Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Publication Information

62 California Western Law Review 231 (2025)

Abstract

Numerous students nationwide are placed on academic probation and ultimately dismissed from law school each year. While students often carefully conceal their probationary status, their lack of visibility within legal communities should not be mistaken for an absence of need. These students are frequently uniquely vulnerable—facing unexpected family emergencies or entering law school unprepared. The consequences of dismissal are dire, with students experiencing adverse mental health effects and financial exigencies. During the 2023–2024 academic year alone, tuition and fees for a single year of law school ranged from $30,000 to $48,000. Yet, little research—particularly quantitative—has been conducted in service of this population.

This article seeks to begin filling that gap. The Authors conducted a deep dive into data for students on academic probation from 2018 through 2024, resulting in three valuable finds. First, many students appear not to be placed on academic probation due to deficits in LSAT tested skills, and therefore need interventions that focus on non-LSAT-tested skills. Second, four sessions of one-on-one, skills-based tutoring appears to be the optimal “dosage” for students on academic probation. Third, students who have been out of college longer have a more challenging time getting off academic probation than their more recent counterparts, and therefore require additional institutional support. The Authors further explored three unique interventions for students on academic probation, outlined in Appendix A, each providing different advantages for law schools.

Overall, this article sheds light on how law schools can better understand and assist students on academic probation and aims to catalyze research into this understudied realm.

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