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39 Syllabus 1 (2007-2008)

handle is hein.journals/syllabus39 and id is 1 raw text is: Volume 39, Number 1                                                                     Fall 2007
American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

New Year Brings New
Challenges, Opportunities
Message from the New Section Chairperson
By Honorable Ruth V McGregor,
Chief Justice, Arizona Supreme Court

hen I joined the Council
of the Section of Legal
Education and Admis-
sions to the Bar, I had only a lim-
ited understanding of the
dedication that the academics,
practicing lawyers, and judges
bring to their
work on the
Council, the
Accreditation
Committee, the
Standards
Review Commit-
tee, and special
committees
formed to
address specific
issues. Over the last several
years, I have come to appreciate,
and frankly marvel at, the enor-
mous contribution made by these
volunteers as they work with Sec-
tion staff to fulfill its mission.
Each year, Section volunteers
contribute thousands of hours,
usually with little attention paid
to or thanks for their work. Each
year, however, some area of Sec-
tion effort generates discussion
and even controversy. This year
will be no different. I anticipate
that the coming year will bring

both challenges and opportuni-
ties to move forward.
The Section's opportunities to
move forward will result, in large
part, from the work done last year
by the Accreditation Policy Task
Force. During his term as Chair,
Bill Rakes charged this group to
take a fresh look at accreditation
from a policy standpoint, taking
into account changes in legal edu-
cation and the legal process, the
Section's experience with the
accreditation process, the feedback
the Section has received regarding
that process, and other relevant
considerations. Based upon recom-
mendations from the Task Force, I
have established three special com-
mittees to continue and expand the
work done by the Task Force.
The first special committee will
examine options for evaluating
law school programs by adopting
outcome measures. This com-
mittee, which will include mem-
bers from all stakeholder groups,
will consider whether and how we
can measure directly whether a
law school is fulfilling the goals
that we now assess indirectly, as
well as whether we should adopt
Continued on page 15

Congressional
Action to Provide
Educational
Debt Relief for
Graduates in
Public Service
On Friday, September 7,
Congress passed the Col-
lege Cost Reduction Act
(Conference Report H. R. 110-
317), and the president signed it
into law on September 27 (Public
Law 110-84). The Act will open
the door to public service careers
even for those who receive mod-
est salaries and emerge from law
school with significant educa-
tional loans. Applying to other
professionals as well, the Act
does not remove the financial
sacrifice that these individuals
must make to serve in the gov-
ernment and nonprofit sector,
but it makes these careers feasi-
Continued on page 15
INSIDE:
5 Phoenix School of Law
Provisionally Approved
8  Innovative Education
16 Revised Standards and Rules

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