The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law has achieved a significant milestone as its newly developed law school entrance exam, known as JD-Next, has received approval from the American Bar Association (ABA). This approval places JD-Next alongside the traditional Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as a valid option for law school admissions.
Currently, the approval for JD-Next is limited to applicants of Arizona Law. However, according to Marc Miller, the dean of the University of Arizona law school, other law schools have the opportunity to request permission from the ABA to utilize the exam in their admissions process. As of now, no other institutions have taken that step, but the potential for wider adoption exists.
The University of Arizona made waves in 2016 by becoming the first law school to accept the GRE alongside the LSAT for law school admissions. Building on that pioneering spirit, the JD-Next program aims to provide prospective law students with a taste of law school education through an eight-week online course. The program’s primary objective is to assess participants’ ability to learn law school material effectively.
One notable aspect of JD-Next is its commitment to addressing potential score disparities among different racial and ethnic groups, which have been observed in other standardized tests such as the LSAT. Miller highlighted the importance of capturing law school aptitude while minimizing these disparities. A study conducted in 2019 found that Black test-takers scored an average of 142 out of a possible 180 on the LSAT, compared to 153 for white and Asian test-takers.
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The potential impact of reducing score disparities is more significant as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on the constitutionality of affirmative action in college admissions. Should affirmative action be deemed unconstitutional, law schools are likely to prioritize efforts to mitigate disparities in test scores.
The Law School Admission Council, responsible for administering the LSAT, responded to JD-Next’s approval by emphasizing the LSAT’s empirical validity as the most reliable predictor of law school success. It also highlighted the LSAT’s effectiveness in fostering diversity within law school cohorts, citing the 2022 class as the most racially diverse on record.
During the eight-week online course of JD-Next, participants devote roughly equal time to reading legal cases and studying contracts. At the end of the program, participants are assessed on their comprehension of the material through an exam. According to Arizona’s research, JD-Next participants achieved an average increase of 0.2 in their first-year law school grade-point averages compared to their peers who did not complete the program.
Anticipating significant interest, Miller expects over 3,500 individuals from nearly 40 law schools to participate in JD-Next this summer. However, only the University of Arizona has the authority to consider JD-Next results in its admissions decisions.
As the program is still in its early stages, JD-Next is offered free to participants and schools. Administrators are in the process of determining the program’s long-term economic model. So far, the development and implementation of JD-Next have required an investment of $1.25 million, supported by funding from nonprofit organizations AccessLex Institute and Educational Testing Service, the entity behind the GRE. The plan is to eventually establish JD-Next as a separate testing entity independent of Arizona Law.
Dean Miller expressed his hope that other law schools would seriously consider adopting JD-Next as an alternative admissions option, posing the question, “What’s the downside?” The ABA’s approval and the positive outcomes observed in Arizona’s research certainly position JD-Next as an intriguing option for law schools seeking to enhance their admissions processes and promote diversity in legal education.