Are empty law school classes a thing of the past?

It’s early in the game to make any concrete predictions, but if the current numbers are any indication, then law schools might enjoy a much-awaited rise in enrollment next fall. The halls have been looking pretty empty the past few years, with admission down to 113,900 students in 2015-2016, a record low that law schools haven’t seen the likes of since 1977.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal Law Blog article, though, things are about to change for the better.

• LSAC, the Law School Admissions Council, official administrators of the LSAT, saw a 2.9% increase in applications to law schools, with nearly 18,000 students applying as of December 18th.

• There was also a 7% higher rate of students taking the LSAT this June compared to just two years prior. A jump like that hasn’t been seen since 2009.  

While this anticipation is slightly premature, according to Wendy Margolis, LSAC’s communications director, there is no reason to assume that the trend shouldn’t continue, resulting in an overall increase in enrollment by the end of the period. According to the numbers from last year’s records, applications received until this point made up approximately 31% of the total head count for law students. If this proves to be the case again this year, then there will definitely be an increase in law school students next year.

Though these numbers are no reflection of the end result (nor of the aptitude or abilities of the students applying), the fact remains that attention to law school is gaining ground once again. If the trend continues, universities may see a return to the record highs of 2010. At the time, law school enrollment was up to 147,525.

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Related Resources:

• Law School Application Strategy 101 
• Survey Results Show Dramatic Law School Ups And Downs
• How Law School And Law Degrees Are Changing [Infographic]