American Bar Assn. Censures U. of Illinois Law School Over False Admissions Data

The American Bar Association on Tuesday said it had publicly censured the University of Illinois College of Law for “intentionally reporting and publishing false admissions data.” Notice of the censure must be posted on the law school’s Web site for two years. The association is also requiring the school to issue a statement of correction, pay a $250,000 fine, and hire an independent compliance monitor who will report to the association’s committee on accreditation. The sanctions are similar to those levied against Villanova University’s School of Law in another case of spurious student data. Last month the association announced the creation of a pilot program that requires schools to verify new students’ grades and test scores.