Law school applications have skyrocketed, along with top LSAT scores. This makes this year’s application cycle even more competitive than ever.
As part of your admissions application, it’s crucial that you demonstrate how your future goals align with those of a particular law school. Provide concrete examples to demonstrate this alignment.
LSAC
LSAC administers the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to prospective law students. Each administration of LSAT from 2011-2021 has been documented and trends can be observed with regard to various subgroups of applicants; reports can be broken down by country, region of US, gender and race/ethnicity.
Asian, black/African-American and Hispanic/Latinx applicants have seen increases in applications; Asian students in particular saw significant increases, while more female and first-generation applicants are applying to law school this year.
Some schools may have seen an increase in applicants, yet most remain manageable and aren’t overburdened with students applying. Some are even encouraging accepted students to defer enrollment until there are enough seats available – leading to a competitive application process for law school applicants who wish to enter legal careers. GPA remains an essential factor when considering law school admission; however, applicants should not neglect other aspects such as letters of recommendation, personal statement and unique experiences in their applications.
ABA
An increase in applicants is a law school dean’s dream – or nightmare, depending on its effects. Crowded classes filled with students who may later drop out or fail to pay their deposits can prove disastrous; law schools use waitlists to eliminate such students as they enter. Application spikes typically accompany economic downturns or presidential elections; this year’s surge appears driven by multiple factors including automation fears, job insecurity concerns and political uncertainty.
The American Bar Association provides a wealth of data on applicants and admissions. Their website hosts an archived database with interactive tools allowing users to compare law school information. Furthermore, it provides downloads from the required Standard 509 Information reports which contain student demographics and enrollment trends; some of this data requires institutional login credentials. Furthermore, there are links available which offer more useful resources related to legal education.
US News & World Report
Law school can be an expensive undertaking. But with job prospects diminished due to layoffs and disruption from generative AI tools in white-collar industries, many young professionals are turning towards law school as a safety net. With its promise of an average starting salary at corporate firms of $225,000 a starting salary may seem alluring.
But if the applicant surge continues, the legal job market could become oversaturated with applicants and result in reduced hiring numbers of new lawyers. That could cause economic contraction as well as reduced numbers being hired on by firms.
Experts attribute the 2024 spike to three main drivers: elections, economic instability and interest in social justice issues. At this stage, however, it remains too early to tell if the spike will continue; Susan Krinsky of LSAC notes that its slow start may distort comparisons to last year at this point; she expects that numbers will rise come 2025.
NLSJ
Applying to law school requires holding a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and passing the LSAT exam, along with having obtained a valid LSAC report and letters of recommendation from previous teachers or professors. Some schools also require additional materials like personal statements or essays as well as participating in research projects, competitions or fellowships that demonstrate commitment and help make applicants stand out among competitors.
Admissions committees use admissions assessments to compare admitted students against their overall pool and evaluate individual strengths. Admissions committees want to see that each applicant is well-rounded, so community service and extracurricular activities can serve as indicators. They also look for academic achievement as well as special skills such as tutoring.
The National Law School Journal publishes a daily report that tracks law school applicant numbers. This helps prospective law students make more informed decisions regarding how competitive this year’s admissions cycle will be; and highlights trends over time.