ABA Legal Education Section Sanctions University of Illinois College of Law for Reporting of False Admissions Data

The Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar today issued a public censure of the University of Illinois College of Law announcing sanctions against the law school for intentionally reporting and publishing false admissions data.

The council determined that the law school had violated the section’s Standards for Approval of Law Schools requiring law schools to maintain sound admissions policies and practices and to publish basic, accurate consumer information. The censure refers to intentionally false LSAT scores and incoming student grade-point-average data the school provided for the entering class of 2005 and the entering classes of 2007 through 2011.

The sanctions imposed include (1) a public censure; (2) a requirement that the law school issue a public corrective statement; (3) a requirement that the law school hire a compliance monitor to report to the section’s accreditation committee on its admissions process and data for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years; (4) a monetary penalty; and (5) termination of a section agreement that allowed the law school to conduct an early-admissions program.

The censure explains that the monetary penalty addresses the harm to the reputation and standing of legal education and the profession resulting from the law school’s violation of the standards. The proceeds are to be placed in a separate, designated fund to be used by the section to monitor and enhance compliance with the data reporting and publication requirements of all ABA-approved law schools.

The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and its accreditation committee are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the national accrediting agency for programs leading to the J.D. The section also studies and makes recommendations for the improvement of the bar admission process.

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