ABA may make LSAT optional

The ABA Journal reports that an American Bar Association panel reviewing law school accreditation rules may recommend an end to a requirement that law schools use the Law School Admissions Test. If the panel makes that recommendation and the ABA approves the change then law schools would be able to make the LSAT optional or drop the test requirement entirely. A special report last summer criticized the impact of the U.S. News & World Report rankings that stress high LSAT scores, among other data. Many undergraduate colleges have made the SAT and ACT optional in recent years and generally have found that such shifts attract more applicants and a more diverse applicant pool without leading to any loss in academic performance.