The end of the year is the time when we take a few moments to look back and assess the past year before moving forward to the new year. As it does each year-end, the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has published its statistics on LSAT administrations and law school applications for 2012. The numbers show what many have already noted: law school applications are down, and the 2012 downturn is significant.
LSAC provides statistics for several law school application indicators since the year 2003. Leading the downturn is the number of LSAT administrations, with a 16.2% drop in the year 2011-2012. At the same time, CAS registrations dropped by 11.5%. Because CAS registration is a one-time event (whereas applicants can take the LSAT multiple times), this 11.5% decline can be viewed as a more accurate measure of the reduced interest in law school.
Other statistics included in the LSAC report reflect actual law school applications. The number of ABA school applicants in the fall of 2012 dropped by 13.7% (from 78,800 in 2011 to 68,000 in 2012). The number of applications, however, only dropped by 12.5%, suggesting that applicants are applying to more schools.
The drop in numbers shown by the LSAC report is by far the largest decrease seen in the past decade (2003 – 2012). Between 2003 and 2008, law school applications declined steadily. The years 2008 and 2009 saw a modest increase, but this bump has been followed by a precipitous decline in 2011 and 2012. Opinions on the causes vary, but most see economic uncertainty as a contributing factor. The question remains as to how law schools will respond in attempting to mitigate or reverse this trend.
The LSAC report can be seen at http://www.lsac.org/lsacresources/data/lsac-volume-summary.asp
