing to the intellectual world, but instead this post is one of many worthless, self-indulging, and absurd posts on a blog that only in wildest dreams actually lives up to the dignity "J-Dog" so strongly believes he is representing. You sir are an embarrassment and the reason that attorneys, as a whole, are less respected and less dignified in the 21st century. Congratulations on doing nothing other than degrading the very profession you so truly want to be a part of.
ReplyDeleteHoly hell, I've been sandbagged.
ReplyDeleteYou have incorrectly used the word "sandbagged", since there is no way anyone has treated you unfairly here. What is that saying? Oh yea "If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen"
ReplyDeleteHello, ELON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW jackass one.
ReplyDeleteNot only do you not know how to comment on law schools with any fresh insight, you need a lesson in the literary employment of English.
"Sandbag," as a verb, has four definitions, two of which are of note here: (a) to hit, to strike a blow, as if to hit with a sandbag; (b) to coerce or bully.
Here, you and your ELON UNIVERSITY friend showed up out of the blue and decided to comment on a three-month old post in tandem, in which you both threw out a healthy amount of ad hominem attacks and flat-out false statements. Without so much as a citation to anything I've actually written, you made assumptions about me in an attempt to denounce this entire blog.
Speaking of "the kitchen," can you stand the "heat" of reasonable criticism of ELON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW?
And can you stand the idea that many ELON graduates may wind up working in a kitchen post-graduation?