Aspen Publishing Announces New JD-Next Course Dates Amid Program Growth

Upcoming 2024 & 2025 Dates Announced for the Groundbreaking 8-Week Online Program for Law School Preview, Preparation, and Entrance

BURLINGTON, Mass., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The innovative law school preparation and admissions program, JD-Next, has announced new dates for 2024 and 2025. Six upcoming cohort dates have been finalized for students to take the eight-week asynchronous, online program, which simulates a core first-year law school course, culminating in a final exam that mirrors an actual law school exam.

Designed to enhance legal reasoning skills that are essential for law school and legal careers, JD-Next serves as a standalone admissions exam and preparatory course. Unlike traditional standardized tests, the JD-Next exam shows minimal, if any, score gaps across racial and ethnic groups, promoting fair opportunities for all.

The program has experienced significant growth in 2024, with over a quarter of the 197 ABA-accredited law schools now incorporating JD-Next into their admissions process. To date, 57 law schools have received variances from the American Bar Association's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, allowing them to use the JD-Next law school entrance examination either in place of or alongside other admissions tests. Recently, the Council approved variances for five additional law schools: Fordham University School of Law, the University of Illinois College of Law, DePaul University College of Law, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, and the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

The upcoming JD-Next program dates are:

"We are thrilled by the remarkable growth of the JD-Next program," said Deirdre Lynch, JD-Next Program Director. "Our team is passionate about expanding opportunities for prospective law students by providing a fair and effective pathway to legal education. The increasing number of law schools incorporating JD-Next into their admissions process is a testament to the program's impact and the positive change it brings to legal education. We look forward to continuing our mission of making law school admissions equitable and accessible for all students."

Through the program, participating students:

• Develop the legal reasoning skills key to academic and career success
• Grow their foundational knowledge of core first-year coursework
• Boost their first-year GPA by 0.2, on average
• Provide a valuable data point to their prospective law programs
• Gain a glimpse into the law school experience and enhance their overall confidence in that environment
• Confirm that law school is a good fit

"I have struggled with standardized testing since primary school," said Derrick Hinton II, a former JD-Next participant and current J.D. Candidate at the Charleston School of Law. "Despite excelling in undergrad and graduate school, I couldn't overcome the LSAT hurdle. The JD-Next course felt comprehensible and attainable, helping me score in the 80th percentile on the JD-Next exam. I truly believe that JD-Next provided me with the confidence to pursue a law degree and prepared me for my first year of doctrinal coursework. Ultimately, JD-Next made me feel like it is possible for students from underserved and underrepresented communities, like myself, to pursue a legal education."

The bundled cost for the JD-Next program is $299 per person. This includes the course, its content and the examination. Students also may apply to the JD-Next Scholarship Program, which offers reduced tuition based on demonstrated financial need. Students interested in enrolling or learning more can do so by visiting www.aspenpublishing.com/jdnext.

Media Contact:
Dinah Saglio
[email protected]

About JD-Next:
JD-Next is an innovative law school admissions course and examination designed by law schools, for law schools. JD-Next offers a self-paced, eight-week program aimed at providing prospective law students the opportunity to develop skills needed for a first-year Contracts course. The program concludes with an examination, designed to assess practical skills rather than prior knowledge. Presently, 25% of law schools nationwide have obtained approval from the American Bar Association (ABA) to integrate JD-Next into their admissions criteria. Find out more or enroll today at aspenpublishing.com/pages/jdnext.

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SOURCE Aspen Publishing