The Trump administration has finalized a rule to limit who can qualify for a federal student loan forgiveness program that has been a key incentive for attorneys to pursue public service and nonprofit careers.

Looking forward to hosting the Massachusetts Appeals Court next week — Thursday, Nov 13th. Members of the UMass community can also sign up to have lunch with the judges, their clerks, and the court officers.

Hi, fellow faculty teaching undergrads. As we are getting into law school application season, please encourage your students to interact with good data sources. Steer them away from USNWR. They should instead be doing comparisons through lawschooltransparency.com.

I mean…

Excited for our first lawyer-alum discussion on October 22nd!

Kids, don't try this at home.

The Law and Policy Justice Program is a residential program at the UMass Amherst Mt. Ida campus designed for undergraduate students (from any major!) interested in law, government, and/or social justice-related careers. Now accepting applications for Spring 2026! bit.ly/LPJLEAD

A fun and informative Constitution Day activity: check out the constitutions of some other countries! All gathered and indexed in a searchable database by the Comparative Constitutions Project. www.constituteproject.org

BIG NEWS for aspiring law students: We know paying for law school is on your mind, and that’s why we launched a new scholarship program just for YOU, with four $15,000 awards up for grabs! Create your free Ask EDNA! account to get started in MAX Pre-Law. tinyurl.com/42jnnyfp

Penn Carey Law in 2021 launched its Sadie T.M. Alexander scholarships, which have been open to entering law school students who want to focus on racial justice and honoring Alexander’s legacy.

👀 Lawsuit alleges LSAC engages in unfair trade practices.

Confused about the impact of the Big "Beautiful" Bill on your law school loans? @accesslex.org has a good explainer here, for both current and future law students. www.accesslex.org/news-tools-a...

Very honored to gain this recognition from my fellow pre-law advisors!

Happy to see another @umassamherst.bsky.social alum appointed to the bench! cc: @sbs-umass.bsky.social www.mass.gov/news/governo...

Bar exam officials have released details about structure and scoring of the new national test set to debut in July 2026, which will mark its first major redesign in 25 years.

“There can be no healthy democracy where the rule of law is threatened.” Take your oaths seriously.

What barriers are you willing to overcome for your legal education?

Registration has opened up for Fall LSAT dates, and prices have gone up again. APPLY FOR A FEE WAIVER! And if the initial algorithm denies you, appeal to get an actual human to review your app. LSAC fee waiver will also get you discounts on prep courses. www.lsac.org/lsat/registe...

"The initial, undisclosed use of AI products to generate the first draft of the brief was flat-out wrong. Even with recent advances, no reasonably competent attorney should out-source research and writing to this technology – particularly without any attempt to verify the accuracy of that material."

this is beyond belief popular.info/p/fortune-50...

“The clear losers of this silly competition: low-income students. Few people understand just how severely U.S. News rankings have undermined need-based financial aid in professional schools.”

Massachusetts law schools have been inundated with applications this year, part of a nationwide surge fueled by a tough job market and economic uncertainty. trib.al/bFVAkfE

Law School Cutting Scholarships For Students Who Don’t Commit Fast Enough? https://abovethelaw.com/2025/04/law-school-cutting-scholarships-for-students-who-dont-commit-fast-enough/

LAW STUDENTS! RECENT GRADUATES! Thinking about your next move? Check out our amazing free resource highlighting high court clerkship opportunities from 19 states and over 95 justices. Application tips, deadlines, judge-specific requirements—it’s all there, and more.

Law school applications are up roughly 21% from last year, signaling a competitive admissions cycle for prospective students. Aaron N. Taylor gives his insights on the spike and what students need to know in The National Jurist. tinyurl.com/44sxw45t

I NEED A (PAID) SUMMER LAW INTERN! Are you a Boston-area law student with a demonstrated commitment to deportation defense ready to take on the Trump administration? Please send a CV & writing sample to [email protected] (conversational(+) Spanish preferred but not required)

Seems like a good day to remind you why law school rankings are dumb. sbspathways.umass.edu/resources/la...

When it comes to funding your legal education, the right scholarship can make all the difference. Through our free Law School Scholarship Databank, search over 800 scholarships and writing competitions totaling over $3 MILLION in available aid. Start today! AccessLex.org/Databank

AccessLex has made locating scholarships easy with our free Law School Scholarship Databank! With search filters for amount, location, and more, explore 800+ vetted scholarships and writing competitions (totaling $3 MILLION in aid). Check it out! tinyurl.com/39pxj74n

In a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, AccessLex Institute voices its reservations over the GOAL Act and how it will negatively impact student access to an advanced degree. View the letter: tinyurl.com/yuspu5dx

Great set of events with some terrific alums, including lawyer-alum Tejasi Thatte (UMass Political Science '09, @nusl.bsky.social '13), currently VP for Govt Affairs @ NBCUniversal

If you’re a current year law school applicant, be in touch with the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend. They should have the most up to date info on how this will/may impact your federal loans, especially the timing re release of funds this fall to your school and you.

Note the operative "could" -- PSLF is still very much alive, and through the rule-making process and possibly litigation, borrowers and the non-profit sector as a whole will have a chance to shape, limit, and/or slow down the resulting changes. Don't panic. Do get involved.

Exciting opportunity! 📣 We're hiring a Staff Attorney to lead our child welfare advocacy efforts. Check out the details and apply: www.mlri.org/careers/#chi...

The American Bar Association has accredited Wilmington University School of Law in Delaware, amid an uptick in the number of people seeking law degrees reut.rs/3XpMt8z

The ABA rejects efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession. Read full message: www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...

Repayment options for federal loans, including loan forgiveness, are in limbo right now. It's important for future law students to monitor updates closely. It could be the difference between whether law school makes financial sense for you or not. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/b...

Looking forward to hosting a whole bunch of @umassamherst.bsky.social alums who all do great work in the public interest at @communitylegalma.bsky.social

Can the president end birthright citizenship? Dean Erwin Chemerinsky breaks it down in “It’s the Law,” episode two.

Pre-Law Love Language 2025: Lawyers standing up for the rule of law and their professional ethics. ❤️ Principled lawyers make us swoon ❤️

I hate when that happens. www.reuters.com/legal/legali...

"We urge every attorney to join us and insist that our government, a government of the people, follow the law. It is part of the oath we took when we became lawyers. Whatever your political party or your views, change must be made in the right way. Americans expect no less."

As you're starting to narrow your choices for law school, it's time to look at how you'll finance your legal education. @accesslex.org offers an array of free, reliable resources, and one of the most valuable is its up to date, searchable database of outside scholarships. www.accesslex.org/databank

Hey #UMass alums and students! If you're thinking about law school, we're here to help. If you're a lawyer and want to be a resource for our pre-law students and alums, we'll happily connect you!