Your Law School Can Shut Down. Your Debt Can't.

This episode of LSAT Unplugged + Law School Admissions Podcast delivers a stark warning about the growing instability of U.S. law schools, using the closure of Golden Gate University School of Law as a cautionary tale. The host highlights that at least 16 accredited law schools have shut down or lost accreditation since 2016, with enrollment declines, plummeting bar passage rates, and financial strain creating a vicious cycle that often ends in closure. A new federal law—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—introduces an earnings test that could cut off federal student loans to programs where graduates don’t earn above a certain threshold, disproportionately impacting lower-ranked schools with lower average salaries. This, combined with reduced Grad PLUS loan limits and states like Texas and Florida moving away from ABA accreditation, creates a perfect storm for law school viability. The host urges prospective students to rigorously vet schools using ABA disclosures, focusing on bar passage rates (ideally above 80%), employment outcomes, institutional stability, and debt-to-income ratios. He emphasizes the LSAT as the most powerful lever for securing better outcomes, offering free tutoring to help students improve their scores and avoid high-risk schools. The episode also addresses common student concerns—waitlist chances, GPA importance, online degrees, gap years, and career paths—while advocating for strategic, data-driven decision-making in law school admissions.