Check out important updates regarding the LSAT examination, newly released information on law school rankings, and a highlight of some new resources for students interested in patent law…
Updates for April LSAT!
Test Scheduling Requirements:
Effective with the April administration of the LSAT-Flex, test takers will be required to schedule their testing day and time by 11:59 p.m. ET of the Thursday prior to the exam.
For example, for the April administration of the LSAT-Flex, which begins on Saturday, April 10, scheduling will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 8. After that deadline passes, test takers could opt to request a date change for a future administration, but will not be able to schedule for the current exam.
New Icon For Online Test Format:
Effective with the April 2021 administration of the LSAT-Flex, a new icon for the “eliminate” button (displayed on the right side of each answer option) will be implemented which candidates may use to indicate for themselves which answers they do NOT wish to choose. As a reminder, only explicitly selected responses (selections made with the bubble on the left side of the answer option) will be counted towards a candidate’s score.
The new “eliminate” icon will be implemented for Test Prep in LawHub this week so that test takers can get familiarize themselves with the new icon in LawHub prior to the April administration of the LSAT-Flex. Below are samples of the current “elimination” icon in comparison with the new “elimination” button. The behavior is exactly the same, only the icon has changed.
Current Eliminate Icon – not selected:
Current Eliminate Icon – selected:
New Eliminate Icon – not selected:
New Eliminate Icon – selected:
We strongly encourage those sitting for the April LSAT to review the new icon on LawHub prior to the exam.
NEW Law School Rankings and Profile Data!
U.S. News and World Report (US News) recently released their annual updated graduate school rankings and evaluations for 2022, including their law school rankings.
Rankings and program surveys can provide helpful information and insights into the strength of academic programs and specialties, LSAT/GPA expectations, and information on cost and financial aid. These surveys are a valuable place to begin researching schools and to potentially discover schools you may not know about or have considered. These surveys can also help provide useful evaluations on specific criteria that are most important to you in your law school.
UPDATE! This year US News has added additional data on the amount of debt incurred by law graduates at individual institutions. Be sure to view this data in context to other factors including – bar passage rates, placement rates, and median salary figures for students upon graduation!
Caveat Emptor!
Remember rankings should never by the sole factor in your decision-making process and individual data points should be considered in context with additional information. Be careful not to limit your considerations too narrowly by ranking alone. There are many substantive factors that should be considered in your ultimate choice of law school as you will have many priorities, wants, and needs of the institution that is right for you!
Interested in the Patent Law?
PLI (Practicing Law Institute), a nonprofit that specializes in educational programs for attorneys and related professionals, has recently posted a series of informative videos online for engineering or science majors who may be considering an alternative career in law. This is a great resource for those interested in Patent Law and who may be considering taking the Patent Bar in the future. Don’t miss out on this great resource!
