American Bar Association s Policy-Making Body Rejects Proposal to Make LSAT Optional
The American Bar Association s policy-making body on Monday rejected a proposal to make the LSAT and other standardized tests optional for law school admissions, casting a cloud over a change that has prompted debate about diversity in the legal profession.
The test-optional policy appeared to clear a major hurdle in November when an ABA panel that accredits law schools approved it. It was on track to go into effect for students applying for admission to law schools in 2026. But the ABA s House of Delegates voted down the policy Monday and sent it back to the accrediting body for further consideration.
Despite the back and forth, it is the accrediting council, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, that gets the final say. It could approve the policy again and ultimately implement it, even if the House of Delegates rejects it a second time.
The council s main objective was to give law schools flexibility in the decision-making process, said Joseph West, chair of the ABA s accrediting panel and partner at Duane Morris LLP.