Law School Application Rates Look Like SFFA v. Harvard Never Happened

// If a goal of SFFA v. Harvard was to put a chilling effect on non-white students from applying to law schools, I have good news: they have failed on that front. Early after the opinion, administrators and advisors have pleaded with students to work on their materials and send them in. After all, the most guaranteed rejection a student could get is the one they’d give themselves by not submitting the application. In record numbers, diverse students refused to self-select out of law school. From Reuters:

The current national law school applicant pool includes more than 43% people of color — the highest percentage on record, according to the latest data from the Law School Admission Council. The number of minority applicants has also grown, increasing nearly 7% compared with this time last year, the data show.

…

“Law schools and [the Law School Admission Council] have done a really good job of saying, ‘Schools still want you,’” said Susan Krinsky, the council’s executive vice president of operations, describing recent efforts to encourage minority candidates to apply.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-top-300x250" ); });

It has been a great boost to morale knowing that schools still value diversity and have been doing to legwork to encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds to send in their materials. We are still waiting on the second shoe to drop though — what will be the conversion rate on applications to acceptances? The dream would be for a matching increase to acceptances, but an acceptance rate on par with acceptances prior to SFFA v. Harvard would be a close second.

Sponsored Introducing Lexis® Create – enhanced with Lexis+ AI The only fully integrated legal drafting solution. Lexis Create integrates Practical Guidance, Market Standards, Shepard's, AI-Powered Clause Intelligence, recommendations, and collaboration into drafting. From LexisNexis  

Law School Applicant Pool Is Most Diverse Ever Amid Affirmative Action Ban [Reuters]

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-middle-300x250" ); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-storycontent-440x100" ); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-in-story-youtube-1x1" ); });

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-bottom-300x250" ); }); Sponsored Sponsored The Smartfirm Playbook - Thriving In Today’s Legal Landscape Strategically using software and automation to boost efficiency and streamline operations, allowing for a laser-focus on practicing law. From Lawmatics   Sponsored How to Achieve Quicker, More Valuable Case Settlements with Minimal Effort: A Guide for Personal Injury Lawyers We’re pleased to share the “Top 5 Things Carriers Are Looking for in Demands” — a guide authored by a lawyer with deep experience on… From EvenUp and Above The Law   Sponsored InterAction+ Brings Power Of CRM Software To Law Firms Of All Sizes The only legal CRM with exclusive content from LexisNexis®. From LexisNexis® InterAction+™   Sponsored Introducing Lexis® Create – enhanced with Lexis+ AI The only fully integrated legal drafting solution. Lexis Create integrates Practical Guidance, Market Standards, Shepard's, AI-Powered Clause Intelligence, recommendations, and collaboration into drafting. From LexisNexis   Sponsored How Generative AI Is Disrupting Law Firm Billing Practices Amid legal landscape shifts, billing practices remain vital. With generative AI enabling faster, more efficient work, some law firms may adjust billing models accordingly. From LexisNexis   Sponsored The Smartfirm Playbook - Thriving In Today’s Legal Landscape Strategically using software and automation to boost efficiency and streamline operations, allowing for a laser-focus on practicing law. From Lawmatics   Topics

DEI, Diversity, Law School Applications, Law Schools, SFFA v. Harvard