Former Detroit Mayor Archer to lead ABA Task Force on Legal - Ed Financing

The task force is charged with looking at the cost of legal education for students, the financing of law schools, student loans and educational debt. It will also consider current practices of law schools regarding the use of merit scholarships, tuition discounting and need-based aid.

Article here (via TaxProf blog). 

Law school rankings news

The ABA told schools in June that they no longer had to report their expenditures per student when reporting to US News for their law school rankings. But that didn't stop US News from requesting the data. Article here.
Apparently, the magazine will "continue to do "whatever it chooses to do. Years of entreaties, rants, and denunciation haven’t stopped it from incorporating expenditures into its law school ranking. I’m doubtful that the ABA’s change will suddenly bring U.S. News to its senses.""

Federal Courts and the government shutdown: Are they still open?

Federal courts haven't yet been affected by the shutdown, according to the ABA Journal. From the article, "the federal courts will remain open through at least Oct. 17 and possibly Oct. 18, the Department of Justice has announced."