A motion for dismissal was filed by the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in an effort to have the class action lawsuit against it dismissed. The lawsuit was filed in relation to employment statistics released by the school regarding its graduates. That motion for dismissal was not denied but instead a judge told Thomas Jefferson that it was not well-received. New York Law School, Florida Coastal and Cooley Law have also filed motions for dismissal of the class action lawsuits against them.
It was announced this week that 20 more law schools will soon be sued in class action lawsuits because of deceptive employment data for graduates. The next round of law schools facing possible class action lawsuits includes the following schools:
- American University Washington College of Law
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- Chapman University School of Law
- Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America
- Loyola Marymount University Law School
- Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- New England School of Law
- Pace University School of Law
- Pepperdine University School of Law
- Roger Williams University School of Law
- Seattle University School of Law
- St. John’s University School of Law
- St. Louis University School of Law
- Stetson University College of Law
- Syracuse University College of Law
- University of Miami School of Law
- University of St. Thomas School of Law
- Valparaiso University School of Law
- Western New England University School of Law
- Whittier Law School
David Anziska, a solo practitioner from New York, has filed some of these lawsuits on behalf of the plaintiffs. He explained the reason behind the deceptive employment stats issued by law schools, according to Above the Law:
“At the height of the recession, most schools reported placement rates of well above 90%. Now, all of a sudden in 2010-2011, after we’ve weathered the worst of the worst, schools are starting to report employment data that paints a much more realistic picture — a dim picture of employment prospects for graduates. Why, at the height of the recession, did they report sterling placement rates? It was simply impossible to have these high employment placement rates in 2009.”
With all of these lawsuits being filed, people are wondering if the American Bar Association is going to do anything about it. The ABA did change some of its annual employment questionnaire but that does not seem like enough. The ABA has yet to even issue a statement on these lawsuits or comment extensively on them. The ABA might not make a move regarding these comments until almost each law school in the country has been sued.