It took twice as long as expected, but the American Bar Association’s first overhaul of its law school accreditation standards since 2003 finally wrapped up in August when the House of Delegates signed off on the lengthy package of changes. The ABA ultimately rejected a controversial proposal that would have stripped the faculty tenure mandate, but it adopted “student learning outcomes” measures gauging what students are really learning.
Going forward, all students must complete at least six hours of clinical or other “experiential” work. They will be able to take as many as 15 credit hours online, up from 12 — a change that allows them to complete a full semester away from campus. The new standards end the 20-hour-per-week limit on work outside of law school, and they encourage schools to provide opportunities for up to 50 hours of pro bono work per student.The ABA toyed with the idea of dropping its long-standing ban on students receiving both pay and academic credit for externships, but ultimately decided to retain the rule. Similarly, it opted to keep the requirement that applicants take the Law School Admission Test and decided against raising the bar passage minimum standard.
MURDER IN TALLAHASSEE
