As part of its continued mission of access and opportunity, The John Marshall Law School in Chicago is accepting Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for fall 2018 admission. J.D. applicants can now submit GRE scores in lieu of taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT); however, if an applicant has taken both the GRE and the LSAT, that student must submit both results.
In pursuing innovative admission models that satisfy American Bar Association (ABA) Standard 503, John Marshall participated in the GRE Law School Validity Study by Educational Testing Service (ETS) in spring 2017. The study was designed to research the validity and reliability of the GRE as a viable predictor of student success by comparing GRE results to participants’ existing LSAT scores.
Results of the Validity Study at John Marshall indicated that the GRE was a valid and reliable predictor of successful law school performance, just like the LSAT. John Marshall also conducted an internal review of the school-level results provided by ETS. ETS’s national research further supports that the GRE satisfies ABA Standard 503, which “mandates that a law school require applicants to submit a valid and reliable law school admission test score as part of their application.” Fifteen additional law schools, including the University of Chicago Law School and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, have announced they will begin accepting GRE scores.
“Diversity, opportunity, and innovation have been guiding ideals at The John Marshall Law School for more than 115 years,” Chanté Spann, Assistant Dean for Admissions at John Marshall, said. “By accepting the GRE, we’re offering students who might not have otherwise considered law school access to a legal education and the opportunity to change lives.”
By accepting the GRE, John Marshall will provide greater access and opportunity to people seeking a legal career. Accepting the GRE may also attract potential law students who as undergraduates chose intellectual pursuits beyond traditional pre-law areas of study.
The GRE is a standardized test that has been an admissions requirement for many graduate schools for the past several decades. The GRE aims to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing and critical thinking skills. The exam is scored on a scale with 130 being the lowest possible score and 170 being the highest.
