News Alert

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has been hit with a federal class action lawsuit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleging anticompetitive practices that violate the Sherman Act. Filed by Georgia resident Linvel James Risner, the complaint accuses LSAC of conspiring with its 197-member law schools to fix prices for its mandatory law school applications.

According to the complaint, LSAC collects nearly $500 per applicant through a $215 subscription fee and a $45 per-report fee, generating over $30 million annually. Plaintiffs argue that LSAC provides minimal services – primarily transmitting basic application data – yet applicants have no alternative platform due to member schools’ exclusive reliance on LSAC’s system.

The suit also alleges that LSAC’s Board of Trustees is entirely composed of individuals employed by member law schools, enabling coordinated control over pricing and governance. LSAC is also being accused of using its nonprofit status to mask excessive executive compensation and amass over $250 million in net assets.

LSAC responded by denying the allegations, stating its commitment to expanding access to legal education to prospective students.

The proposed class includes all U.S. applicants who paid LSAC platform fees in the past four years.

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