Times are changing in the world of law school admissions, with at least 23 institutions, including Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, and Georgetown now accepting GRE scores instead of, or alongside, the long-favored LSAT. What’s more, 25 percent of law schools are currently working on retooling their processes to accept the GRE.

Why the shift? According to administrators, GRE scores are predictive of a student’s success as a 1L and open the legal profession to students with a wider set of skills and backgrounds. The GRE is also offered in a computer format, almost every day of the year, in more than 1,000 places, while the LSAT is not nearly as accessible – it’s offered on paper only and can only be taken four times a year.

However, it’s unlikely the LSAT will become obsolete any time soon. The American Bar Association (ABA) still requires that 90 percent of an entering class at an ABA accredited-law school have an LSAT score.  The Princeton Review keeps a running tally of law schools accepting the GRE.

Morgan Wright

Morgan Wright is a product manager at Fastcase and publisher of RAIL: The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law. She earned her undergraduate degree from Hood College and her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law. She has worked at the Institute for Actual Innocence and the Office of the Capital Defender in Virginia, as well as in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

The post Growing Number of Law Schools Accept GRE Instead of LSAT appeared first on Law Street.

In 2014, Law Street Media released its first set of law school rankings, in response to the changing legal education industry. Law Street Specialty Rankings are a detailed resource for prospective law students as they consider the many law schools across the country. You’ll notice some differences this year, as we return to the categories we first ranked in 2014. This year, we’ve changed the way we do our methodology slightly, to reflect feedback from our readers and the law school community. We’ve also redesigned our look, to make it easier to navigate and compare various schools. But as always, Law Street Specialty Rankings are built to blend the quantitative and qualitative in a way that accurately highlights the top law schools based on specialty programs.

This year’s law school specialty rankings were compiled by Anneliese Mahoney, Alexis Evans, Celia Heudebourg, Gabe Fernandez, James Levinson, Josh Schmidt, and Marcus Dieterle.

1. Harvard Law School: 95 Points

Jobs: 19/20

Harvard Law offers some of the best job prospects for its students in the country. Students can gain experience while still in school by getting involved in the Sports Law Clinic. Harvard Law also offers other hands-on opportunities that touch on entertainment law, including the Recording Artist Project, an in-house student practice organization.

Classes: 25/25

Harvard offers plenty of classes for students interested in entertainment law. Some of the distinctive listings include “Fashion Law Lab,” “Sports and the Law: Examining the Legal History and Evolution of America’s Three ‘Major League’ Sports: MLB, NFL, and NBA,” and “Music and Digital Media.”

Networking: 14/15

Students at Harvard Law can attend an annual sports and entertainment law symposium to network with professionals in their field. Harvard Law also publishes a biannual magazine to keep alumni and other community members engaged.

Extracurriculars: 14/15

The school has a student-run organization called the Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law, which brings students with similar interests together. Students interested in writing about the topic can work with the student-run Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law. 

Location: 13/15

Harvard received a high score in the Location category because of its proximity to Boston, a city that offers great opportunities for aspiring entertainment lawyers.

Other Rankings: 10/10

Harvard’s law school earned a perfect score in this category because of its consistent placement at the top of other organizations’ entertainment law rankings.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Schools for Entertainment Law appeared first on Law Street.

For profit Charlotte School of Law has officially closed its doors, after years of accusations that its predatory model was harming students. The office of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein confirmed that the school is closed, and its license to operate in the state has lapsed.

Charlotte Law was a for profit law school, struggling in a time when for profit institutions are under increasing scrutiny. Charlotte Law, along with Arizona Summit Law School and Florida Coastal School of Law are owned by the same company, InfiLaw.

Charlotte Law was on probation with the American Bar Association, and had been cut off from federal aid by the Obama Administration’s Department of Education. The school was also in hot water with the state of North Carolina. Accusations about Charlotte Law mostly focused on the fact that it wasn’t actually providing its students with what it promised. Less than one-fifth of students pass the bar exam, and many have had a difficult time securing legal jobs. According to required disclosures to the ABA, only 80 of the 340 graduates from 2016 have found permanent, full time jobs that require bar exam passage.

It’s unclear what will happen to students who were enrolled at the school, and the debt that many of them hold. Current students would be able to have their federal loans canceled. Anyone who withdrew from the school in the last four months can have their debt discharged, but not those who withdrew before that. AG Stein has written to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, asking that loan forgiveness be expanded for Charlotte Law students. Over 90 percent of Charlotte Law students have taken out federal loans.

Charlotte Law is the second law school to see its door shuttered this year. Whittier Law closed earlier this year, although with seemingly more warning and with more plans in place to deal with students that were already enrolled. Whittier was the first ABA accredited law school to shut down in more than 30 years.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Charlotte School of Law Closes appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best!

Darkness

What friends and family generally tell law students after a year or two in law school. pic.twitter.com/wguaikqaUL

— florin hilbay (@fthilbay) August 7, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

In 2014, Law Street Media released its first set of law school rankings, in response to the changing legal education industry. Law Street Specialty Rankings are a detailed resource for prospective law students as they consider the many law schools across the country. You’ll notice some differences this year, as we return to the categories we first ranked in 2014. This year, we’ve changed the way we do our methodology slightly, to reflect feedback from our readers and the law school community. We’ve also redesigned our look, to make it easier to navigate and compare various schools. But as always, Law Street Specialty Rankings are built to blend the quantitative and qualitative in a way that accurately highlights the top law schools based on specialty programs.

This year’s law school specialty rankings were compiled by Anneliese Mahoney, Alexis Evans, Celia Heudebourg, Gabe Fernandez, James Levinson, Josh Schmidt, and Marcus Dieterle.

1. University of California, Berkeley, School of Law: 93 Points

Jobs: 17/20

Berkeley has a strong record of providing its students with post-graduation job placements. Additionally, the school is home to an environmental law clinic, allowing students to practice while furthering their studies.

Classes: 23/25

Berkeley offers students interested in environmental law the opportunity to choose from a large selection of courses and seminars, which include “Water Law” and “The Law of Hazardous Waste.” Students can also gain practical research and professional experience through the law school’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment.

Networking: 15/15

UC Berkeley offers a number of seminars and events for students to take advantage of, including a discussion about racial and economic disparities in environmental law and a panel about environmental law careers at the state and local level.

Extracurriculars: 15/15

Berkeley Law offers multiple organizations for students interested in environmental or energy law. In addition to the Environmental Law Society, students interested in advocacy or social justice can join the Students for Environmental and Economic Justice group. Those interested in journal opportunities can submit articles to the Ecology Law Quarterly.

Location: 13/15

Berkeley received a favorable score in the Location category because of its proximity to cities like Oakland and San Francisco, which offer great opportunities for aspiring lawyers.

Other Rankings: 10/10

UC Berkeley’s law school earned a perfect score in this category because of its consistent placement at the top of other organizations’ environmental law rankings.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Schools for Environmental and Energy Law appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best!

Good GOT Comparison

Them: “How were you able to survive law school?”
Me: pic.twitter.com/4nLE3KC750

— Your Lawyer Says (@YourLawyerSays) August 3, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

The California Supreme Court has decided that it’s time to change the state’s notoriously difficult bar exam after observing very low passage rates for the past few years compared to other states.

The state’s passing score, referred to as the “cut score,” has been set at 144. California has the second highest score to pass nationwide behind only Delaware. Last year 62 percent of applicants passed. Other states, like New York, saw a rate around 80 percent, according to the New York Times.

The changes, which will take effect in January, will give the California Supreme Court the ability to change the “cut score,” according to the ABA Journal. The court will have the authority to appoint 10 of the 19 members of the committee of bar examiners. The court amended the California Rules of Court to expand its power, dictating that it “must set the passing score of the examination.” The Supreme Court justices could make the decision soon and retroactively apply them to last month’s exams, according to the New York Times.

Some businesses that prepare law students for the bar exam called the move “unprecedented.” But according to Erica Moeser, president of the National Conference of Bar Examiners, this action isn’t out of the ordinary. Instead, it will bring California in line with other states. “Virtually all state supreme courts exercise their inherent authority to regulate the admission of lawyers more closely than has appeared to be the case in California,” she said.

In February the state bar received a letter from 20 California law school deans advocating a scoring change, which prompted the group to launch the study.

The court was further compelled to act after the University of California Hastings College of the Law Dean complained to the California Committee of Bar Examiners. Dean David Faigman called the steep standard “outrageous and constitutes unconscionable conduct on the part of a trade association that masquerades as a state agency” after only 51 percent of his school’s graduates qualified.

Robert Anderson, a professor of corporate law at Pepperdine School of Law, who studied the 10 most difficult state bar exams in 2013, concluded that California had the most difficult exam even if its score standard was lower than Delaware’s, according to the New York Times. Anderson recommended lowering the score to 133, the same as New York. That change would mean that 87 percent of test-takers would pass, according to ABA Journal.

There are still people who advocate for the high standard when certifying lawyers. Supporters believe that the high cut score protects citizens from unprepared lawyers and continues a tradition of accepting only very qualified candidates.

California is home to plenty of prestigious law schools–ranging from Stanford in the northern part of the state to UCLA in the southern part–so it trains many law students. If California feels as though young law students are fleeing the state to get easily certified elsewhere, a change makes sense. The strict standards have been part of the California Bar Association’s reputation for a while now but for a state that is home to economic hubs for entertainment and technology, it’s important to retain talent.

Josh Schmidt

Josh Schmidt is an editorial intern and is a native of the Washington D.C Metropolitan area. He is working towards a degree in multi-platform journalism with a minor in history at nearby University of Maryland. Contact Josh at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Is the California Bar Exam About to Get Easier? appeared first on Law Street.

Blanking?

bar exam: when does the security interest attach?
me: the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell,

— Legally Hog (@squierzz) July 23, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

In 2014, Law Street Media released its first set of law school rankings, in response to the changing legal education industry. Law Street Specialty Rankings are a detailed resource for prospective law students as they consider the many law schools across the country. You’ll notice some differences this year, as we return to the categories we first ranked in 2014. This year, we’ve changed the way we do our methodology slightly, to reflect feedback from our readers and the law school community. We’ve also redesigned our look, to make it easier to navigate and compare various schools. But as always, Law Street Specialty Rankings are built to blend the quantitative and qualitative in a way that accurately highlights the top law schools based on specialty programs.

This year’s law school specialty rankings were compiled by Anneliese Mahoney, Alexis Evans, Celia Heudebourg, Gabe Fernandez, James Levinson, Josh Schmidt, and Marcus Dieterle.

1. New York University School of Law: 99 Points

Jobs: 19/20

Job prospects for students at NYU are some of the best in the country. There are also great opportunities for students to gain vital career experience–for example, NYU Law is home to a Business Law Transactions Clinic.

Classes: 25/25

NYU offers a wide selection of courses for students interested in business law. The curriculum draws from the campus’s location near New York City’s financial district to incorporate real-world opportunities. Students can also take relevant courses at the prestigious Stern School of Business.

Networking: 15/15

In addition to business law symposia, NYU has held events on topics like class action litigation and international business law. NYU also utilizes social media to help keep its alumni in touch after graduation.

Extracurriculars: 15/15

 NYU Law offers several great extracurriculars for students interested in pursuing a career in business law. The school has the Law and Business Association and Journal of Law and Business. Students can also participate in various moot court competitions.

Location: 15/15

It’s no surprise that NYU Law, located in the world’s preeminent financial hub, received a perfect score for its location.

Other Rankings: 10/10

New York University’s Law School got the highest possible score in this metric because of its frequent appearances on other business law rankings.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Business Law appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to our best legal tweets of the week–with some special bar exam entries this time around!

Fantastic Advice

If you know folks who are studying for the bar exam, take the time to encourage them. Even better, send them care packages.

— Chief Judge Dillard (@JudgeDillard) July 17, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week: Bar Exam Edition appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best!

It’s That Time of Year

Bar review got me like… #barprep #barreview #ownthebar #isitover pic.twitter.com/IimRBEIfk8

— Angela (@ang_kuhlee) June 29, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

In 2014, Law Street Media released its first set of law school rankings, in response to the changing legal education industry. Law Street Specialty Rankings are a detailed resource for prospective law students as they consider the many law schools across the country. You’ll notice some differences this year, as we return to the categories we first ranked in 2014. This year, we’ve changed the way we do our methodology slightly, to reflect feedback from our readers and the law school community. We’ve also redesigned our look, to make it easier to navigate and compare various schools. But as always, Law Street Specialty Rankings are built to blend the quantitative and qualitative in a way that accurately highlights the top law schools based on specialty programs.

This year’s law school specialty rankings were compiled by Anneliese Mahoney, Alexis Evans, Celia Heudebourg, Gabe Fernandez, James Levinson, Josh Schmidt, and Marcus Dieterle.

Previous Years

• Law School Specialty Rankings 2016
• Law School Specialty Rankings 2015
• Law School Specialty Rankings 2014

Images courtesy of Ryan Franklin; Hamza Butt; Perzonseo Webbyra; Scott Meis; Jeffrey Smith; g4ll4is; Sam Howzit

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Law School Specialty Rankings 2017 appeared first on Law Street.

In 2014, Law Street Media released its first set of law school rankings, in response to the changing legal education industry. Law Street Specialty Rankings are a detailed resource for prospective law students as they consider the many law schools across the country. You’ll notice some differences this year, as we return to the categories we first ranked in 2014. This year, we’ve changed the way we do our methodology slightly, to reflect feedback from our readers and the law school community. We’ve also redesigned our look, to make it easier to navigate and compare various schools. But as always, Law Street Specialty Rankings are built to blend the quantitative and qualitative in a way that accurately highlights the top law schools based on specialty programs.

This year’s law school specialty rankings were compiled by Anneliese Mahoney, Alexis Evans, Celia Heudebourg, Gabe Fernandez, James Levinson, Josh Schmidt, and Marcus Dieterle.

1. IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law: 95 Points

Jobs: 20/20

Employment prospects for students at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law are excellent, particularly for students interested in intellectual property. To prepare students for life after graduation, it has an IP clinic where students are able to work with attorneys from K&L Gates LLP.

Classes: 25/25

The curriculum at Chicago-Kent offers dozens of IP-related courses per year. Beyond the foundational courses, interested students can take one of the many science and technology-focused classes such as “Computer and Network Privacy and Security: Ethical, Legal, and Technical Considerations.”

Networking: 15/15

From an annual Supreme Court IP review conference to colloquia and book talks with IP-focused speakers, Chicago-Kent provides numerous networking opportunities for students interested in IP.

Extracurriculars: 15/15

The school offers an Intellectual Property society as well as the student-run Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property. The journal is dedicated to discussions on the fundamental elements of IP law and changes in the industry as new technology emerges.

Location: 14/15

The private university located in Chicago, Illinois provides numerous opportunities for students interested in pursuing IP law outside of the classroom.

Other Rankings: 6/10

Chicago-Kent received modest recognition from other rankings, giving it six points.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Intellectual Property Law appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets from this week!

Good Advice

In law school, you have to embrace the thought that “Reading is life.”@YourLawyerSays

— LeunammeGayle (@Lyooname) June 22, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Which legal tweets made the cut this week? Check out the best here:

A Deep Hole

Me falling down a hearsay rabbit hole. I don’t know what I’m doing with life. How did I ever pass a bar exam? pic.twitter.com/n9Rz1bhqVC

— KC. (@legallyKjo) May 30, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets of the week!

Fun Party Guest!

My party trick is pointing out everything the hosts could be liable for. #lawyerlife

— Bad Legal LLP (@BadLegalLLP) May 24, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best of this week!

Everyone Probably Needs That

Dear #barexam preppers, #twitter has decided to go offline so you can study. You’re welcome. –Twitter Tech Support pic.twitter.com/WkCrWz3o3k

— lawprofblawg (@lawprofblawg) May 19, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Trump’s new education budget draft appears to have an upsetting provision for many holders of student loans who work for the government and non-profit sector–it gets rid of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The program is supposed to forgive balances of student loans for those who work in certain positions, like teachers, government lawyers, law enforcement officers, and social workers, as long as they make on-time payments for 10 years and fit certain other guidelines.

The logic behind the program is that those who qualify for it give up more lucrative future careers to work in civil service, and should be given some sort of benefit for making that choice. For example, a public defender earns an average of about $60,000 a year. First year associate jobs at Big Law firms, in contrast, are paid an annual salary of up to $180,000 at this point. Under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that public defender, as long as she pays her loans on time and in full, could qualify for loan forgiveness in 10 years.

The program is relatively new. The first “wave” of people who would qualify for loan forgiveness will hit their 10-year mark in October. At this point it’s unclear if the Trump Administration could affect the program for those who are already enrolled or if it would only shut down the program moving forward. Currently, there over half a million borrowers signed up.

Overall the Department of Education budget would be slashed by $10.6 billion, according to the Washington Post, which obtained a copy. Those cuts are seemingly welcomed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has consistently said that the federal government needs to step back from its involvement in education.

In addition to the cessation of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the proposed budget also slashes or completely eliminates funding for college work-study programs, mental health services in schools, after-school programs, arts education programs, programs for gifted students, international language programs, organizations that provide childcare to parents in school, career and technical education, and Special Olympics education programs, among many others.

Of course, the Trump Administration isn’t cutting everything. In fact, Devos’ pet causes of school vouchers and charter schools will receive more funding.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Will the Trump Administration End Public Service Loan Forgiveness? appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best!

We Have to Go Back

Looking at law school like: pic.twitter.com/MTPtQTTha5

— Michael Tofte (@TofteMichael) May 13, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

For months, journalists and law school professors speculated about where Tiffany Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter from his second marriage, would end up for law school. Though she toured Harvard, Columbia, and New York University, no one was certain where she had applied or been accepted.

But on Monday, officials at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. confirmed that Trump had “taken all the steps to enroll” in their law school.

Trump is somewhat following in the footsteps of her older half siblings. Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s second son from his first marriage, graduated from Georgetown with a finance and management degree. The president’s oldest daughter Ivanka, also from his first marriage, attended Georgetown for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School. Like her half sister, father, and half brother, Donald Trump Jr., Tiffany Trump attended the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate.

In a Washington Post article published this March, writer Roxanne Roberts questioned whether or not Trump’s family name would boost her chances of getting into an elite school. U.S. News and World Report ranked Georgetown Law as one of the country’s top 20 law schools–it is tied for 15th place with the University of California-Los Angeles. With an acceptance rate of 26.4 percent, it is also highly competitive.

But Trump is forging her own path in a few ways. While her siblings and father all studied business, she opted to major in sociology. She is also the first of the president’s children to pursue law school.

The choice in law school also means that Trump, who had mostly kept a low profile throughout her father’s campaign, will now be in close proximity to the White House.

How will Trump’s classmates and professors treat her when she gets there? Her father’s policies have made him unpopular with a number of Georgetown students. In March, the university joined more than 30 other schools opposing the president’s immigration ban in a Virginia circuit court. Last month, Georgetown hosted a panel featuring presidential adviser Sebastian Gorka, who left early when student protesters in attendance started asking questions about Donald Trump’s spread of fake news and attitude toward the Muslim community.

Not to mention the fact that officials at a handful of law schools around the country, including Georgetown, are seeing increased interest in the profession from students in response to Donald Trump and the numerous lawsuits that have been filed against his administration. When it comes to Trump’s immigration ban or his overseas business ties, lawyers have been a key part of resisting his policies and trying to hold him accountable.

Victoria Sheridan

Victoria is an editorial intern at Law Street. She is a senior journalism major and French minor at George Washington University. She’s also an editor at GW’s student newspaper, The Hatchet. In her free time, she is either traveling or planning her next trip abroad. Contact Victoria at VSheridan@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Tiffany Trump Chooses Georgetown Law appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets this week:

Cool Law School Prof Entry

If my 1Ls are reading this , they are FINISHED WITH THEIR FIRST YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL EXAMS! Congratulations–it’s party time!/1 pic.twitter.com/KRCSPiD2xO

— Rachel Gurvich (@RachelGurvich) May 5, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Sponsored Content

Dreaming of a dynamic legal career that means that you get to brush shoulders with celebrities, immerse yourself in art, or sit courtside at a big game? You might not realize that one thing your favorite pastimes have in common is that they simply wouldn’t be able to exist without lawyers.

Entertainment, Arts, and Sports lawyers are employed for a bunch of different reasons to make sure that our favorite hobbies go off without a hitch. Check out 10 awesome jobs that require Entertainment, Art, and Sports lawyers in the slideshow below. And if you’re interested in learning more about how to become an Entertainment, Arts, or Sports lawyer, check out the University of Miami School of Law’s LL.M program.

Video Game Lawyer

Image courtesy of Mark Bonica; License: (CC BY 2.0)

Yeah, that’s actually a thing. And it’s pretty cool. Like most other jobs in Entertainment law, it incorporates working with contracts, as well as navigating IP law. According to Ryan Morrision, an actual, live “video game lawyer,” a lot of his work involves providing legal help to small startups with cool ideas for games and apps. They often need help with things like incorporating, legally hiring freelancers to do some of the work, trademarking their games, and setting up privacy policies.

University of Miami School of Law

The University of Miami School of Law’s mission is to foster the intellectual discipline, creativity, and critical skills that will prepare its graduates for the highest standards of professional competence in the practice of law in a global environment subject to continual–and not always predictable–transformation; to cultivate a broad range of legal and interdisciplinary scholarship that, working at the cutting edge of its field, enhances the development of law and legal doctrine, and deepens society’s understanding of law and its role in society; and to fulfill the legal profession’s historic duty to promote the interests of justice. Visit www.law.miami.edu for more information. The University of Miami School of Law is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post 10 Awesome Jobs for Entertainment, Arts, or Sports Lawyers appeared first on Law Street.

Charlotte School of Law has had a rough couple of months. Last November, the school was placed on probation by the American Bar Association for low test scores and lax admissions policies. A few months later, the federal government withdrew its financial aid to the school’s students, as part of an Obama Administration crackdown on for-profit schools.

Now, the state of North Carolina is opening an investigation into the school, POLITICO has reported. According to a spokeswoman for Attorney General Josh Stein, state officials are “investigating the school under the state’s civil consumer protection laws.”

Whether or not the school will remain open is still uncertain. During the fall semester, there were 716 students enrolled at the school, a number that has dropped to about 220 since the government announce it would stop granting loans to students.

President Barack Obama’s administration began targeting for-profit higher education in 2015, in an effort to make sure colleges and universities don’t attract students by misleading them about how much money they will earn after graduation, only to leave them in debt from steep tuition prices. In one of its earlier measures, the Department of Education required colleges to start monitoring their graduates’ debt, earnings, and jobs.

Charlotte is now looking to President Donald Trump’s administration in hopes that it will be able to reclaim the money it lost. The Department of Education recently urged the school to re-apply for funding, in spite of criticism from Stein. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has a reputation for supporting for-profit educational organizations.

The school landed on the ABA’s probation list in the fall after receiving criticism for low bar exam passage rates and a pattern of admitting students that were unqualified or unlikely to succeed. In January, the DOE announced that current and future students at the school would no longer be eligible for federal aid, after the school’s leaders and education department officials failed to agree on a plan to address its issues. Charlotte refused to implement a “teach out” plan that would allow students to continue their studies at a different accredited institution. Such a system would have required the school to close permanently.

In late January, more than 150 students filed lawsuits against Charlotte in an effort to win back the money they had spent on tuition and recover damages for the shortage of job prospects they faced.

Charlotte is the first accredited school to lose its access to federal aid. InfiLaw, the corporation that owns the school, also owns Arizona Summit Law School, which was placed on ABA probation for similar reasons in March.

Victoria Sheridan

Victoria is an editorial intern at Law Street. She is a senior journalism major and French minor at George Washington University. She’s also an editor at GW’s student newspaper, The Hatchet. In her free time, she is either traveling or planning her next trip abroad. Contact Victoria at VSheridan@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post The Charlotte School of Law Saga Continues: North Carolina AG Investigates the School appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best.

That is the Question

If Shakespeare was a law student during final exams:
To sleep or not to sleep? @YourLawyerSays

— Bong Pagara (@BongofZamboanga) April 20, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

On Wednesday it was announced that Whittier College’s law school–located in Costa Mesa in Southern California–will be discontinuing its program. As the school’s board of trustees announced on Wednesday, Whittier would not be accepting a law class for Fall 2017.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, the school’s spokeswoman Ana Lilia Barraza said that the school will develop a plan to ensure that students who already enrolled will finish their degrees. According to the National Jurist, most schools in Whittier’s situation file for something called a “teach out” with the Department of Education, which would allow for a school that is closing to help enrolled students finish their programs while not losing certain federal loan options. However, Whittier has not yet begun the  process for filing for a teach out.

The reason for Whittier Law’s closing looks like it may be due to a mix of factors including its discouraging post-grad employment numbers amongst its students, its shockingly low percentage of students who pass California’s bar exam, and its rapidly decreasing admittance rates. According to the Orange County Register, Whittier law school graduates who found full-time employment in 2015 was less than half the national average, the percentage of first-time takers of the California bar exam was almost 40 percent less than the average among other law school campuses in the state, and over the past couple of years, the small school has seen its number of admitted students drop from 1,579 students admitted in 2013 to 934 in 2016.

The closing will make Whittier Law the first American Bar Association accredited law school to shut down in three decades, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We believe we have looked at every realistic option to continue a successful law program” reads an official message from the chairman of the Whittier Board of Trustees. “I appreciate the gravity of this decision and its impact on the lives of all those who belong to the Law School community.”

Austin Elias-De Jesus

Austin is an editorial intern at Law Street Media. He is a junior at The George Washington University majoring in Political Communication. You can usually find him reading somewhere. If you can’t find him reading, he’s probably taking a walk. Contact Austin at Staff@Lawstreetmedia.com.

The post Whittier College’s Law School Set to Close appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s picks!

Whoops

*drives to library to take a practice LSAT*
*forgets LSAT book*

Goodbye pic.twitter.com/mR5JlDwMso

— Ashley Courtney (@ashcourtalways) April 12, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best tweets!

Rough

Finals coming at me like….. #lawschoolproblems #1L #2L #3L #lawstudent #finals pic.twitter.com/imhRVTfjdM

— I’m Dead Inside (@LawlzSchool) April 3, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Same

I love when college kids are like “I’m gonna graduate, go to law school, get married, and then buy a house by 25.” Like lol okay good luck.

— Catie Warren (@catie__warren) March 30, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Arizona Summit Law School is the latest institution in trouble with the American Bar Association (ABA) for low bar exam passage rates.

The ABA has placed the school–which has recently seen bar passage rates for first-time test takers fall to 25 percent–on probation. This is a significant drop from the school’s 2008 passage rate of 97 percent. The association also cited Summit’s admissions policies as a reason for the probation.

Summit Law School has until May 15 to develop a plan to improve its students’ test results in accordance with the ABA standards, which require that at least 75 percent of a law school’s graduates pass the bar within five years of graduation.

The ABA has been getting tough on law schools recently. Charlotte School of Law in North Carolina, which is owned by the same for-profit company that owns Summit, was placed on probation in November and lost its federal funding in February. In order for students to be eligible for loans from the government, their schools must be ABA-accredited. Charlotte landed in hot water with the association after admitting too many unqualified students who were unable to pass the bar or pursue careers in the field post-graduation.

In February, the association even considered tightening its standards for accredited schools. A proposed revision would have required 75 percent of graduates pass a bar exam within two years instead of five, but this proposal failed. Students and law school deans across the country challenged the idea of imposing stricter criteria, saying that it would limit diversity in schools and eventually the profession. Summit is especially cognizant of these concerns, as 43 percent of its students are minorities.

Last August, the ABA gave the Ave Maria School of Law in Florida a list of measures it would have to undertake to improve its school, and in November it publicly censured the Valparaiso School of Law in Indiana.

One explanation for the ABA’s crackdown on under-performing schools could be because it faces the possibility of losing its accreditation power. Last June, a Department of Education advisory committee suggested that the association’s authority to accredit schools be suspended for a year because of low student achievement.

Victoria Sheridan

Victoria is an editorial intern at Law Street. She is a senior journalism major and French minor at George Washington University. She’s also an editor at GW’s student newspaper, The Hatchet. In her free time, she is either traveling or planning her next trip abroad. Contact Victoria at VSheridan@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post American Bar Association Places a Second Law School on Probation appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best legal tweets!

Congrats!

Wow left work on time every night this week, must be a new personal record #lawyerlife #friyay

— Christina Olliver (@C_L_Olliver) March 24, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

This Fits

My #BarPrep gives dating advice. pic.twitter.com/OL8694xkmN

— Kitty (@mskittenfish) March 17, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best tweets from the legal sphere!

Oh no!

When you start the day with a client in custody and a wardrobe malfunction you know it’s going to be an interesting one. #lawyerlife

— Maria K. Powell (@mapleandspice) March 10, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Will Tiffany Trump’s family name help or hurt her chances of getting into law school?

It’s a question that some people are asking about the first daughter. In a recent article, the Washington Post’s Roxanne Roberts weighed whether President Donald Trump’s youngest daughter would have a harder time getting into her preferred law school because of her controversial father–or if her high-profile connections could land her a spot at Harvard, Columbia, or New York University (which she toured recently), or any other school to which she might have applied.

Last year, Tiffany Trump published an image of her practice Law School Admission Test (LSAT) on Instagram which, according to the Post, revealed multiple wrong answers. But even if she aces the entrance exam, which she took in December, and is accepted to a top institution based on her qualifications, Roberts noted that Trump will still face accusations that she only got in because of her connections. As an undergrad, Trump attended University of Pennsylvania, the institution from which her father and her sister Ivanka also graduated.

Donald Trump himself has been criticized, particularly during the election season, for relying on family connections to advance his career, which differs from narratives he has pushed about being a self-made business man. He drew a lot of attention at the beginning of the campaign season for saying that he started off with “a small loan of a million dollars” from his own father, real estate mogul Fred Trump.

Since taking office, President Trump even faced accusations of nepotism when he hired his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Ivanka’s husband, as one of his advisers. Ivanka has also been very involved in the White House, often joining meetings with foreign leaders and other conferences.

If Tiffany Trump winds up at an elite law school, she’ll be joining a long list of first daughters and sons who attended prestigious institutions. Most recently, former President Barack Obama’s daughter Malia Obama announced she would be enrolling at Harvard University next fall.

Victoria Sheridan

Victoria is an editorial intern at Law Street. She is a senior journalism major and French minor at George Washington University. She’s also an editor at GW’s student newspaper, The Hatchet. In her free time, she is either traveling or planning her next trip abroad. Contact Victoria at VSheridan@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Where Will Tiffany Trump End Up for Law School? appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s picks!

Well, it’s 5 Somewhere

Sign of my day: I wondered out loud, perhaps with expletives, whether 9am was too early to start drinking. #lawyerlife #lawyerlifesuuuucks

— Steph Williams (@steffers13) March 2, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best!

Creative Metaphors

The LSAT is like eating an oatmeal raisin cookie or chugging a bottle of vodka thinking its water or making out in a Taco Bell parking lot

— Shannan M. Brown (@ShaN___B) February 25, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets of this week!

What’s That?

Prof to class: “Do yall even know what a typewriter IS?” #notthatyoung #lawschoolproblems

— Katie Grosskopf (@KatieGrosskopf) February 15, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets this week!

Extinction

Me turning the page to the LSAT Logic Games section: pic.twitter.com/U3nLA049JR

— Will Shelden (@trillshelden) February 4, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Sponsored Content

Do you read every article you can find about the Tidal lawsuits? Are you fascinated by the legal effort to recover art stolen by the Nazis during World War II? Do you have strong feelings about the legal side of “Deflategate?” Do you want a legal career that’s dynamic, fast-paced, and challenging? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, a career in Entertainment, Arts, or Sports law may be something to consider.

These specialties incorporate a wide range of legal disciplines, including IP and Copyright law, Contract law, and Labor law. And without the behind-the-scenes work of the lawyers who specialize in these fields, our favorite music, TV shows, movies, sports, and art would be unrecognizable. So, how do you get started? The University of Miami School of Law, home to the unique Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M program, has the answer. Read on to learn more.

A Primer on Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law

First things first: what are we talking about here? These fields, while distinct, are certainly related. But it’s still important to understand some of the nuances.

What is Entertainment Law? 

There’s no set-in-stone definition of exactly what Entertainment law constitutes, but in many ways it involves the application of legal concepts to real world problems. Entertainment lawyers deal with a myriad of legal issues arising from the entertainment and performing arts industry, including TV, movies, radio, theater, and publishing. It can include anything from working on contracts for performers or employers, to filing trademarks, confronting First Amendment issues, and dealing with lawsuits involving those in the entertainment industry. According to Miami Law:

Although entertainment lawyers might represent ‘talent,’ such as directors, actors or musicians, they more often advise companies that produce and distribute entertainment content, license celebrity brands, purchase and sell motion picture or music publishing catalogues, raise or invest debt and equity capital, and purchase and sell companies engaged in one or more of such activities.

Entertainment law is fast-paced and multi-dimensional, and can incorporate many legal questions that a lot of us probably don’t even think about on a daily basis. For example, imagine some of the legal issues that go into creating a movie:

• Actors, writers, and workers on the movie will need contracts to be negotiated. The presence of unions–for example the Screen Actors Guild–may also mean that labor law considerations are in the mix.
• Music used in the movie will need to be properly licensed.
• Marketing materials for the movie, including catchphrases, may need to be trademarked.
• Say the movie involves a “real life story” or biography–an attorney may be needed to deal with any defamation lawsuits that arise.

This list is by no means dispositive, but it goes to show that there are a lot of moving parts that go into what we see as final products in entertainment–and many of them require lawyers.

What is Arts Law?

Like Entertainment law, Arts law exists at a large intersection of legal issues, largely focused on the creation, ownership, and business of art. Intellectual Property law plays a large part–as art depends on the creation of unique work–but Estate and Property law, Contract law, Torts, and other areas factor in as well.

According to Miami Law:

Today, art lawyers work in law firms, museums, auction houses, and financial institutions. Works of art are bought and sold, implicating issues of good title and authenticity; loaned from museums to galleries and other museums, implicating insurance and contract matters; travel internationally for both commercial and private purposes, implicating international treaties and customs laws and regulations; and are often important assets in decedents’ estates, implicating tax and estate planning concerns. An art lawyer must be able to navigate this complex terrain of legal concepts and practical strategies.

Let’s look at an example, like we did with Entertainment law. What might you need to consider if you’re providing legal counsel to an artist?

• Contract law comes into play if the artist wants to be represented in any galleries.
• The artist may be able to receive royalties if their art is used for commercial purposes, or if someone uses the artist’s art without their permission, intellectual property rights could protect them.
• Artists sometimes become involved in performance art as public protests–First Amendment considerations may be at issue.

If any of those hypothetical issues piqued your interest, maybe Arts law is a discipline that you would want to consider.

What is Sports Law?

Sports law, like its Entertainment and Arts law counterparts, also sees a mix of legal principles and factors. Sports lawyers can represent players in the sports industry, including professional and amateur athletes, venues, organizations and teams, and companies that work with athletes or teams.

According to Miami Law:

Sports lawyers usually require knowledge of various areas of law including: contracts, labor, antitrust, tax, intellectual property and media law. To represent sports industry clients, a lawyer also needs strong contract negotiation and drafting skills in addition to an understanding of the arbitration process. Other areas of law, like immigration, can also come into play for foreign athletes and international leagues or clubs.

Let’s try our “day in the life” exercise with Sports law. Let’s say that you represent a team. Here are some questions that could come up:

• You’ll be needed to draft contracts for the athletes who join the team.
• In the cases of international athletes, you may need to deal with Immigration law to ensure that they are able to work in the United States.
• If an athlete gets injured in the course of a game, he may sue the organization he’s playing for.
• A team’s logo and mascot can be trademarked, and you may need to deal with infringing uses on unlicensed merchandise.

Needless to say, there’s no guarantee that any given sports lawyer will deal with those exact issues. But it’s important to note that Sports law, just like Entertainment law and Arts law, requires lawyers who enjoy working in an unpredictable and quickly evolving field.

You’ve Convinced Me–I want to be an Entertainment, Arts, or Sports Lawyer. Where do I start?

Miami Law’s LL.M in Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law can help you make that dream a reality. The program is designed for working lawyers who want to narrow their focus on one of these specialties or students who have already received their law degrees abroad. An LL.M can provide the leg up you need in a competitive environment. The clients you’ll represent–whether it’s an actor, artist, athlete, venue, or company–need to know that you have the wide breadth of legal knowledge to help confront whatever problem they run into. A focused LL.M could make it clear that you have that expertise.

Why Miami Law?

Miami Law’s LL.M program offers some unparalleled perks to get you on the right track.

Location, Location, Location 

Miami is a vibrant, bustling city that serves as an epicenter for entertainment, art, and sports. Miami is home to a number of entertainment production companies, including Telemundo, Univision, HBO Latin America, Viacom International, Sony, and BBC Latin America. The art scene in Miami features many galleries and museums; the city has traditionally been known for its art deco flair. And don’t forget–Miami is home to the Miami Heat, the Miami Dolphins, and the Miami Marlins, in addition to countless amateur and college teams.

Connections are Key 

Who are some Miami alums in the fields of Entertainment, Arts, or Sports law? Take, for example, Horacio Gutierrez, class of ’98. He now serves as General Counsel for Spotify, one of the fastest-growing music streaming services in the world. In the field of Sports law, Dennis Curran is a Miami Law alum, class of ’75. He currently serves as the Senior Vice-President and General Counsel for the NFL Management Council, which represents the 32 teams in the NFL. And Professor Stephen K. Urice, the Director of the Arts law track, comes from a background in arts and museum law–at one point he directed the national culture program at The Pew Charitable Trusts. Miami Law’s faculty, staff, and alumni can help you bridge the gap between your education and getting involved in the job of your dreams.

Hands-On Experience

Miami Law provides its LL.M students with unparalleled hands-on experience. Each of the three tracks–Entertainment law, Art law, and Sports law–requires a practicum component that will give them experience in the field. For example, Maria Jose Rivera, a student in the LL.M program, is completing her practicum requirement at the NBC Universal Telemundo. She describes her work as a fall legal intern to the Telemundo Network with Music Affairs, saying:

I want to get to counsel and represent television and motion picture productions in all legal aspects. Whenever I walk into a studio set, I get thrills by seeing it and hearing in all in real life. I see the drafting of agreements as creating the safeguards to making those audiovisual productions come strong from a legal standpoint.

And she described her experience with the LL.M program as a whole, saying:

The program has helped me get there by not only placing me into the real practice but by granting me the privilege to work with and learn from these role models I look up to professionally. I’m drafting and negotiating agreements for the first time while being challenged to develop the skills that are in demand when becoming an effective lawyer in the entertainment industries.

So, are you ready to make a change, and work on something you’re truly passionate about? Consider Entertainment, Arts, or Sports Law. It’s a growing and exciting field, and it’s time for you to take the plunge.

Resources

Primary

Miami Law: LL.M. in Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law

Miami Law: Entertainment Track

Miami Law: Art Track

Miami Law: Sports Track 

Additional

LexisNexis: Researching Entertainment Law

ABA: What Is Sports Law and Who Is a Sports Lawyer?

Lawyers for the Creative Arts: Legal Issues in Film Production

University of Miami School of Law

The University of Miami School of Law’s mission is to foster the intellectual discipline, creativity, and critical skills that will prepare its graduates for the highest standards of professional competence in the practice of law in a global environment subject to continual–and not always predictable–transformation; to cultivate a broad range of legal and interdisciplinary scholarship that, working at the cutting edge of its field, enhances the development of law and legal doctrine, and deepens society’s understanding of law and its role in society; and to fulfill the legal profession’s historic duty to promote the interests of justice. Visit www.law.miami.edu for more information. The University of Miami School of Law is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post What Does it Take to Become an Entertainment, Arts, or Sports Lawyer? appeared first on Law Street.

If you were living under a rock last week, Beyoncé announced she’s pregnant with twins! But that’s probably not all that you missed. Trump’s hiring freeze could affect lawyers, a mosque attack in Quebec left six dead, and we’ve got a guide to finding the best value law school for you. ICYMI, check out the best of the week below!

How to Find the Best Value Law School for You

Each year, tens of thousands of law school students graduate, take the bar (or choose not to), and look for work. But law school is not cheap, and it’s no secret that a lot of students take out massive student loans in order to finance their education. According to the most recent data from the American Bar Association, average debt for a student who attends a private institution is $122,158, and average debt for a student who attends a public law school is $84,600. Check out our guide on how to find the best value law school for you.

How Will Trump’s Hiring Freeze Affect New Lawyers?

On January 23, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting all government hiring. The move drew criticism from those who argue the freeze would disrupt crucial government services and programs. The freeze prohibits every federal agency, excluding those related to the military, public safety, and public health, from hiring new employees.

Attack at Quebec Mosque Leaves Six Dead, Five in Critical Condition

A shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada on Sunday evening left six people dead, and over a dozen people injured; at least five are in critical condition. Witnesses said two gunmen, both dressed in black, entered the mosque and began firing indiscriminately into the crowd of worshippers. Early Monday morning, police said they took two men into custody, but a few hours later, said one of the suspects was a witness, and the other is now considered the sole gunman.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ICYMI: Best of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets of the week:

Modern Struggles

People online talking about the First Amendment and I’m here trying not to WELL ACTUALLY every darn comment. #lawyerproblems pic.twitter.com/j5UWVuiCQ8

— k. (@karlyn_darlin) February 3, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Sponsored Content

Each year, tens of thousands of law school students graduate, take the bar (or choose not to), and look for work. But law school is not cheap, and it’s no secret that a lot of students take out massive student loans in order to finance their education. According to the most recent data from the American Bar Association, average debt for a student who attends a private institution is $122,158, and average debt for a student who attends a public law school is $84,600.

But that doesn’t mean that if you want to go to law school, you’re automatically signing yourself up for a life of paying back loans. There are ways to lower that bill, significantly, and it all starts with choosing the right law school. Check out our guide on how to find the best value law school for you.

Image courtesy of University of Nebraska College of Law

Here are the questions that you need to be asking yourself as you look for value in a law school:

How much does it cost?

This is the basic one–how much do the tuition and fees cost? This is where any prospective law school student should start. This information will be available on a school’s website, or you can use a site that aggregates it, like U.S. News & World Report, to compare tuition and fees.

Seems simple, right? But there’s more to how much a law school “costs” than just tuition and fees. Cost of living for a particular area also needs to be taken into account. There are cost of living calculators that you can use, or you can work it out by hand, but it’s important to acknowledge that things like rent, food, gas, and so many other life necessities require budgeting with your limited law school funds. And where you live can make that budgeting easier, or it can make it harder.

Some schools make it easy to find this kind of information and compare different options. For example, the Nebraska College of Law offers a helpful page that breaks down the different kinds of costs you could have as a law school student, so you can see them all at once.

What does student loan debt look like at that school?

Image courtesy of University of Nebraska College of Law

So, you’ve figured out what you can afford. How are you going to pay for it? Most students take on some amount of student loan–for the law school class of 2015, 78 percent of students who attended private schools had student loan debt, as did 77 percent of law students at public schools.

And all that cost comes at, well, a cost, at almost every level. At the macro level, there’s evidence to suggest that this influx of student loan debt isn’t good for the economy. But it hurts individuals too–studies have shown that a majority of millennials have put off buying homes and saving for retirement because of their high levels of debt. And for young lawyers particularly, student loan debt can restrict them from taking jobs and opportunities that they’re passionate about.

But keep in mind that those numbers are just the averages for public and private schools–the number of students with loans varies by school, as does an equally important metric: how much those student loans are. Like cost of tuition and fees, that information is readily available, and can offer insight into how much the school costs overall.

How well prepared will I be for life after law school?

You’ve decided on a law school, and you’ve figured out a way to pay for it, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to pack your bags quite yet–you also need to make sure that you’re going to be in a good position to make money after law school. Two good things to look at are bar passage rates and employment rates for the schools that you’re considering. You also need to look at the quality of jobs being obtained–are they legal jobs or are they in other fields? The ABA publishes this data for accredited law schools.

It’s also worth considering what kind of opportunities you’ll have while at law school. Ask yourself questions like: What types of opportunities does the school provide for you to work with real clients on real cases. Do they offer clinics or externship experiences? Do you want to get adventurous? Do they have a study abroad program or do they place students internationally? What types of resources does the school offer/provide to help you secure employment after law school? If you’re not happy with the answers to any of those questions, maybe it’s worth considering a different school.

What else do I get out of this law school?

Life isn’t just a mathematical equation though, and choosing a law school shouldn’t be either. There are lots of things you need to consider when determining if a law school is the right fit for you, like the size of the incoming class, or what specialty programs the school offers. For example, Nebraska Law offers an innovative, one-of-a-kind space law program–if that’s a specialty you’re interested in, or if there’s another specific specialty you’re interested in, it’s worth considering whether a school can offer you a leg up in that field. Consider other non-tangible measures too–like the size and reach of an alumni network, the workshops and resources that will help you develop your professional skills, and the connections you can make with professors.

So…What’s Next?

What’s next is up to you–you now have the tools to find the best value law school for you, so put them into practice! To understand what this looks like, look no further than Nebraska Law 1L Megan Heinzinger, from Illinois, who revealed how she put these concepts to work herself. She explained what she was looking for in a law school:

Selecting a law school with high bar passage and job placement rates was very important to me, as it is to many students. I also sought to find a school with low tuition, that would afford me the opportunity to be more selective in my job search after graduation. [The University of Nebraska College of Law] boasts both impressive student statistics and offered an unmatchable tuition rate. Moreover, [Nebraska] has an notably extensive network that facilitates placing students in jobs around the country and world. This was important to me, being that I plan to return to Illinois after graduation.

And she explained that she was attracted to Nebraska Law from a financial standpoint, saying:

I knew that by attending [Nebraska Law] I would graduate with significantly less debt than I would have at any other school I had applied to. The affordable tuition paired with Nebraska [College] of Law’s competitive edge was virtually unbeatable. The low cost of living in Lincoln was also an attractive draw.

Image courtesy of University of Nebraska College of Law

University of Nebraska College of Law

Students at the University of Nebraska College of Law study in a friendly, collaborative environment with internationally recognized professors. Reasonable tuition costs, and excellent bar passage and employment rates are part of the reason that Nebraska Law is consistently named a best value law school. The College of Law is part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a major research university and member of the Big Ten Conference. It is located in Lincoln, an exciting college town, the state capital, and a city of nearly 300,000 people. Learn more at law.unl.edu. The University of Nebraska College of Law is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post How to Find the Best Value Law School for You appeared first on Law Street.

On January 23, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting all government hiring. The move drew criticism from those who argue the freeze would disrupt crucial government services and programs. The freeze prohibits every federal agency, excluding those related to the military, public safety, and public health, from hiring new employees.

This means that for the foreseeable future, agencies must make do with the staff on hand. Federal agencies are even barred from filling vacancies left by outgoing employees. Lawyers are among the plethora of current and prospective public employees affected by the president’s order.

A report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the federal government employed about five percent of the nation’s practicing lawyers in 2014, which equates to about 39,000 jobs. However, assuming the hiring freeze remains in place, this number is likely to stagnate and drop in the coming years. The incapacitation of this sizable employer will force newly graduated lawyers to alter their job search strategy. The freeze will mostly affect graduates entering job markets in or near government job centers.

As with many of his orders, the language describing the hiring freeze is vague. It is unclear whether the Department of Justice or the Department of Health and Human Services, for example, are exempt based on their importance to public safety and public health respectively.

Therefore, some graduates aspiring to work in the federal government may still have luck. Nonetheless, though Trump may have closed the door on many graduates who hoped to serve the public by entering the federal government, he has inadvertently opened doors in other industry sectors.

In the days and weeks following election night, immigration lawyers reported being swamped by calls and emails from immigrants hoping to learn what a Trump presidency might mean for them. Overnight, Trump’s inflammatory campaign rhetoric was transformed into impending immigration policy. Only days into his term, Trump began signing executive orders that would realize the type of hardline policies he had long threatened.

On January 25, Trump signed two orders that, among other things, called for the construction of wall along the Mexican border, an uptick in deportation efforts, and funding cuts to sanctuary cities. Two days later, the president signed an order that banned the entry of all non-citizens arriving from seven Muslim-majority countries. Both of these orders resulted in large public protests throughout the country.

As private citizens mobilized in the wake of Trump’s latest order, so too did immigration lawyers who began flocking to airports around the country and offering pro bono counsel to those detained. Assuming the Trump administration continues down its current path, immigration lawyers are likely to be in high demand. New lawyers hoping to serve the public may be frozen out of the federal government. But immigration law has, and will continue to be, an area in dire need of individuals dedicated to serving the public by any means necessary.

Callum Cleary

Callum is an editorial intern at Law Street. He is from Portland OR by way of the United Kingdom. He is a senior at American University double majoring in International Studies and Philosophy with a focus on social justice in Latin America. Contact Callum at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post How Will Trump’s Hiring Freeze Affect New Lawyers? appeared first on Law Street.

Who had the best legal tweets of the week? Check out the slideshow below:

Everything Necessary

Law school starter pack pic.twitter.com/lhrFNc6HuT

— Renz Sarmiento (@renzdsarmiento) January 23, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Despite criticism from law school deans across the country, the American Bar Association will meet on February 6 to discuss a proposal that would establish stricter bar passage requirements for school accreditation.

The proposal mandates that 75 percent of an accredited school’s graduates must pass the bar within two years of graduating. But deans have opposed the measure over concerns about California’s declining bar passage rate and diversity within the profession.

More than 90 deans signed a letter from the Association of American Law School’s Dean Steering Committee on January 13, asking for a year to review the proposal before the ABA’s House of Delegates considers it.

That period of time, they wrote, would allow them to understand how the measure might affect a school’s accreditation. In California, where the state bar passage rate has dropped from 56 percent to about 43 percent over the last three years, a handful of schools could lose their accreditations.

The letter notes:

The California bar results, if they become the ‘new normal’ for graduates of ABA-accredited law schools in California, could potentially imperil the accreditation of a very large number of law schools–law schools whose history and profile have demonstrated over many decades an ability to educate successful law students by any reasonable measure.

The letter also included concerns about diversity. More difficult standards could keep minority students–who, on average, score lower on the Law School Admission Test–from being admitted to schools if officials fear they won’t pass the bar.

Most of California’s law school deans, a handful of deans from law schools with connections to historically black universities, and the deans of Harvard and Yale law schools all signed the letter.

At the same time, the ABA risks losing its authority to accredit schools if it does not pay greater attention to student achievement. In June, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity urged the Department of Education to suspend the association’s accreditation power for one year.

The ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education voted to adopt the proposal’s requirement changes in October, but the proposal must still pass through the House of Delegates. If they approve the new rule next month, it will apply to graduates taking the bar exam this July, part of a broader Department of Education crackdown on accreditors.

In a January 19 statement, the council’s managing director Barry Currier said, “There is no reason to delay the effectiveness of this new standard,” which he said the council has been discussing and revising for several years. “The fact remains that to become a lawyer in a jurisdiction, a law school graduate must pass that jurisdiction’s bar exam. The standard that the council adopted holds schools to meeting graduates’ expectations in the jurisdictions where the school’s graduates choose to locate,” Currier said.

He added that the council would continue working with state supreme courts, bar examiners, deans, and diversity groups to ensure diversity and fair exams. He also said the new standard “is not at odds with any of those concerns and objectives.”

Victoria Sheridan

Victoria is an editorial intern at Law Street. She is a senior journalism major and French minor at George Washington University. She’s also an editor at GW’s student newspaper, The Hatchet. In her free time, she is either traveling or planning her next trip abroad. Contact Victoria at VSheridan@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ABA Will Consider New Bar Passage Requirements for Law Schools appeared first on Law Street.

After a busy Inauguration Day, what is everyone talking about on legal Twitter? Check out the best legal tweets of the week:

Damn Straight

You can’t make this stuff up #lawyerlife #ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/PCWprJz3R2

— WineEsquire (@WineEsquire) January 19, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Good Advertising

I just slipped and fell upon this sign #lawyerlife #lawyer #accidentshappen #accident #signs #funnysigns pic.twitter.com/1V6KMpcQGA

— SignYourName (@signyournamenet) January 12, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the first best legal tweets entry of the year!

Hide!

When the professor is going down the roster looking for someone to cold call #lawschool @LawSchoolHumor #school #college pic.twitter.com/SCSh4T2kuC

— Faizah Belliot (@futurelawyer20) January 4, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

I Don’t See a Problem

Googled “February 2017 LSAT date” and for some reason this image was the top hit: https://t.co/Q08hfklfIb

— Adam (@adamremsen) December 22, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets of the week:

Holiday Spirit

When you text your husband “we need garland” and then clarify that you don’t mean Merrick, for once. #LawyerProblems

— Candace (@SeaBeeSea81) December 9, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets of the week. They’re in the slideshow below:

A Complicated Game

Explaining white elephant game y’all. It’s more complicated than preserving error for appeal. #lawyerlife #christmas #whiteelephant

— Chow Wilde (@ChowWilde) December 10, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out Law Street’s hand selected picks for the best legal tweets of the week!

Rough End to the Semester

Four exams and a major paper due this semester… beggining to think #3LOL was a lie–it’s more like #3WTF. #lawschool #lawschoolproblems

— Daniel Brookins (@daniel_brookins) December 2, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Law was traditionally a male-dominated field–and while women are increasingly entering it, there’s still some work to be done. A new report released by Law School Transparency and co-written by a professor at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University found that women make up a smaller proportion of the population at the highest-tier law schools, and that they’re less likely to find high-paying work after they graduate. The law school gender imbalance is still there, and it’s still very concerning.

Professor Deborah Jones Merritt and Law School Transparency’s Kyle McEntee titled the report: “The Leaky Pipeline for Women Entering the Legal Profession” and identified a number of related issues that could have led to this phenomenon. Despite the fact that women make up the majority of undergraduate and graduate degree seekers, they’re only 50.8 percent of law school applicants. As Merritt and McEntee put it:

To put this a different way, about 3.4 percent of men college graduates apply to law school, but just 2.6 percent of women do…If women applied to law school at the same rate as men, applications would go up 16 percent overall.

Law schools (particularly elite law schools) have also been admitting the women who do apply at lower rates. It’s unclear why that would be the case–it could be because law schools are putting a higher emphasis on LSAT scores, and women tend to score slightly lower on the test on average.

The third issue identified in the report is that women are more likely to attend lower-ranked law schools. Again, there may be a few different reasons contributing to that gap–from the availability of financial aid or slightly lower LSAT scores. Kastalia Medrano of Motto also noted:

The research duo behind the report posited that perhaps women aren’t as aggressive as men in negotiating better scholarship deals, and that the legal industry itself might not be doing enough to rectify its public perception as a male-oriented sphere, a widespread image problem that discourages women from entering a number of professions.

So what does all this mean? Well, many female lawyers are starting with a disadvantage that affects their professional lives moving forward. As Elizabeth Olson of The New York Times puts it:

Despite the high numbers with law degrees, women hold fewer than 20 percent of partnerships at law firms and are underrepresented in the higher echelons of law, including the ranks of judges, corporate counsel, law school deans and professors.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post The Law School Gender Imbalance: Still a Problem appeared first on Law Street.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, but tomorrow is back to the grind. Check out the best legal tweets of the week to laugh your way there.

This Week’s Meme Entry

me: “damn, I really should work harder if i wanna get into law school”

me to me: “who needs a degree when u schoolin’ life” pic.twitter.com/1ik4S5KSFu

— petty pablo (@guayabapapi) November 21, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Worst Wishes

You have not suffered enough in life if you have not studied labour and insurance law. #lawyerproblems

— Aleksandra Wachholz (@worn_out_face) November 15, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the top legal tweets of the week. Click through below:

Good Advice

Problems in ur personal life? Want to get rid of ’em?

Enrol into ur nearest law school & erase all ur problems bcs you’ll have no life.

— Mitali (@mitaliminigupta) November 10, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Sponsored Content

The University of Nebraska College of Law doesn’t care if you use your phone in school–in fact, it’s encouraged. Nebraska Law has developed an innovative app that helps law school students track their professional skill development, literally putting the students’ educational outcomes in their own hands. The Build Your Character Program, and accompanying app, is the first of its kind at an American law school. It links learning outcomes to both curricular and co-curricular activities, making it easy for students to understand exactly what professional skills they should be developing through attendance or participation in courses and programming. The app provides the means by which students are able to monitor their progress in the identified skill areas.

Image courtesy of Nebraska Law

It’s no secret that law school students have a lot to handle; there are a lot of moving parts to their days. The app helps students see the whole picture created by these parts. It provides a checklist of the skills that are key to becoming a successful lawyer. Courses and activities are “tagged” with these skills and calculated into a law student’s progress in skill development through their participation.

These skills include conflict resolution, working with others, identity, planning & organizing, and client & business relations; see the full list here.

By tracking their progress, students have a full picture of where they are in their education. It identifies areas of strength and competency, but also visually shows the students areas that could use some improvement. It’s holistic too, meaning that it incorporates every aspect of a student’s legal education, in and out of the classroom.

Interim Dean Richard E. Moberly and Assistant Dean of Student & Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Molly Brummond told me about the inspiration for the app. It came from the drive to answer a few different questions. Brummond told me:

We were looking for a way [to] increase participation in things that were happening at the law school. We recognize that law school students are under incredible time constraints, and so if you want them to participate you have to convince them that it’s worth their time. That’s the question we were trying to answer when we developed this program: how do we convince them that participating in [something like] the client counseling competitions, is worth their time, why is it important?

Additionally, the app serves as a way to provide students a clear path to obtain the skills that the school expects them to have upon graduation. For Moberly, the questions were:

What kind of things do we expect our graduates to be able to do when they leave here? What are the skills we expect them to have when they’re done with a Nebraska Law education? And how do we know whether they get those or not?

This program and the accompanying app were born as a way to answer those two tracks of questions–how to encourage students to get involved in activities that would further their education, and how to ensure that they have received the necessary skills to enter the legal field upon graduation.

But why is an app so revolutionary? Law schools have traditionally been slow to adopt technology, despite the fact that their students–who tend to be in the millennial generation, whole-heartedly embrace it in almost every aspect of their lives. There’s a reason “there’s an app for that” has become a cliche statement and a sitcom punchline. Millennials spend an estimated 90 hours per month on mobile apps. Two-thirds of the digital media consumed by millennials is done so on mobile. If you’re going to appeal to law school students, embracing their love of technology makes a lot of sense. Other features put on the app embrace the power of technology too–Nebraska is also using the app to send students updates and alerts, instead of just relying on email.

There’s a wide variety of skills that go into making a successful lawyer, and most law school students don’t know exactly what they’re going to do when they’re still in law school. Regardless of what they may aim to do, the legal field does change and evolve, and law school students need to be as well prepared as possible. The Build Your Character app makes it easy for students to make sure they’re on the right track and take control of their education–one swipe at a time.

University of Nebraska College of Law

Students at the University of Nebraska College of Law study in a friendly, collaborative environment with internationally recognized professors. Reasonable tuition costs, and excellent bar passage and employment rates are part of the reason that Nebraska Law is consistently named a best value law school. The College of Law is part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a major research university and member of the Big Ten Conference. It is located in Lincoln, an exciting college town, the state capital, and a city of nearly 300,000 people. Learn more at law.unl.edu. The University of Nebraska College of Law is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post Nebraska Law’s Build Your Character App Helps Students Begin with the End in Mind appeared first on Law Street.

Spelling Doesn’t Have to be a Strong Suit

Honestly, if the #BarExam was a spelling test I would be forced to pick a different profession. @LNLawSchool #lawschool

— David O’Hair (@davidohair) October 28, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Who had the best legal tweets of the week? Check them out below:

Whoops!

In other news, I tried to shampoo my hair with face wash. Stay tuned to see if my hair turns green or falls out. #lawschoolproblems

— Lyndi Skinner (@LyndiLucy) October 22, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best of the week from Law Street Media:

Oh, Autocorrect

Is it a bad omen if my phone just autocorrected “I get my bar results Friday” to “I get my bad results Friday”? #barexam #badomen

— Nathan Westover (@nate_westy) October 11, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

What legal tweets made us laugh this week? Check them out in the slideshow below:

NFL Inspiration

Watching ESPN & I’ve decided I need a touchdown dance when I close a deal #lawyerproblems

— Terrance Carroll (@speakercarroll) October 4, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best tweets related to law and policy in the slideshow:

Drink to September LSAT 2016

Tonight, all over the U.S., bars and pubs will be taken over by future lawyers who are blacked out and sobbing uncontrollably. #LSAT

— Katie Chan (@chandhi) September 24, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Well Wishes

If I get one more “good luck on the LSAT” email from another school I’ve never heard of I’m gonna scream

— Brya (@BryWal22) September 22, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the best legal tweets of the week in the slideshow below:

Rough

When you’re only halfway through a transcript and your highlighter runs out… #lawyerproblems

— Alison (Cobra) Craig (@lawandchocolate) September 6, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Sponsored Content

The next Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is scheduled for September 24, 2016. Studying for the LSAT can be challenging, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there. So, Law Street has teamed up with TestMax, the creator of leading test prep apps LSATMax and BarMax to debunk some common LSAT myths. Check them out in the slideshow below:

You Can’t Study for the LSAT: True or False?

The LSAT is a test that measures things like logic, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension. So, you might be wondering: is it even possible to study for the LSAT?

Yes! The idea that there’s nothing you can do to study for the LSAT is a total myth.

via GIPHY

It’s definitely a difficult test, but all of the material is learnable through practice and repetition. LSATMax’s founder, for example, started in the 140s but ended up with a 174 and a Harvard Law degree.

The problem isn’t the LSAT, but rather the myriad of subpar prep tools and strategies. So make sure you use something with a proven track record of success–like LSATMax, the app that gives you lifetime access to a comprehensive LSAT course on your phone, tablet and/or computer, so you can prep anywhere.

TestMax

LSATMax by TestMax is the top-rated comprehensive LSAT prep course available in the App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store, with online options also available. TestMax is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post Studying for the LSAT: Myths vs. Facts appeared first on Law Street.

Fair Reaction

Me: I can’t wait for law school
**Starts receiving emails about applying**
Me: https://t.co/ovD42QuZUo

— lj (@hoiihansen) September 1, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Happy weekend, Law Street readers. Check out the best legal tweets of the week below:

Growing Up

Learning that law school is the best excuse for getting out of social situations since “my mom said no!” #1L

— Sarah Jones (@sarahejones_) August 22, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Day 1 Observations

Day 1 of Law School: Lawyers really know how to make simple problems extremely and unnecissarily complex

— Jon Deasy (@jon_deasy) August 17, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Sponsored Content

Space law. It’s a concept that, to some of us, sounds ripped out of the movie “Xenon, Girl of the 21st Century,” “Interstellar,” or possibly “Gravity.” But I want you to think back to the last time you used your smartphone as a GPS. How about the last time you flew on a plane? Or the last time you checked the weather for your area. Or the last time you streamed an episode of your favorite Netflix original show. All of those activities are in some way governed by space law, and how it intersects with the distinct but related fields of cyber and telecommunications law.

But what is space law, why does it matter, and how does it affect the education of law school students right now? Read on for an exploration of space law, the ways it affects us each day, and a look at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law’s innovative space, cyber, and telecommunications law program.

So, What is Space Law?

At its most basic, space law is the set of international and national laws that regulate what governments and private companies do in space. It also encompasses facets of international law and business law.

The need for “space law” arose when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite in late 1957 and the U.S. completed its own satellite launch months later. After much negotiation, the Outer Space Treaty was concluded in 1967, laying out the basic tenants of space law that became the groundwork for the rest of the field. These principles fit a few themes–including freedom of exploration and use of space, that space is to be used for peaceful purposes, and (in a clear indication that these principles were designated during the Cold War) that “states shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner.” Check out the rest of the principles here.

Things have obviously changed since 1967, so these ideas have been expanded upon and undergone new developments. The United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOUS), which was a driving force behind the original Outer Space Treaty, has seen the development of four other treaties as well as developed five additional sets of principles.

But the creation of major new international rules have stalled the past several decades, while on the national level rule-making has accelerated. The U.S. enacted the first commercial space legislation in 1984 and continues to have the most detailed and advanced framework, including addressing topics such as commercial human space flight, liability for any third-party injuries, and asteroid mining. Many other nations have enacted legislation and look toward the U.S. framework as a model.

Why does any of this matter? After all–most of us aren’t launching space ships or trying to become astronauts. But these principles have allowed us to send up the satellites that we use for everything from satellite TV, navigation, banking, agriculture, and of course, military information. That’s where other aspects of law, like cyber law and telecommunications law come in.

Cyber Law 

Put simply, cyber law governs the use of computers and the internet. Current hot topics in cyber law include hacking, “the right to be forgotten,” and encryption. Cybercrime is also particularly pressing, whether the targets are private citizens or government entities.

Telecommunications Law 

Telecommunications law deals with broadcasting and electronic communication. In the United States, telecommunications laws and polices affect phone service, cable and TV programming, and wireless spectrum. Telecommunication law has seen significant evolution now that the internet has become so ubiquitous and will continue to change moving forward.

Why is it important to study all three?

Many of the issues covered by space, cyber, and telecommunications law see a significant amount of overlap. In fact, we couldn’t even talk about certain topics in cyber regulations and telecommunications–we wouldn’t even have access to much of this technology–without our exploration and use of space. According to the University of Nebraska Lincoln College of Law, the only school in the United States to offer a program that specifically teaches all three fields: “These three areas are intrinsically linked by the technology they require and the laws and policies that impact them.”

What’s Next in Space Law?

So, it’s clear space law, and the related fields of cyber and telecommunications law, affect each of our daily lives, in really commonplace ways. But a lot of the topics we’ve seen in the news lately also have the potential to be affected by these kinds of regulations.

Net Neutrality

Net neutrality–whether or not internet service providers should treat all content and sites the same–has increasingly become a hot button issue in recent years. Almost every 2016 candidate, from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump has at least mentioned where they stand on the topic.

Net neutrality is based on the idea of the internet as a commodity–some companies have access to it and they provide it to paying consumers. For now, it’s been a mostly earthbound commodity. While there have been dalliances with satellite internet, none have ended up particularly successful. But that’s probably going to change soon–last year companies like SpaceX and OneWeb both announced plans to create satellites that could deliver broadband. This transforms net neutrality from a grounded, national concept to an international dilemma. As Slate’s Nicholas Nardini put it:

A space-borne Internet could skirt these threats. It might also skirt law enforcement and surveillance: While tech companies today often dodge warrants by storing data in foreign countries, the lawless sky offers an even surer refuge. And though net neutrality is the law for now in Europe and the United States, it doesn’t really exist elsewhere. Any network offering satellite Internet to the developing world is likely to sacrifice neutrality for efficiency.

Commercial Space Flight 

Commercial space flight may have sounded like a science fiction fantasy just a few years ago, but we’re inching ever closer to it becoming a reality. Bigelow Aerospace is trying to launch a few giant space habitats for some commercial use; it aims to  launch the first in 2020. It could be used by both “space tourists” as well as for scientific research. Virgin Galactic is working on commercial human space flight, planning sub-orbital flights in the next year or so, and SpaceX and other companies contract on cargo carriage to the International Space Station and, in the near future, astronaut travel.

But if private citizens are going to start going into space, laws that had for so long mostly focused on governmental and military operations are going to need to be reexamined. Legal issues currently addressed in US legislation like licensing for private flights, who is liable in the case of injury, informed consent, and so many other questions are going to have to be dealt with in other national legislation as “space tourism” becomes more than just a fun idea globally.

So, how do I become a Space Lawyer?

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law has the only program in the United States that combines the fields of space law, cyber law, and telecommunications law. Since 2007, Nebraska has offered a Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law certificate for J.D. students. J.D. students can specialize in space, cyber and/or telecommunications law during their studies by taking 15 credit hours of courses in one or more of these areas in consultation with faculty in the area. Nebraska Law for the past decade has also offered an LL.M. in these areas of law, and more recently began offering a doctorate (J.S.D.) in space law.

Nebraska provides opportunities for students interested in space law to get hands on experience, through conferences in both Lincoln and Washington D.C. and participation in events such as the Lochs Moot Court competition. According to Professor Matthew Schaefer, the Director of Space, Cyber, and Telecom Law Program, Nebraska also has a notable list of alumni, who work at places like the U.S. State Department, relevant think tanks, SpaceX, McKinsey Consulting, and U.S. Cyber Command, to provide connections and inspiration to current and future students.

Space law isn’t just for people who are going to work specifically with commercial companies like SpaceX or government agencies. The interplay between space law, cyber law, and telecommunications affects business transactions and international law on the ground too. And firms increasingly have to rely on lawyers who have knowledge of cyber law, given that the internet is now wrapped up in essentially everything we do. As Professor Schaefer put it:

Even if you’re not going to go off and work for a space company, again, space law is a really good case study in international business transactions and global business, also an excellent case study in international law as well.

So, are you looking to pinpoint the future of law? Reaching for the stars doesn’t sound too crazy anymore.

Click here to request more info. 

Resources

Primary

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs: Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies

FCC: Telecommunications Act of 1996

Additional

Nebraska Law: Space, Cyber and Telecommunications Areas of Study

Space: Who Owns the Moon? | Space Law & Outer Space Treaties

American Bar Association: Space Law 101: An Introduction to Space Law 

 Bloomberg: The ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ and Other Cyberlaw Cases Go to Court

Law Street Media: FCC’s Spectrum Auction and Why it Matters 

Slate: The Final Frontier of Net Neutrality

University of Nebraska College of Law

Students at the University of Nebraska College of Law study in a friendly, collaborative environment with internationally recognized professors. Reasonable tuition costs, and excellent bar passage and employment rates are part of the reason that Nebraska Law is consistently named a best value law school. The College of Law is part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a major research university and member of the Big Ten Conference. It is located in Lincoln, an exciting college town, the state capital, and a city of nearly 300,000 people. Learn more at law.unl.edu. The University of Nebraska College of Law is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post Looking to Launch a Career in Space Law? Nebraska Law is Here to Help appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s top legal tweets!

Olympic Inspiration

“You saved 200 dollars on your textbook purchase”
*Scrolls to total*
“Your total is 400 dollars” #damnit#lawschoolpic.twitter.com/DfAdmm003k

— Mike Brown (@LikeMike025) August 10, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Alexis Evans, Anneliese Mahoney, Julia Bryant, Sean Simon, Alex Simone, Inez Nicholson, Ashlee Smith, and Sam Reilly.

Click here to see the all of Law Street’s 2016 Law School Specialty Rankings

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top Schools for Tax Law Programs 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Alexis Evans, Anneliese Mahoney, Julia Bryant, Sean Simon, Alex Simone, Inez Nicholson, Ashlee Smith, Sam Reilly.

Click here for detailed ranking information for each of the Top 10 Law Schools for Real Estate Law.

Click here to see all the 2016 specialty rankings.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Real Estate Law: #3 Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law appeared first on Law Street.

NYUInfographic

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Alexis Evans, Anneliese Mahoney, Julia Bryant, Sean Simon, Alex Simone, Inez Nicholson, Ashlee Smith, Sam Reilly.

Click here for detailed ranking information for each of the Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law.

Click here to see all the 2016 specialty rankings.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law: #1 New York University School of Law appeared first on Law Street.

ColumbiaInfographic

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Alexis Evans, Anneliese Mahoney, Julia Bryant, Sean Simon, Alex Simone, Inez Nicholson, Ashlee Smith, Sam Reilly.

Click here for detailed ranking information for each of the Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law.

Click here to see all the 2016 specialty rankings.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law: #2 Columbia Law School appeared first on Law Street.

YaleInfographic

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Alexis Evans, Anneliese Mahoney, Julia Bryant, Sean Simon, Alex Simone, Inez Nicholson, Ashlee Smith, Sam Reilly.

Click here for detailed ranking information for each of the Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law.

Click here to see all the 2016 specialty rankings.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law: #6 Yale Law School appeared first on Law Street.

School #9Infographic

Research and analysis done by Law Street’s Law School Rankings team: Alexis Evans, Anneliese Mahoney, Julia Bryant, Sean Simon, Alex Simone, Inez Nicholson, Ashlee Smith, Sam Reilly.

Click here for detailed ranking information for each of the Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law.

Click here to see all the 2016 specialty rankings.

Click here for information on rankings methodology.

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to more accurately reflect UC Berkeley’s offerings.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top 10 Law Schools for Immigration Law: #9 University of California, Berkeley Law School appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best legal tweets in the slideshow below:

This Sounds Nice

When prepping for trial includes listening to hours of audio, might as well lay by the pool #lawyerproblems

— Samantha (@shonea31) June 16, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out this week’s best legal tweets, courtesy of Law Street’s careful curation:

Some Fatalism

But really…#LawSchoolProblemspic.twitter.com/EyMVD5iASB

— City Girl (@imthecitygirl) June 10, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to this week’s best legal tweets. They’re all in the slideshow below–enjoy!

Calculators Exist Too

administrative law is like that time your grade three teacher said “math is important and you will need it all the time” #lawschoolproblems

— kwetoday (@kwetoday) May 29, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Twitter, as always, is full of the musings of law school students, lawyers, and legal minds. Check out the best legal tweets of the week in the slideshow below:

Productive Sleeping

Studying criminal law, day 5:I still have nightmares about murders and abduction, but I can already classify them asleep.#lawschoolproblems

— Barbora Obračajová (@Baru_Obracajova) May 26, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Let’s Start Off With Something Political

Lesson learned: don’t let your college roommate and law school professor swap stories about you. pic.twitter.com/lWuEKP0kHE

— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) May 18, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has long been the seemingly make-it-or-break-it test that prospective law school students take. For years, it’s been a simple rule: if you want to go to law school, you take the LSAT. But the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law is breaking away from that mold–the school is accepting students who submit the Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) as well.

Arizona made its announcement about the GRE in February, and immediately saw backlash. The Law School Admission Council, which is in charge of the LSAT test, allegedly considering ousting Arizona from its membership–although the Council now states that its actions in regards to Arizona were “misinterpreted.” In addition to administering the LSAT, the Council offers a number of other admissions-related services, so it’s not really a membership that Arizona would have wanted to lose. The Council did decide to let Arizona retain its membership. Other law schools backed Arizona’s attempt to break from the norm–approximately 150 deans signed a letter supporting Arizona’s “effort to broaden its applicant pool.”

So why does Arizona want to let in applicants that don’t take the LSAT? There are a few reasons, including the fact that the American Bar Association (ABA) has never been clear that the LSAT is the only test that prospective law school students should or can take. According to Carrie Jung of NPR:

The American Bar Association says law schools must require a standardized test that’s valid and reliably predicts student performance, ‘but it doesn’t say that standardized test must be the LSAT,’ says Marc Miller, the Arizona law school dean.

Arizona commissioned a study which came to the conclusion that the GRE is a reliable way to measure applicants. And Arizona’s administration makes some good points about the accessibility benefits of the GRE–there are a lot more opportunities to take the GRE than the LSAT, and Arizona is hoping that increased accessibility leads to more a diverse pool of applicants.

Arizona’s admissions website now clearly states that submitting a GRE score instead of an LSAT score is allowed, and while it’s the first school to make this move, there may be others following suit. According to NPR, the University of Hawaii and Wake Forest are also considering opening admissions to GRE-takers as well.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post No LSAT, No Problem: University of Arizona’s Law School Begins Accepting GRE appeared first on Law Street.

listen buddy if you want to throw away $200K just go to law school like a normal person https://t.co/hHOLQQvtp5

— actioncookbook (@actioncookbook) May 10, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out Law Street Media’s roundup of the best legal tweets of the week.

Truth

Mom: “When are you going to start applying for law school?”
Me: “When I’ve given up on actually being happy.”

— Samantha Haack (@SamanthaRae49) May 6, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the funniest, silliest, and best legal tweets of the week in the slideshow below:

This Happens to All of Us

me: 20 yrs old, law school student, pays taxes
also me: trying to spell “succ” with my alphagetti

— an lawyer (@goldenhalla) April 28, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Check out the top tweets about law this week, compiled by Law Street Media:

Finals Time

Me currently “studying” for finals #finals#lawsohard#lawschool#stmulawpic.twitter.com/JTzcXCbxj0

— Tyler J. Ryska (@PogosDad) April 20, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

TGIF, Law Street readers! Check out the top legal tweets of the week in the slideshow below:

Good Life Choices

“Why’d you fail out of law school?”
“I was too busy looking at pictures of puppies.”

— Sid (@sid_bark) April 15, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to Law Street’s latest entry of “Best Legal Tweets of the Week.” Check them out in the slideshow below:

New Name Commentary

The new Scalia law school was ASSOL (Antonin Scalia School of Law) until they changed it, which is a shame since that’s what he was.

— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) April 6, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Happy Friday, everyone. Grab a cup of coffee, kick back, and relax with the best legal tweets of the week.

Happy April Fools

At Lawprofblawg #Lawschool, we have a strict no #AprilFools joke policy. We feel you paying our exorbitant tuition was sufficient.

— lawprofblawg (@lawprofblawg) April 1, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Anna Alaburda sued her law alma mater, Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California, alleging that the school misled her and enticed her to enroll. Alaburda sued for about $125,000 in lost wages and tuition reimbursement, given that she claimed she hasn’t been able to find a full salaried legal job since graduating from the law school in 2008. However, this week Alaburda received bad news–the jury voted nine to three in favor of the school, and she won’t be receiving any money.

Alaburda claimed that Thomas Jefferson Law misrepresented the employment data of its graduates. For example, the 2003 report from Thomas Jefferson Law showed that around 80 percent of its graduates were employed nine months after graduation. Alaburda claims that she relied upon that data when she came to the conclusion to attend Thomas Jefferson Law. She claims that the data was misleading because the school didn’t report that not all of those jobs were in the legal field–according to Gary Wrath of the Los Angeles Times:

Alaburda’s attorney during the trial said the school didn’t disclose that some of those graduates were working in book stores, restaurants, hair salons and even selling tractors.

Alaburda’s attorneys also argued that Thomas Jefferson Law reported some unemployed students as employed and disposed of other employment surveys that would accurately report the school’s true alumni employment outlook.

Law schools were hit hard by the late 2000s recession, mostly because legal jobs became harder to come by. Enrollment is down, and other students have accused their schools of using duplicitous conduct to attract students. There are believed to have been 15 similar suits filed around the country. For example, Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco and the University of San Francisco School of Law have been on the receiving end of similar lawsuits. The suit against Golden Gate University was settled, and five graduates were awarded approximately $8,000 each. However, legal experts believe that Alaburda’s case is actually the first to make it to a jury trial.

While this case ended in a victory for Thomas Jefferson Law, the calls for more transparency and answers from law schools will likely continue for years to come.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Thomas Jefferson School of Law Graduate Loses Lawsuit Against School appeared first on Law Street.

Happy weekend, Law Streeters! Check out the top legal tweets of the week below:

Similar Career Options

I’m studying politics to go to law school but my honest to god true career goal is a video girl for drake

— petty petunia (@_nylaj) March 25, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

We get it, life can be hectic. Between work, family, and Netflix binging it can be hard to find enough time to devote to staying up on the news. To make things easier we’ve compiled a digest of some of the top stories from last week–so you don’t have to.  ICYMI keep reading to learn more about Law Street’s best of the week.

1. We Have Obama to Blame for Cat Videos & Drake v. Meek Mill, Says Twitter

Being the president of the United States comes with quite a few perks. For example, exclusive access to Air Force One, 24-7 cooking staff, and the ability to meet with Beyoncé and Jay Z at the drop of a hat.

However, with great power also comes great responsibility–and the major downside that everyone can now blame you for just about anything. Read the full article here.

2. 10 Reasons Law School Students Should Consider a Summer in Boston

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ICYMI: Best of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

It’s Friday, and every Friday we take some time to look back at some of the best legal tweets of the week. Check them out in the slideshow below:

Rumor Follow Up

I’ve never wanted to go to law school. But if Prince Harry is going to Yale, I WILL BE THE BEST GODDAMN LAW STUDENT IN HISTORY.

— Julie S. Lalonde (@JulieSLalonde) March 16, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Spring has sprung, and so has the legal side of Twitter. Check out the top legal tweets of the week in the slideshow below:

Rough, But True?

Person: How is law school going?
Student: Have you ever been tortured or imprisoned?
Person: No.
Student: Then you wouldn’t understand.

— LawSchoolHumor (@LawSchoolHumor) March 9, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Happy weekend, readers! Check out the top legal tweets of this week from Law Street Media:

Thinking Ahead

Law school cost approximately $6 a minute I’m going to start invoicing people for wasting my time #lawschoolproblems

— ThatGurl16 (@_ThatGurl16) March 3, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Happy Monday morning, Law Street readers. I know it was a busy week, so anyone who wants to take a look back at our top stories last week should check them out below–ICYMI: here’s Law Street’s best of the week.

1. Boston University School of Law Wants to Help You Step it Up This Summer

Boston University School of Law has an important message for law students: it’s time to get ahead of the pack with some new skills. If you’re a law student wondering how you could possibly add new skills to your already packed resume, busy work schedule, and mounting course load, that’s ok, because BU Law has the answer to that question–an innovative new summer program that makes it easy for law students to gain essential practice experience through two summer course offerings: Contract Drafting and Negotiation. If you’re a student pursuing an MBA, medical degree, or other applicable graduate degree, the Negotiation class is open to you too. Read the full story here.

2. Ohio Governor John Kasich Signs Bill that Will Defund Planned Parenthood

 The Republican presidential candidate that many had previously hailed as the most moderate GOP contender signed a bill Sunday to prohibit the Ohio state health department from contracting with entities that perform or promote abortions.

John Kasich, the Governor of Ohio and presidential hopeful, fulfilled his promise to defund Planned Parenthood, even though the healthcare provider is not specifically named in the bill. However slashing funds is one way that lawmakers plan to get rid of the healthcare provider, which just happens to refer patients to and provide abortion services. Check out the full story here.

3. What Does Antonin Scalia’s Death Mean for the Supreme Court?

The world was rocked by the death of 79-year-old Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday,February 13, 2016. Scalia, the longest-serving justice on the current bench, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan on June 17, 1986 following the resignation of Chief Justice Warren E. Burger. His three decades on the Court have proven to be legendary and exceptionally influential in the interpretation of law and the Constitution. Even his passing has, fittingly, sparked a constitutionally-based showdown of governmental powers and the appointment of a new justice. Click here to learn more about Justice Scalia’s influential and legendary service to the Court and the politically fused debate regarding the appointment of a new Supreme Court Justice.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ICYMI: Best of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

As usual, a lot was going on in the worlds of law school and young lawyers, but that didn’t stop all the legal tweeting. Check out the best legal tweets of the week:

Long Week

Bad case of the Mondays… On a Thursday #LawSchoolProblems

— Jose M. (@jose_silvestre_) February 25, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Sponsored Content

Boston University School of Law has an important message for law students: it’s time to get ahead of the pack with some new skills. If you’re a law student wondering how you could possibly add new skills to your already packed resume, busy work schedule, and mounting course load, that’s ok, because BU Law has the answer to that question–an innovative new summer program that makes it easy for law students to gain essential practice experience through two summer course offerings: Contract Drafting and Negotiation. If you’re a student pursuing an MBA, medical degree, or other applicable graduate degree, the Negotiation class is open to you too.

So, what’s so special about these two classes? Practicality is key, from start to finish, as BU Law attempts to provide more accessible and relevant legal education not only to its own students, but the legal community as a whole.

Experts in their Field

BU Law’s faculty draws from some of the best and brightest legal minds in Boston for its exemplary transactional law program. The two instructors teaching the summer courses are no exception.

The “Contract Drafting” course will be taught by Thomas P. Harrison, who has been teaching the course at Boston University School of Law during the regular academic year since 2012. Mr. Harrison is Of Counsel at WaltersLacey LLP. His practice focuses on sales and acquisitions of real estate and businesses, commercial loan transactions and leasing, and general business matters. He is an alum of BU Law, having received a LLM from the School in Banking and Commercial Law. He holds a JD from Suffolk University School of Law.

Mark E. Bamford will teach “Negotiation,” another practical course aimed at teaching students essential tactics, skills, and strategies that can be applied to virtually any career path. Mr. Bamford has taught at BU Law since 2010 and has taught Negotiation during the regular academic year since 2012. He is an alum of both BU Law and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Skills-Based Learning

Boston University School of Law

Boston University School of Law is a top-tier law school with a faculty recognized nationally for exceptional teaching and preeminent scholarship. At BU Law, you can explore virtually any area of the law in 200+ classes and seminars, 21 clinics, externships, and practicums, 21 foreign study opportunities, and 17 dual degrees. You’ll also be part of a supportive, collegial law school community while experiencing the professional, social, and cultural opportunities that the city of Boston has to offer. Boston University School of Law is a partner of Law Street Creative. The opinions expressed in this author’s articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Law Street.

The post Boston University School of Law Wants to Help You Step it Up This Summer appeared first on Law Street.

Legal gripes, jokes, and thoughts could all be found on Twitter this week. Check out the best legal tweets of the week in the slideshow below:

Also My Meals

When you have coffee for breakfast, lunch and dinner #coffeeaddict#lawschoollife#iactuallyeatnow

— Jazz (@jghag01) February 17, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

Stay warm and check out the best legal tweets of this week, courtesy of Law Street Media.

Song Rewrite

My life is like the “All About That Bass” song except mine is “All About That Billable.” #LawyerProblems

— Lawkward the Elf (@LawkwardLady) February 9, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.

As usual, people took to Twitter this week with their legal gripes, moans, and jokes. Check out the top legal tweets of the week below in the slideshow:

Depressing

Subway doesn’t just hire sandwich artists.

They also hire sandwich writers, sandwich sociologists and sandwich law school graduates.

— David Michael (@InsouciantMan) February 1, 2016

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Best Legal Tweets of the Week appeared first on Law Street.