Persistent

New Report Highlights Persistent Racial Disparities in Law School Admissions and Bar Passage Rates Despite Increases in Diversity Initiatives

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WASHINGTON — A recent report from AccessLex Institute exposes stubborn racial and ethnic disparities in law school admissions and outcomes, despite some gains in diversity and financial aid. The Legal Education Data Deck update illustrates ongoing challenges in the affordability, accessibility, and perceived value of Juris Doctor programs across the United States. Tiffane Cochran, vice president of research at AccessLex Institute, acknowledged the mixed outcomes. “While we see improvements in diversity and increased financial aid, significant impediments remain in making legal education accessible and valuable to all,” she said. The report highlights a persistent gap … Read more

Persistent Determination: Mother Achieves Bar Exam Success After a Decade of Perseverance

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PORTLAND, Ore. — A groundbreaking initiative in Oregon is paving the way for aspiring civil rights lawyers like Bailey McQueeny-Rose, a recent law graduate from the University of Oregon who chose a nontraditional path to legal licensure that bypasses the conventional bar exam. Known as the Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE), this route offers a hands-on legal training approach under the tutelage of licensed attorneys, radically shifting the licensing paradigm for new lawyers while aiming to inject practical experience into their early careers. The SPPE requires participants to complete 675 hours of supervised practice and … Read more

Antitrust Trials Highlight Persistent Issue of Judicial Activism: Will Judges Make or Break Mergers?

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Boston, MA – Antitrust law and the issue of merger enforcement continue to be plagued by judicial activism, straying from the conservative legal movement’s principles of interpreting the law rather than shaping it. The Clayton Act, enacted in 1914, tasked the Department of Justice with assessing whether a merger would “substantially lessen competition” or create a monopoly in any industry. However, recent antitrust trials have demonstrated that some courts are willing to allow anticompetitive actions, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. One such trial in Boston involves JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit … Read more