Press Release, Aspen Publishing Acquires Full Ownership of JD-Next Law School Preparation Program:
Aspen Publishing has announced the acquisition of JD-Next, the groundbreaking law school preparation course and admissions test, one year after it first secured an exclusive license to administer the program. JD-Next serves as an alternative admissions exam and was developed in 2019 by a team of University of Arizona researchers, including Marc Miller, Dean of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, then Associate Dean Christopher Robertson, Director of Academic and Bar Success Jessica Findley, and Professor Rob Williams, former Director of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program.
JD-Next was created with multi-year funding from the AccessLex Foundation and the ETS Foundation. It has gained notable traction among law schools, admissions officers and prospective students, as it offers a test that significantly reduces or eliminates the racial disparities recognized in legacy exams. To date, 56 ABA-accredited law schools have received variances from the American Bar Association to accept JD-Next scores in lieu of other standardized tests for admissions. Additionally, any law school can accept JD-Next scores alongside other admissions test scores. The next ABA Council deadline for additional law schools to request a variance to use JD-Next as an independent basis for JD admission is December 20, 2024.
“Aspen Publishing is a leader in legal education and has taken the evidence-based course and test and broadened the reach and influence of JD-Next over the last year,” said Marc L. Miller, Dean of University of Arizona Law. “This acquisition is a natural and exciting progression, as JD-Next becomes one of the cornerstones of access to and success in JD education. I have seen firsthand how much Aspen believes in expanding evidence-based access to the legal profession and how deeply committed Aspen is to the success of the program and future law students.”
In its first year administered by Aspen, the JD-Next admissions program has attracted a diverse and motivated cohort of students. The program’s growing popularity is reflected in rising class sizes and overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. In a recent survey, 91% of students reported feeling better prepared for law school after completing the course.
JD-Next’s unique approach combines an asynchronous preparatory course that mirrors the challenges of a first-year law program with a high-stakes admissions exam specifically designed to test the skills and knowledge that students need to be successful in law school. Research shows that students who participated in the program will produce, on average, .20 higher on their law school GPA.
Feedback indicates high satisfaction rates and impressive outcomes among students of all backgrounds. Nearly 70% of participants identified as belonging to underrepresented racial groups, and an overwhelming 89% would be the first in their families to attend law school—a clear sign that JD-Next is meeting the goal of significantly expanding access to legal education.
Reuters, LSAT Competitor Sold Amid Push for Alternative Law School Admissions:
Aspen purchased the program, developed at the Arizona law school in 2019 as an alternative to the widely used Law School Admission Test, for an undisclosed amount. So far, 56 law schools—more than a quarter of all American Bar Association-accredited campuses—have received ABA permission to use JD-Next test scores when admitting students. …
JD-Next is currently offered four times a year at a cost of $299 and is a small part of the law school admissions landscape, but Aspen said it plans to expand with more participants and law schools now that it owns the program.
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