A factor analysis of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) battery was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the specific abilities which contribute to performance on the tests. To determine whether greater amounts of testing time should be allocated to groups of items defined by the factor analysis, a validity study was conducted. Existing…

Using predictive validity studies of the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA), this study examined the large variation in the magnitude of the validity coefficients across schools. LSAT standard deviation and correlation between LSAT and UGPA accounted for 58.5 percent of the variability. (Author/EGS)

Graphs and charts pertaining to testing in affirmative action are presented. Data concern the following: the predictive validity of College Board admissions tests using freshman grade point average as the criterion; validity coefficients of undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) alone, Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, and undergraduate…

The fair and accurate treatment of multiple test scores for law school applicants who take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) more than one time is the focus of this study. The study reexamines the differential validity and predictive accuracy of the different test scores that are presented by repeat test takers. The study includes U.S. law…

This study, a partial replication of an earlier study by B. Pitcher (1977), examined the validity of using initial, most recent, highest, and average scores in decisions about repeat takers of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The study included only schools that enrolled 50 or more first-year students who had taken the LSAT on more than 1…

The relative contribution of undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to predicting academic performance in each of three years of law school was investigated. The LSAT makes its greatest contribution in early years and UGPA in later years. (Author/BW)

Preceeding through the development of a sequence of paired calibrations determined by a hierarchical clustering algorithm, the proposed method of constructing a universal criterion scale does not rely on covariate information. The procedure is illustrated with data from American law schools. (Author/BW)

A universal criterion scale is applied to the direct estimation of validity for various groups of law school applicants and to the testing of the assumptions underlying the more familiar extrapolation methods. Data from American law schools are used to illustrate the procedures. (Author/BW)

Since the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) was first administered, the sponsors of the test have carried out predictive validity studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the test and other predictors in determining first-year law school performance. This report presents a summary of correlation study results for the 1995 and 1996 study years. The…

This study was undertaken to evaluate the predictive validity of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) earned under accommodated testing conditions. Of special interest was the validity of scores obtained by test takers who were accommodated under nonstandard time conditions (i.e., accommodations that included extra testing time). Separate…

In this study, two statistical approaches for adjusting grades were tested on data obtained from four law schools, with samples of 157, 188, 206, and 191. These approaches were previously validated using data on undergraduates but have not been used in a study of postgraduate performance. Neither method yielded consistent improvements in the…

Women's lower scores on standardized admissions tests were examined from the perspective of consequential validity using data from the Law School Admissions Test. Data do not show that women disproportionately remove themselves from the applicant pool and do not suggest that a consequence of lower scores is application to less prestigious schools.…

The question of possible racial bias in the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), the issue crucial to future tests of the constitutionality of preferential admissions, is explored with the conclusion that uncertainties in this area should not overshadow the necessity for reexamination of law school admission criteria. (JT)

Compares men's and women's performance on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and suggests that the math section may have penalized women, since they scored equally to men on other sections. Questions the validity of mathematics performance as a predictor of success in law school and as a lawyer. (GC)

This study was designed to examine questions about the validity and utility of two commonly used predictors of academic success in law school, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score and the undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), when the criterion measure is grade point average at the completion of law school (LGPA). The study also examined…