A Message From Jeffrey R. Baker (Assistant Dean of Clinical Education and Global Programs, Pepperdine): In Fall 2021, our faculty, students, and clients continue to grapple with the pandemic and its far-reaching effects. With innovative flexibility, we continue to pursue our missions of fruitful education, professional formation, and access to justice. Law practice is never…

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Washington Free Beacon, Yale Law Dean Admits Error, Stops Short of Apologizing to Targeted Students: Under fire, Dean Heather Gerken issues muted mea culpa. The dean of Yale Law School expressed "regret" Wednesday for her administration's role in the now-infamous "trap house" incident but stopped short of apologizing to second-year law student Trent Colbert or the…

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Update:  Brian Leiter (Chicago), UIC's John Marshall Law School Should Lose Its Accreditation If It Continues With This "Witch Hunt" Against a Faculty Member Following up on last Thursday's post, When Suspending A Law Professor Isn't Enough:  Chronicle of Higher Education op-ed:  Yes, This Is a Witch-Hunt, by Andrew Koppelman (Northwestern): In January the University…

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Update:  Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken Admits Error, Stops Short Of Apologizing To Targeted Students; Law Prof Calls For Conservative Yale 1Ls To Transfer (Nov. 18, 2021) Following up on yesterday's Yale Law School posts on the Trap House Email Controversy and  the Student Law Suit For Retaliation In Amy Chua Case: David Lat,…

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Update:  David Lat & Eugene Volokh (UCLA), More On The Two Yale Law School Controversies (Nov. 17, 2021) Washington Free Beacon & Josh Blackman (South Texas),  Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken Admits Error, Stops Short Of Apologizing To Targeted Students; Law Prof Calls For Conservative Yale 1Ls To Transfer (Nov. 18, 2021) Washington Free Beacon, ‘Deplorable’:…

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Update:  David Lat & Eugene Volokh (UCLA), More On The Two Yale Law School Controversies (Nov. 17, 2021) Washington Free Beacon & Josh Blackman (South Texas),  Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken Admits Error, Stops Short Of Apologizing To Targeted Students; Law Prof Calls For Conservative Yale 1Ls To Transfer (Nov. 18, 2021) Following up on my…

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We are now 25% of the way through Fall 2022 law school admissions season. The number of law school applicants reported by LSAC is up 2.3% compared to last year at this time. 153 of the 199 law schools are experiencing an increase in applications. Applications are up 50% or more at 18 law schools,…

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Update:  Washington Free Beacon, Yale's Akhil Amar Calls Law School Administration's Handling Of 'Trap House' Email Controversy 'Dishonest, Duplicitous, And Downright Deplorable' (Nov. 16, 2021) David Lat & Eugene Volokh (UCLA), More On The Two Yale Law School Controversies (Nov. 17, 2021) Washington Free Beacon & Josh Blackman (South Texas),  Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken Admits Error, Stops…

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Update:  David Lat, Yale Law School And The Federalist Society: Caught In A Bad Romance? (Nov. 15, 2021) Washington Free Beacon, Yale's Akhil Amar Calls Law School Administration's Handling Of 'Trap House' Email Controversy 'Dishonest, Duplicitous, And Downright Deplorable' (Nov. 16, 2021) David Lat & Eugene Volokh (UCLA), More On The Two Yale Law School Controversies (Nov. 17, 2021) Washington…

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Following up on my previous post, Why I Am Leaving My Tenured Faculty Position At Age 53:  Chronicle of Higher Education op-ed:  Tenured, Trapped, and Miserable in the Humanities, by William Pannapacker (Hope College): Why are so many tenured professors unhappy with their jobs yet unable to change careers? Is the chronic morale problem in…

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Following up on my previous posts: Controversy At UIC Law School Over Use Of 'N And B (Profane Expressions For African Americans And Women)' On Fall Civ Pro Exam (Jan. 16, 2021) Is This Law Professor Really A Homicidal Threat? (Jan. 20, 2021) Jason Kilborn, UI-Chicago Law School Settle Controversy Over December 2020 Civ Pro Final Exam…

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Bloomberg Law, Arizona Law Grad Who Failed Bar Seeks License, Cites Faulty Test: A former law student in Arizona who failed an online bar exam is asking the state supreme court to license him anyway, claiming software flaws kept him from passing the test. The Oct. 26 petition by Jordan Evan Greenman said his screen going blank,…

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Congratulations to my friend and colleague Rick Cupp, John W. Wade Professor of Law, recipient of Pepperdine University’s highest teaching honor, the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence: This annual award honors the legacy of Pepperdine University’s fifth president, Howard A. White, who was a gifted teacher, history scholar, and a faithful steward of…

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Kellye Testy (LSAC) & Bill Henderson (Indiana), LSAC Acquisition of IFLP Explained: Last week, the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) acquired the Institute for the Future of Law Practice (IFLP).  From far away, many lawyers, law professors, and law students are bound to ask, “Why is the maker of the LSAT, which has been part of the legal education…

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ABA Journal, Some California Law Firms Turn Down Work Amid Associate Shortage; Six-figure Signing Bonuses Reported: A shortage of associates in California’s Bay Area is leading some law firms to turn down work and others to strain available lawyers with the workload, according to a report by the Recorder. Some firms continue to take on work…

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Following up on last week’s post, New York Times, Should UC-Hastings Law School Change Its Name Due To Founder’s Role In Native American Genocide?:   UC Hastings Board Directs Chancellor & Dean to Pursue Name Change: The University of California Hastings College of the Law Board of Directors voted today to authorize UC Hastings leadership to…

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Update:  Simon Lazarus (J.D. 1967, Yale), Where Yale Law School Has Gone Off The Rails, And What Is Needed To Get Back On Track (Nov. 13, 2021) David Lat, Yale Law School And The Federalist Society: Caught In A Bad Romance? (Nov. 15, 2021) Washington Free Beacon, Yale's Akhil Amar Calls Law School Administration's Handling Of 'Trap House'…

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Following up on my previous posts (link below):  Charleston Regional Business Journal, Reinvestment Brings Charleston School of Law Back From the Brink: Dean Larry Cunningham was full of apologies after running a few minutes late to a meeting. A group of Charleston School of Law students had surprised him last-minute by dropping off a handful…

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Tom Sharbaugh (Penn State), Could a Purpose Deficit Fill Unmet Legal Need?: This essay considers two problems that may have a common solution. First, many senior lawyers are searching for a purpose in their post-retirement lives. Second, although law-school clinics could make substantial contributions to satisfying the unmet needs for legal services while also providing…

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Inside Higher Ed, College Tuition Increases Are At Historic Low For Second Year in a Row: College tuition increased at historically low rates for the second year in a row, a new report from the College Board shows. In fact, after adjusting for inflation, average college tuition actually decreased during the 2021-22 academic year as colleges…

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Following up on my previous post, Federal Judge Rules That Vermont Law School Can Cover Underground Railroad Murals Despite Artist's Objection:  Marc James Léger, Sam Kerson Lawyers Will Appeal Court Decision: The World Socialist Web Site today published an article I wrote for them to help raise public awareness of a court decision that would allow…

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Intelligent, 34% of White College White College Students Lied About Their Race to Improve Chances of Admissions, Financial Aid Benefits: Intelligent.com asked 1,250 white college applicants ages 16 and older if they lied on their application by indicating they were a racial minority. The survey found that 34% of white Americans who’ve applied to college falsely…

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