The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Names Dean Kellye Testy President And CEO

"I am honored to assume the role of President and CEO of LSAC, an organization whose sole mission is to serve law schools, law students, and legal education," Testy said.

LSAC Board of Trustees Chair Susan L. Krinsky announced the appointment: "Dean Testy's enthusiasm for LSAC's mission is clear, and her commitment to diversity and access to legal education is inspiring. We believe Dean Testy's experience and commitment are perfectly suited to her new role. Her leadership in pursuit of quality legal education will allow LSAC to reach even greater heights of success in serving our member schools and their students."

"For the rule of law to flourish, we need outstanding lawyers and that, in turn, means that the quality of legal education is paramount," said Testy. "LSAC has long been a leader in encouraging and assisting law schools in admitting diverse classes capable of success."

Dean Testy led the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle for eight years, hiring a new generation of outstanding faculty, significantly expanding philanthropic resources, advancing equity and inclusion, and heightening the school's stature and visibility. National Jurist magazine recently named her the second-most influential person in legal education. A native of Bloomington, Testy received both her undergraduate and law degrees at Indiana University. She graduated summa cum laude and Order of the Coif and then clerked on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit before joining the academy. A beloved teacher and expert in corporate law and governance, Testy has published extensively in those fields, as well as in several others. 

As Testy assumes her role, LSAC is announcing several new initiatives.

To enhance its commitment to access and diversity, LSAC has entered an innovative partnership with the Khan Academy to develop free, online practice materials for the LSAT with the goal of making personalized, online LSAT practice free for all.  LSAC is also expanding the frequency and formats of the LSAT to reduce barriers to entry to legal education, including piloting the first nationwide digital LSAT exam on May 20, 2017.  Further, LSAC has made a significant investment in the Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc. (CLEO), to assist in that organization's efforts to advance the diversity of the legal profession.

To support its member schools' efforts to recruit and enroll JD and LLM students who seek out legal education from ever more diverse fields and locales, LSAC is working on a significant update to ACES, its sophisticated, proprietary admissions technology platform that it provides free to its members. LSAC also operates the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) that enables students to apply efficiently to multiple schools.

LSAC will hold its Annual Meeting on May 31-June 3 in Palm Desert, California. Among dozens of panels on legal education, LSAC will present an update on its state of the art testing research on the LSAT. The LSAT is the most valid, reliable and widely used test in law school admissions.

"In a time of considerable change in the legal profession and the academy, we look forward to accelerating key partnerships, integrating technology intelligently, and serving our members in ever-more innovative and effective ways," said Testy.

Dean Testy succeeds Daniel O. Bernstine, who passed away in September 2016. Athornia Steele, former chair of the Law School Admission Council's Board of Trustees, has served as LSAC's interim president during the search for a successor.

About the Law School Admission Council

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is a nonprofit corporation that provides unique products and services to ease the admission process for law schools and their applicants worldwide. Currently, 222 law schools in the United States, Canada, and Australia are members of the Council and benefit from LSAC's services, including the LSAT. Approximately 100,000 tests are administered annually at hundreds of testing centers worldwide. LSAC also processes academic credentials for an average of 60,000 law school applicants annually, funds diversity programs, publishes research, provides essential software and information for admission offices and applicants, conducts educational conferences for law school professionals and prelaw advisors, and provides many related services. For more information, visit LSAC.org, Official_LSAT on Twitter, or @LawSchoolAdmissionCouncil on Facebook.

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SOURCE Law School Admission Council