Scroll Top

Phone: 1.800.296.9656        Email: circulation@cypressmagazines.com 

Ave Maria, Vermont, UDC and Hofstra miss the mark on ABA standards

Related Articles

Four law schools have fallen out of compliance with standards set by the American Bar Association, according to the organization’s public notices posted between Dec. 13-14.

Ave Maria School of Law, Vermont Law and Graduate School and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School fell short for bar passage.

Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University is out of compliance with Standard 206(b), which states: “Consistent with sound educational policy and the Standards, a law school shall demonstrate by concrete action a commitment to diversity and inclusion by having a faculty and staff that are diverse with respect to gender, race and ethnicity,” according to the ABA’s website.

The law school’s noncompliance only pertains to its full-time and adjunct faculty, according to the notice, which was made by the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

“Hofstra Law is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in legal education and the legal profession and has implemented educational and recruitment efforts that have improved diversity and inclusion at the law school. The law school is continually growing and strengthening these efforts. We take seriously their importance in the ABA accreditation process and will respond appropriately to the concerns raised,” said Gail Prudenti, the school’s dean, in a statement to the National Jurist.

The council has asked Hofstra Law to submit a written report by March 31, which will be reviewed in May. If the school’s report proves compliance with Standard 206, then the Council will find the law school to be in compliance with the standards. If not, the law school would need to appear before the Council at its August meeting.

Ave Maria School of Law, Vermont Law and the University of the District of Columbia are not in compliance with Standard 316, which requires 75% of a school’s graduates to pass the bar within two years, according to their notices.

The three schools were asked to submit a report by Feb. 1 to be reviewed later that month by the Council to see if they meet compliance.

According to the schools’ 509 reports, Ave Maria Law’s ultimate bar passage rate for 2019 graduates was 67.21 percent, UDC Law’s was 66.67 percent and VLS’s was 67.54 percent.

The new standard doesn’t accommodate for issues schools faced in the pandemic with bar exam passage rates, as former dean of UDC Law, Renée McDonald, told the National Jurist earlier this year.

Twinette Johnson, dean at UDC Law, stated that the school’s results were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and that they will be in compliance for the class of 2020.

Julia Brunette Johnson

Julia Brunette Johnson

Julia is a contributing reporter for the National Jurist and preLaw magazines.

Leave a comment

Digital Magazine
Newsletter Signup
OUR SPONSORS

Get unlimited access

Get a premium subscription to the National Jurist for less than $2 a month.