African-American and Mexican American Enrollment at U.S. Law Schools Dropping

[Amby]

Damn you, Anne. You've drawn me into a civil argument when all I wanted to do was curmudgeonly question everyone's assumptions. 

The question you ask is the key one:

the real question remains the same it always has been: Why do these URM groups score lower on standardized tests (be they LSAT, GMAT, GRE or SAT) than their Caucasian counterparts? Yes, their scores may have increased over the 15-year period quoted in the study, but they are still lower than non-URM applicants, and that affects their admissions chances.

I don't really know the answer, and I'm certain none of our politicians or bureaucrats know the answer. Thus, they continue to fumble around in the dark like a 16-year-old boy unclasping a bra for the first time. And, the end result will probably be the same: no tangible results, and dissatisfaction for all involved parties.

I'm going back to being myself now because neither of us has the power to fix this problem.

[Amby]

Just for my own enjoyment:

Based on the conclusion drawn in my last post (and by inference, your last post as well), does any of it really matter? Nope because we can't change it. 

 

[Anne]

Damn you, Anne. You've drawn me into a civil argument when all I wanted to do was curmudgeonly question everyone's assumptions.  

The question you ask is the key one:

the real question remains the same it always has been: Why do these URM groups score lower on standardized tests (be they LSAT, GMAT, GRE or SAT) than their Caucasian counterparts? Yes, their scores may have increased over the 15-year period quoted in the study, but they are still lower than non-URM applicants, and that affects their admissions chances.

I don't really know the answer, and I'm certain none of our politicians or bureaucrats know the answer. Thus, they continue to fumble around in the dark like a 16-year-old boy unclasping a bra for the first time. And, the end result will probably be the same: no tangible results, and dissatisfaction for all involved parties.

I'm going back to being myself now because neither of us has the power to fix this problem.

LOL!  

I'll agree, neither of us has the direct power to do anything about it--however (and this may go completely against the Amby grain  ) raising awareness about is something we can do, and discussing it candidly is a part of raising awareness. Will it change anything? Certainly not immediately, and certainly not by just two people talking on a message board. But being aware of it and talking about is definitely a step in the right direction.

[Jack Daws]

Good argument Anne. I agree with you, and you actually made Amby act semi-decently. Nice!

 

[Anne]

Good argument Anne. I agree with you, and you actually made Amby act semi-decently. Nice!

 

Perhaps logic soothed the savage beast?

I keed, I keed! Amby, you know I you.

[Amby]

Does it matter if you  me?

[Lola]

I like your analysis and I do believe having a diverse student body is important to everyone as we all bring different ideas to the table.
In looking at LSAT scores research has shown that minority groups score lower because of lack of preparation. That's it it boils down to these applicants not having the resources to take prep courses and when they do invest in prep course they are usually a weekend class. Most resort to doing minimal home study thinking that will improve their score. Which over the years it has helped  but their counterparts have discovered that if you invest 6 months to a year you can score up to 180.  In essence white students have learned to master the test. LSAC is becoming increasing aware of this and this why the last three exams have been harder.

So as minority students scores have gone up,so has the majority scores! So how do we help minority students prepare better for the LSAT? How do they get the financial resources to properly prepare for the LSAT? These are the questions that I wonder about.

Lastly, for those who say if the score is not high enough just don't accept them- they probably won't graduate- All studies have shown once in Law School minority law students graduate and pass the bar at the same rates as white law students. 

In closing I'm an African-American female and my LSAT score went from 136 to 172 over the course of 4 months.  I had the financial means to take
6 months off of work and focus on the LSAT, applications and so forth. My husband , also African- American, attended law school from 04-07 and now is a successful attorney. He passed the Illinois Bar the first time and he scored a 147 on his LSAT. He did not take a prep course because we could not afford it at the time.

I say this only because there is a tendency to place too much value on these test as future predictors. What we really should be evaluating is the whole person and their experiences in school and work. Law Schools want diversity but more importantly they want their stats to remain high.