Incoming classes strong at Indiana law schools
As classes begin for the 2018-2019 academic year, all Indiana law schools are marking historical milestones.
As classes begin for the 2018-2019 academic year, all Indiana law schools are marking historical milestones.
Three weeks into the six-week long Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity program, ICLEO fellow Jasmine Lovelace felt like she was already immersed in law school, especially with her 100-plus-page reading assignments. The soon-to-be Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law student was one of 23 applicants from across the state selected to participate in the 2019 ICLEO summer preparatory institute, hosted at Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington.
Even while the total number of entry-level law firm jobs is still below the pre-recession peak, the employment stats for the 2018 law school graduates improved, primarily because the smaller size of last year’s class meant fewer new lawyers were looking for work.
The writing sample traditionally given at the end of the LSAT, when candidates are usually mentally fatigued and no longer able to legibly scribble their thoughts, could draw new attention from law schools as the entrance exam switches to a digital format. The test will go all-digital beginning in September.
Half of the 24,000 registered to take the Law School Admission Test on Monday will not be required to use a pencil. The exam, which is a major hurdle to getting accepted into law school, is going digital.
During my initial campus visits to Indiana law schools, I encountered several students who manifested the stressors of their academic environment in a number of ways. Some had turned to alcohol and other drugs, sometimes resulting in serious consequences such as DUI arrests and academic probation. Others demonstrated noticeable signs and symptoms of mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
A new partnership has formed between Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Indiana Legal Services and New Leaf New Life to launch an Expungement Help Desk in Bloomington this fall.
Law schools must now have 75 percent of their graduates pass the bar exam within two years of completing their J.D. degrees after a twice-defeated accreditation standard was approved Friday by the American Bar Association. Opponents worry the change will hurt efforts to diversify the legal profession.
When Ian Samuel returned to Twitter on Friday after a nearly six-month absence, he posted his letter of resignation, announcing his decision to leave Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
A second Indiana law school has partnered with the Indiana Supreme Court to expose more students to the practice of law in less urban communities through a rural judicial clerkship program. Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law announced its collaboration with the state’s highest court, introducing five students who will take part in the “Supporting Rural Justice Initiative.”
More than 80 percent of the 2018 graduates from Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Notre Dame Law School were employed in a full-time, long-term bar passage required or J.D. advantage jobs roughly 10 months after finishing their studies, according to statistics from the American Bar Association.
As commencement nears for Hoosier students across the state, four speakers are preparing to address the law school classes of 2019.
Courtship season is in full bloom, but forget loving and cherishing — these “marriages” are about test scores, rankings and scholarships. Law schools are proposing their best offers while applicants are trying to decide if the match is meant to be or if they may be able to do better.
This weekend is a time of celebration in Bloomington, as we welcome friends and family of the Class of 2019 for our annual commencement ceremony. It’s an important milestone in our students’ lives. Commencement is also a time for looking back. The past year saw several significant milestones for the IU Maurer School of Law. I’d like to touch on just a few of them.
The 2016 graduates from two Indiana law schools have exceeded the national two-year bar passage rate of 88.57 percent, according to recently released data from the American Bar Association.
The Indiana University Maurer School of Law has announced the creation of a trailblazing endowed professorship – the first in Indiana University history to honor an African-American woman, and the law school’s first named after a woman of color.
As time has passed, professors have moved away from the harsh classroom environment, as seen in “The Paper Chase,” and moved toward a more supportive and educational classroom setting. Along with that change, law schools have begun to place a significant value on experiential learning.
Bayh, who died March 14 at the age of 91, is being remembered by the Indiana legal community for his extensive career in public service and leadership on the major issues of his time, including civil rights and women’s rights.
Former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh, a legend in Indiana politics who authored two amendments to the U.S. Constitution, has died at age 91. Bayh died Thursday morning of pneumonia, according to a statement from his family.
The U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 list of the best law schools brought mixed results for Indiana with two institutions slipping in the rankings and all three having well over 60 percent of students graduate with average debt of more than $90,000.