Welcome back to Ahead of the Curve. I'm Karen Sloan , legal education editor at Law.com, and I'll be your host for this weekly look at innovation and notable developments in legal education. This week, I'm chatting with Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Dean Doug Sylvester about an innovative new program that gives aspiring lawyers with lower LSAT scores a chance to prove they have the right stuff for law school. I'm also checking in on blockchain developments at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and American University Washington College of Law. Read on! Not signed up yet to get Ahead of the Curve sent to your inbox each week? Go here. Please share your thoughts and feedback with me at [email protected] or on Twitter: @KarenSloanNLJ

Trying Out For A Spot in the 1L Class

Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is heading into the second year of a program in which students who didn't have high enough LSAT scores and undergraduate grades to snag a spot in the J.D. class get a semester to prove they have what it takes to succeed on campus. ASU's Masters of Legal Studies Honors Program Dean Doug Sylvester Arizona Summit Law School My take:

Blockchain Bonanza

Full disclosure: Blockchain is one of those tech buzzwords that make my eyes glaze over a bit. American University Washington College of Law professor Walter Effross new website Last week also brought news that the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law has joined the Global Legal Blockchain Consortium —a group of 60 companies, law firms, universities, and software firms that are helping develop legal standards.

Extra Credit Reading

➤ InfiLaw Corp. U.S. Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied Arizona Summit Law School; Florida Coastal School of Law; and the now defunct Charlotte School of Law this slideshow Michael Cohen and Western Michigan University Cooley School of Law Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek suggested George Washington University Law School adjunct and CNN legal analyst Laura Coates law class of 2017 graduated strongest entry level legal job market NALP I'll be back next week with more news and updates on the future of legal education. Until then, keep in touch at [email protected]