Who Is Responsible for the Overuse of the LSAT in Law School Admissions?
By: Pamela Edwards I had the honor of being the moderator of a panel titled “The LSAT, U.S. News and Minority Admissions,” on January 7, 2005, during the American Association of Law Schools (“AALS”) Annual Meeting in San Francisco. Three weeks prior to the discussion date, Brian Kelly, Executive Editor of U.S. News & World Report, withdrew from the panel. Mr. Kelly’s withdrawal, marked by the placement of an empty chair on the dais during the panel discussion, will hopefully serve as a catalyst for the legal academy to confront the challenge of candidly reassessing the weight given to U.S. News & World Report, including the causal connection between the emphasis placed on the publication and the role of the LSAT in law school admissions decisions. Law schools continue to rely heavily on the LSAT in making admissions decisions despite the prevalence of studies and law review articles that indicate the value of the LSAT as a predictor is overrated. Thus, law schools continue to award and
