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.

What's going to happen with the current law school admissions cycle, which is unfolding amid a pandemic? I'll tell you what's on the minds of jittery would-be law students and what admissions deans are saying to calm them. Plus, Connecticut, St. Mary's, Florida A&M and Charleston have named new law deans in recent weeks. I've got the rundown. And last, law professors are discovering that they can have a little fun with their online classes. Read on and stay healthy!

Please share your thoughts and feedback with me at [email protected] or on Twitter: @KarenSloanNLJ

Coronavirus Extra Credit Reading

On-campus interviews won't take place this summer. The summer associate recruiting cycle has been moved to late fall and early winter.

New York law deans aren't keen on the court's plan to reschedule the July bar exam for early September, fearing yet another postponement. They suggest letting law graduates practice for 18 months under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

This is what lawyers need to know about the student loan relief provisions within the coronavirus aid package.

AccessLex Institute has pledged $5 million to help law students who are struggling financially.

Law schools that haven't adopted mandatory pass/fail grading are facing backlash from vocal students who say they are being treated unfairly.

Two law students share their experiences with COVID-19 and urge their peers to take the virus seriously.

 

COVID-19 and Law School Admissions

Law campuses are closed, classes are all online, and the impact of the coronavirus crisis on what had been for several years a fairly strong entry-level legal employments market is uncertain.

What does all that mean for the current admissions cycle, with seat deposit dates coming up and application deadlines looming at many schools? Sorry. I don't know the answer to that question. (My crystal ball is in storage, and I'm social distancing pretty hard core right now so I'm not venturing out to get it.)

But I did get a sense of what's on the minds of admitted students and applicants during a webinar held last week by the Law School Admission Council. There were hundreds of anxious would-be law students attending the webinar and they inundated the panelists with questions about the cancellation of the March LSAT and the fate of the back-up April exam; whether admissions decisions would be faster or slower this cycle; and whether schools would allow admission deferrals this year in the event that in-person classes can't resume in the fall; and whether receiving pass/fail grades this semester will hinder their applications.

I'll tell you a bit more about the panelists and their comments to attendees in a moment, but I want to highlight one key point that emerged during the discussion: Law school administrators are already thinking through how they would virtually onboard new law students this fall if campuses remain closed. It makes sense that they would start thinking through all the possibilities and contingencies now, but it was still sobering to hear them say out loud that it's a real possibility that things will remain virtual into the next academic year. We obviously can't know whether that will happen, but schools are beginning to prepare just in case.

LSAC President Kellye Testy hosted the session and was joined by University of Minnesota law dean Garry Jenkins; University of Oregon law dean Marcilynn Burke; University of San Diego admissions dean Jorge Garcia; University of Wisconsin admissions dean Rebecca Scheller; and McGeorge admissions dean Tracy Simmons.

The overarching message to admitted students and applicants was not to panic and to stay in contact with the schools to which they have applied. The council and law schools will make sure that they have the opportunity to apply, even if that means extended deadlines or other accommodations, they assured applicants.

"We will, together, make sure you get through this," Testy told the attendees.

The panelists discussed how they have moved campus tours and admitted students weekends online in recent weeks, noting that it's difficult to precisely replicate the experience of walking around a physical campus. They are doing a lot of outreach to students who have already been admitted as well.

A big focus of concern among the webinar attendees is the April 24 LSAT. Those who were slated to take the canceled March LSAT were automatically enrolled for the April date, but it's looking unlikely that the April test will take place as planned. Testy reiterated an earlier announcement that it will make a decision on the April test no later than April 10. But she assured applicants that the council will find ways to ensure that every person who wants to apply for the fall will have that opportunity.

The panelists also assured applicants that law schools will not look askance at pass/fail grades this semester, especially given that many law schools have also adopted that grading system amid the coronavirus pandemic. Letters of recommendation may carry some extra weight with admissions offices in the absence of letter grades, they said.

The timing of some admissions decisions could be a bit off this year as well, they said. Waitlist decisions may take longer than usual to come through, but they predicted that there may well be more waitlist activity overall due to a potential increase in applicants deciding to wait a year before starting law school.

So what should those admitted students do with their newfound down time in isolation? Apply for scholarships, the panelists suggested.

New Dean Bonanza

Yes, the coronavirus has upended legal education but the law dean merry-go-round continues nonetheless. Four law schools have named new deans over the past two weeks (what a time to take the helm!). Three of the four are women, continuing the trend of more female deans. Here's a quick rundown.

➤➤The University of Connecticut School of Law has named Eboni Nelson as its next leader. She will move into the dean's suite on August 1. Nelson is currently the associate dean for academic affairs at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

➤➤St. Mary's University School of Law has picked Patricia Roberts to be its next dean. Roberts is currently vice dean at the College of William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law. She will take over at the San Antonio law school June 1.

➤➤Florida A&M University College of Law has selected Deidra Keller as is new dean. Keller has taught at Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law since 2010. She is currently associate dean for academic affairs.

➤➤Charleston School of Law has tapped Larry Cunningham as its next dean. Cunningham will assume the deanship on June 30, after spending 12 years on the faculty of St. John's University School of Law. He is currently the associate dean for assessment and institutional effectiveness.

 

A Little Levity

A few weeks back, I interviewed University of Arkansas law professor Alex Nunn, who has won kudos for his clever and fun online lectures. (Even Hillary Clinton is a fan!) Since then, more law professors have decided to add a little whimsy to their online law classes.

University of Alabama law professor Julie Hill enlisted Eli Gold, who announces football games for the university, to give a voiceover intro to her online banking class. You can check it out here.

Keeping within the legal theme is Wayne State University law professor William Ortman, who shot and edited an intro to his criminal law class that riffs on the L.A. Law opening credits, complete with that instantly recognizable wailing sax.

What else are professors doing to lighten things up? Drop me a line and let me know!

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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]