The Importance Of The LSAT In Law Schools

1472 Words6 Pages

1 LSAT
The LSAT is important because it is the best predictor to determine how a student will perfume in law school. It is designed to test the skills that are considered necessary for success in law school. It is also the only means available for laws schools to compare the applicants. A GPA score will vary according to the school attended and program undertaken, but the LSAT gives all the applicants a similar test that is consistent from year to year. The LSAT is one of the most important factors in admission to law school. It is an indicator of an applicant’s potential in law school. The scores for oncoming classes are used to evaluate the performance of the law schools. Although it is not the sole determinant for admission, as the admission …show more content…

It acknowledges that the test has been a requirement for over 70 years and tests the capacity of the students to learn the law. However, this is changing and the law school will no longer require its applicants to submit scores for the LSAT or the GRE exam. The article notes that although the University Of Arizona College Of Law and two other schools had started to allow its applicants to submit GRE scores instead of LSTA scores, the move by Harvard could redefine the admission process for legal …show more content…

He argues that the announcement by Harvard to abandon the LSAT scores was met with a lot of commentary. What most of these commentators had in common was that the test was an instrument of elitism and leaving it was highly welcomed. He points to one criticism that argues that the LSAT does not have anything to do with what is being taught in law school, features questions that favor students from a certain socio economic background and accommodates Americans more than Canadians.
The author, who is a trustee of the Law school Admission council, admits that the test is neither perfect nor all encompassing. The test does not probe qualities like emotional intelligence or resilience that lawyers will require to succeed in their profession. It places emphasis on the ability to address logical problems and logical reasoning, which does not fall within a lawyer’s professional make up. When the LSAT was first administered, it was intended to increase access to law schools and not an instrument that skews the admission process. He notes that the adoption of LSAT in Canada was not done as early as in the US. The benefits of the current system should not be overlooked because it also provides Canadian applicants the chance to meet with some law schools. However, the author notes that the real p problem with LSAT is not with the test itself but how it

Open Document