By: Laurel Currie Oates
I agree with Professor Vernellia Randall that law schools have
an obligation to admit a diverse student body. In addition, I agree
with Professor Richard Delgato that law schools should not allow
concerns over their U.S. News and World Report ranking to
effect their decisions about whether to admit a student who shows
great promise but does not have “high numbers.” However, it is not
enough to admit a diverse group of students. Law schools also have
an obligation to level the playing field, or at least the exam room
floor, so that all of the students they admit can be successful
both as law students and as attorneys.
This essay explores one way in which law schools can level the
field. The essay builds upon an article that I wrote almost ten
years ago about how students’ reading skills and beliefs about text
affect their success in law school. It then talks about why, given
recent studies showing a decrease in reading and articles showing
differences in the way parents of color and white parents read to
their children, teaching legal reading is even more important today
than it was ten years ago. The final section provides suggestions
for law schools to help their students develop their reading skills
and calls for further research on the factors that affect student
success.