University of Arizona College of Law began accepting Graduate Record Examination scores as well as the LSAT as an option for applicants this month and other schools say they are considering the same move.

The change counters decades of using the LSAT to measure readiness for a legal education. The median LSAT score of incoming students is also used as a key measure in closely followed national rankings of schools.

The GRE has traditionally been used for admission to graduate and business-school programs, but Arizona Law administrators say they have proved the GRE is just as effective a measure and that it complies with accrediting rules.

Marc Miller, the dean of Arizona Law in Tucson, said using the GRE would diversify the group applying to law-school by capturing students with broader interests and backgrounds, including those interested in joint degrees.

The American Bar Association plans to independently decide whether the GRE meets its requirement that accredited schools consider LSAT scores or those of another ‘valid and reliable’ test when making admissions decisions. Source: The Wall Street Journal