The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), the organization that administers the LSAT, reported that at this point in the admissions cycle, it appears likely that law school applications are heading for a 30 year low. There are approximately 200 law schools in the United States; all but 4 reported this decrease in numbers. At this point in the admissions cycle, there are 30,000 applicants for seats overall in the fall class. These numbers represent a 20% decrease in applications from the same time last year, and compared to 2010, it is a decrease of 38%. To give you perspective, in 2004 100,000 people applied to law school, this year there will probably be about 54,000 applicants… The New York Times looked at these numbers and the effect on the legal industry as well as on law schools.
Experts are looking at this drop in numbers and coming up with various reasons. The most often cited reason is the perceived state of the employment opportunities available to law school graduates. An American Bar Association study released last spring showed that of the law school graduates in 2011, only 55% of those who finished law school found full-time jobs that required bar exam passage. In addition to poor job prospects, students considering law school are factoring increased tuition coupled with increased student loans and debt.
The trend in decreased law school applications contrasts with the trend in applications for medical school and business school, as well as many other graduate programs – they all report increases in student applications for these programs.
To deal with the decreased number of applicants, schools are taking a variety of approaches. Some law schools are reporting that they are simply dealing with smaller 1L classes. Other law schools indicate that they will probably accept students that might not have been accepted before – lower LSAT scores and lower GPAs will probably lead to consideration for admissions.
Law Schools are looking for alternative ways to make law school less costly and more relevant for students. Many schools are increasing clinics that enable students to get hands-on training. In addition, schools are also considering the possibility of allowing students to take the bar after two years rather than three. These changes are being studied and if accepted will take a few years to be in effect.
The full New York Times article can be seen here.
