American Bar Association supports ending LSAT requirement for law school admissions

The American Bar Association (ABA) announced in a May memorandum that it supports ending the LSAT requirement for law school admissions.

“The SRC is recommending the elimination of the requirement that law schools use a valid and reliable admission test, although law schools of course remain free to require a test if they wish,” wrote the Strategic Review Committee (SRC).

The memorandum was dated April 25.

The SRC said that the update to law school admissions requirements would allow for more flexibility amid debates over which tests accurately and fairly demonstrate ability.

“Eliminating the requirement of a ‘valid and reliable’ admission test also eliminates some of the challenges inherent in determining which tests are in fact valid and reliable for law school admissions, although of course law schools must still show that their use of an admission test, should they choose to require one, is consistent with sound admission practices and procedures,” the memorandum read.

It added: “Moreover, the SRC notes that as of early 2022, the Council remained the only accreditor among law, medical, dental, pharmacy, business, and architecture school accreditors that required an admission test in its standards.”

The ABA Council previously voted in November to allow law schools to accept GRE results in addition to LSAT results when considering applicants for admission.