In response to the ongoing consideration of the JD-Next exam as a potential admission test for law schools, the Council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently reaffirmed the need for schools to seek variances for the use of the test. In a meeting that followed a 30-day notice and comment period, the Council reviewed the outcomes of an ABA-commissioned report assessing the reliability of the JD-Next test and comments from the legal community that were split nearly equally on its use.
The report found the exam to be reliable but recommended it be used with caution. Despite its reliability, some in the legal community have raised concerns about its validity and accessibility. As a result, the ABA’s stance remains cautious, with a recommendation for further data gathering and study before affirming the JD-Next as a valid and reliable test for the purposes of Rule 503. The ABA underlines the need for ongoing scrutiny of the JD-Next exam, thereby requiring schools that wish to utilize it to continue seeking a variance.
The legal community’s input was solicited through a 30-day comment period, during which 53-pages of comments were received. These comments represented a near equal split between support for and opposition to the use of the JD-Next exam.
While there remains a stalemate within the community on the use of JD-Next, the ABA Council’s decision signifies a cautious step forward, adhering to due process and taking into account the varied and robust feedback from the field.
To learn more about the ongoing conversation around the JD-Next, you can read the full story at law.com.