Law School Admission Council hopping on woke bandwagon?
QUICK FACTS:
- The Law School Admission Council (LSAC), known for administering the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), sent an email notifying subscribers that the council will now recognize candidates by their preferred “name other than their legal name.”
- “Some people go by their middle name, rather than their first name, while others are simply accustomed to using a nickname, an anglicized name, or choose to use a name that affirms their gender identity,” the email said.
- LSAC is now allowing its account holders to select a “preferred name” they would like to appear on documents related to the organization.
- “We are pleased to announce that effective immediately, LSAC.org account holders will have the ability to choose the preferred name you would like us to use when sending you correspondence regarding LSAC-related transactions,” the email goes on to say.
- The email invites users to “update your preferences, log on to your LSAC.org account and visit the ‘Profile’ page in the ‘My Account’ menu” where the member’s “preferred or chosen first name may be updated at any time.”
- Some conservative influencers argue that notions like ‘gender identity’—promoted by the left in the name of ‘equity’ or ‘inclusion’—are in fact “misogynistic” because they “erase” women. For example, Michael Knowles argues, “I think now this is taught in schools as though it’s just obvious, that there is biological sex and gender identity and that those are totally separate. No. There is no such thing as gender identity. This is a completely fictional concept that is invented by misogynistic ideologues who are erasing women. The Left talks about erasure, and usually they use it in a silly way. This is one example where it’s true, where it’s actually happening. Where gender identity is erasing women. Gender ideology erases women.”
WHAT IS LSAC?:
- LSAC is a “not-for-profit organization whose mission is to advance law and justice by encouraging diverse, talented individuals to study law and by supporting their enrollment and learning journeys from prelaw through practice,” the organization’s website reads.
- “LSAC provides products and services that support candidates and schools throughout the law school admission process, and innovative solutions to expand and diversify the range of prelaw students, enhance student outcomes in law school, and support legal professionals throughout their careers.”
BACKGROUND:
- The LSAT is a significant part of law school admissions in the U.S., Canada, and a number of other countries because many law schools decide on candidates based on how well they perform on the test, which assesses critical reading, analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and persuasive writing skills. LSAC’s website boasts that the LSAT “is the only standardized test accepted by all ABA-accredited law schools in the United States.”
- The American Bar Association is now considering dropping its requirement that law schools use the LSAT, or any standardized test, when weighing student applications. A nine-member ABA committee recommended eliminating a rule that law schools must use a “valid and reliable test” when deciding admissions. For years, the only standardized test that automatically met that criteria was the LSAT, though the ABA added the GRE as an acceptable alternative in Nov 2021.
- LSAC defended the LSAT’s importance, saying, “We believe the LSAT will continue to be a vital tool for schools and applicants for years to come, as it is the most accurate predictor of law school success and a powerful tool for diversity when used properly as one factor in a holistic admission process.”
Savannah Husley Pointer contributed to this article.
