The LSAT and Disabilities
And so it shall be...
It’s always strange to see the LSAC embroiled in a legal issue since it’s the group that assesses everyone’s ability to be a lawyer, but unlike with the Testmasters lawsuit, in this one LSAC found itself a defendant. The case was US vs. LSAC. And they’ve settled (with LSAC paying a $20K fine…)
From what I’ve heard from students, it’s been rather difficult to receive accommodation on the LSAT. Mostly folks have complained about accommodation for learning disabilities – but this case is actually about physical disabilities. In the settlement, LSAC has agreed to a streamlined process for evaluating whether candidates should receive accommodations. Obviously good news for those who need these accommodations!
I’ve heard LSAC talk – it’s a very ethically-minded organization. So why would LSAC find itself in this boat? Probably it’s because LSAC works hard to maintain the LSAT’s usefulness as a predictive tool. There’s a line of thinking: if folks receive accommodations during testing that they would not receive in law school, should we do it? The thing is, law schools will accommodate those with physical difficulties — and if they don’t, I’m sure the ADA will be after them! If you’d like to hear more about how this case fits into a broader struggle for greater accessibility, take a look at the New Hours broadcast that discusses the LSAT case.
To be clear, this agreement only covers physical disabilities – for those who are seeking an accommodation because of ADHD or something similar, here’s a run-down by Steve Schwartz of what you should do to apply for extended time. It’s pretty interesting how the LSAT is different than other tests out there. Sort of the same way that the LSAT is still paper and pencil. No doubt the LSAC is saying that if it ain’t broke…