Lawsuits Filed Against 12 Additional Law Schools for Misrepresentation of Employment Data
In recent years, class action lawsuits have been threatened or filed against multiple U.S. law schools over allegations of deliberate misrepresentation of employment statistics and salaries of their graduates[1]. These lawsuits claim that some schools reported inflated employment rates by counting all jobs as legal positions and overstated average starting salaries by using a narrow, selective pool of graduates rather than the full class[1].
The legal actions reflect growing concerns about the accuracy of law schools' public employment data, which students rely on to assess their career prospects and justify their substantial educational debt loads. At least 15 law schools have faced threats of such class action lawsuits by 2025[1].
Some of the schools involved in these lawsuits include Albany Law School, Brooklyn Law School, Cooley Law School (MI), Chicago-Kent Law School, DePaul Law School, Hofstra Law School, John Marshall Law School, and New York Law School.
One of the lawsuits' key concerns is the impact of misleading data on students' financial decisions and debt loads. Changes in class action litigation law, such as recent Supreme Court decisions making it easier for plaintiffs to seek relief on behalf of large groups of similarly affected individuals, may strengthen these law school-related class action suits[3].
While precise details of the lawsuits (which schools are involved, lawsuit statuses) vary, the existence and nature of such lawsuits indicate active legal scrutiny of transparency in law school reporting, with potential implications for student debt concerns.
As of the latest sources, no specific finalized judgments or settlements related to these law school employment data cases have been reported. However, the ISA model, a less financially risky alternative to a traditional student loan, is gaining attention as a potential solution to student debt. In an ISA, a university provides money to a student in exchange for a share of the student's future income for a certain period of time[2].
It's worth noting that the American Bar Association (ABA) has previously issued a slap on the wrist to Pennsylvania's Villanova University School of Law for doctoring data, but no meaningful reporting changes were implemented[1]. Additionally, some schools, such as Hofstra Law School, John Marshall Law School, and New York Law School, enrolled their largest classes ever in 2009 during the "Great Recession".
The plaintiffs in these lawsuits are graduates of the mentioned law schools who claim they were misled by employment statistics. For instance, DePaul Law School's top 15 percentile of law students have high indebtedness levels, with the Dean earning $371,295/year[1]. Similarly, Chicago-Kent Law School's claimed employment rate of 90-97 percent may be below 50 percent in reality[1].
In conclusion, the ongoing class action lawsuits against U.S. law schools highlight the importance of accurate employment data for prospective and current students. The ISA model, while not widely adopted in the United States, offers a potential solution to student debt concerns. The future of these lawsuits remains uncertain, but they underscore the need for transparency and accountability in law school reporting.
[1] Source: The National Law Journal [2] Source: Income Share Agreements Explained [3] Source: Supreme Court Ruling Boosts Class Actions
Education and self-development are crucial factors for the success of law school graduates. However, recent class action lawsuits against various U.S. law schools question the accuracy of their reported employment data, potentially impacting students' financial decisions and educational debt loads.
