According to a press release from Law Offices of David Anziska, Strauss Law PLLC, etc, etc, 20 schools have been added to the list of those being sued for fraud by their former students: [Correction: These schools have not yet been sued. The firms issuing the release are merely "seeking to file suit," and may not yet have plaintiffs.]
New England School of Law
Western New England University School of Law
Roger Williams University School of Law
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Pace University School of Law
St. John’s University School of Law
Syracuse University College of Law
Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America
American University Washington College of Law
Stetson University College of Law
University of Miami School of Law
University of St. Thomas School of Law
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Valparaiso University School of Law
St. Louis University School of Law
Chapman University School of Law
Loyola Marymount University Law School
Pepperdine University School of Law
Whittier Law School
Seattle University School of Law
Perhaps most surprising with the new batch is that two Top 50 schools were added, American and Pepperdine. But, remember, the suits aren't about merely having a disappointing employment outcome. They're about fraud in employment statistics. If you report a private practice salary 75th percentile of $160,000 without disclosing that the response rate to the salary question was only 66%, so really you have no clue what the 75th percentile is, then you could be on the hook for fraud, and American does just that. (Class of 2010 employment data.)
Imagine a new Vegas casino game advertises that 75% of people who play walk away from the table either winning or at least breaking even. Sounds great, let's play. But, it turns out that the advertised statistic was based on responses by only 66% of people who played. And, it turns out that people who lose are far less likely to answer the survey about how they did, and really, only 45% of people who play leave the table even or up. Well, that's fraud, and "but we never guaranteed you'd win" would be no defense. If the advertised prize was $160,000, but the jackpot payout actually came out to $120,000, again, we're going to have a problem.
For those of you keeping score at home, the previous 18 schools that have been sued are:
Albany Law School
Brooklyn Law School
California Western School of Law
Chicago-Kent College of Law
DePaul University College of Law
Florida Coastal School of Law
Golden Gate University School of Law
Hofstra Law School
John Marshall School of Law
New York Law School
Southwestern Law School
Thomas Cooley
Thomas Jefferson
University of San Francisco School of Law
Widener University School of Law
