Law deans criticise ABA plan to double required credits

The American Bar Association is taking steps to appease critics of a proposal that would double law students’ required number of hands-on learning credits with several concessions meant to make the plan more palatable, reports Karen Sloan for Reuters.

The modified proposal, however, is still likely to face opposition from critics who have accused the ABA of exerting too much control over the law school curriculum and driving up the cost of a law degree.

The ABA’s revised proposal, released 15 August, would still require law students to take 12 credits of clinics, externships or simulation courses that aim to recreate real legal work – up from the current six credits. But it offers more ways to obtain the required credits and delays implementation of the revised accreditation standard to give law schools more time to expand their experiential course offerings.
Full report on the Reuters site