The number of aspiring lawyers is surging in Illinois and nationally in what the Wall Street Journal has called “one of the most competitive years” for law school hopefuls in recent memory.
Applications submitted to ABA-accredited law schools in the U.S. have jumped 23% and the number of applicants has increased almost 20%, according to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
In Illinois, the state’s law schools have seen a 29% increase in applications compared to last year and 20% more Illinoisans have applied to law school this year than last.
This has been a dynamic admissions cycle. The LSAT added a fourth day to its June 2024 administration to accommodate the more than 36,000 students who were registered to take the exam, up from 18,354 who registered to take the exam in June 2023.
The June 2024 administration also marked the last time “logic games” appeared on the test. It was replaced with a second logical reasoning section in August 2024.
Moreover, law schools across the county have been adjusting their application processes in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on race-conscious admissions.
Who are the applicants?
Far more women are applying to law school than men, with 40,666 women and 28,655 male applicants, according to LSAC. The percentage of male applicants did increase 20% from last year, however, compared to an increase of 19% for women.
This increasing representation for women in law continues a recent trend. Women outnumbered men in law school enrollment for the first time in 2016 and comprised the majority of law firm associates in 2023. The 2024 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession predicts the legal profession may reach gender parity by 2026.
LSAC also found a significant jump in the number of Black or African American and Native American or Alaskan Native applicants compared to last year, accounting for 10,822 (an increase of 26%) and 1,462 (an increase of 23%), respectively.
These increases may be notable, as the number of Black lawyers has remained stagnant at 5% for the last decade, according to the ABA. Moreover, just 1% of lawyers were Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander in 2024.
While the number of white/Caucasian applicants grew 18%, they still make up the largest group of applicants at 40,530.
In addition, first-generation college students are applying to law school in greater numbers, with a 19% increase in first-generation applicants compared to last year. Applicants who are not first-generation college students also increased, growing 20% from last year.
Finally, applicants’ LSAT scores are rising. The percentage of applicants who scored 165 or higher grew by more than 30% compared to last year, with those scoring 175-180 jumping 40%.
Why are the numbers increasing?
Mike Spivey, founder and CEO of Spivey Consulting, told the ABA Journal that the “usual trifecta” of events that drive interest in law school — “the elections, financial instability and geopolitical events” — all are very much in the public eye, potentially compelling a rise in applicants.
He also noted that, due to the constant flow of information from social media and other sources, people are likely paying more attention to what is going on around them, creating a desire to gain the education and skills to help.
Susan L. Krinsky, interim president of LSAC, agrees, emphasizing to the ABA Journal that recent legal and social issues are driving people to law school.
“A law degree is an opportunity to get involved,” she told the ABA Journal.
Idealism paired with a difficult economy is enough for applicants to seek the potential stability of a legal career, Josh Hartman, a partner at Alexandria, VA,-based law firm Merchant and Gould, told DC’s WTOP News.
“Law school is a bit of a safe port to pull into to weather what may be troubled financial times ahead,” he said.
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