It seems that law schools are beginning to accept the GRE in lieu of the LSAT. It also seems that this article's author is unhappy about it. Law School To Accept GREs In Order To Corner The Market On Mediocrities | Above the Law
I get a little geeky and casually wonder how this trend toward mediocrity is affecting bar exam pass rates. That would be the question, right? If law schools are admitting progressively poor students and the bar exam remains consistent in it's degree of difficulty, you would predict a higher rate of failure? If only there was a way to check . . . :raincloud: :sleeping:
The author of that article comes across as a supremely arrogant toolbag. Then, I read his biography, saw that he went to Harvard and Harvard Law, and it all made sense.
The GRE and LSAT, like all of these admissions tests, are designed to predict the likelihood of academic success. I wonder what the predictability of the GRE is for law school, and whether it's comparable to the LSAT? In other words, it isn't sufficient to assume the LSAT is better just because it's different. For all we know, the GRE might be sufficient. (I suspect both tests are equally useless.) The ETS says it is comparable. The article's author is mad about that, but doesn't present a cogent argument against it. He presents a tautology instead, that the LSAT is important because it is. The author also confuses inputs with outcomes. No one gets to practice law because of LSAT scores. Passing the bar, getting a law job, these are outcomes that can measure a school's effectiveness. No wonder these archaic practices continue to take hold. The neanderthals remain in charge.
IIRC, the GRE has the same prediction issues as the SAT. Grades are a better predictor. I don't know if the same applies to the LSAT. But, why wouldn't someone want to take the LSAT? It's cheaper and, if I have this right, there is not nearly as much quantitative content. I think it's also about 20 minutes shorter. I took an LSAT-like government exam, and it seemed like something that would be less of a drag for someone interested in law school. The GRE wasn't all that difficult, but it was tortuous to sit through.
Standardized tests are notoriously poor predictors of success. They might as well arrange a pie eating competition in lieu of requiring the LSAT.
update. not everyone is happy. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/business/dealbook/law-schools-acceptance-of-gre-test-scores-provokes-tussle.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Feducation&action=click&contentCollection=education®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=14&pgtype=sectionfront
