Undergrads' paths to postgrad education, careers examined in new LSAC, AALS study
How undergraduates make decisions about their postgraduate education and future careers will be the focus of new research by the Association of American Law Schools and the Law School Admission Council set to come out by late 2027. (Image from Shutterstock)
How undergraduates make decisions about their postgraduate education and future careers will be the focus of new research by the Association of American Law Schools and the Law School Admission Council set to come out by late 2027.
With law school applications up, technology developments quickly evolving and changes in financial and admissions practices shifting, the new study, called Before the JD II, builds off 2018 research by the AALS and aims to offer insights on how undergraduates create their goals.
“The pathway to law school begins long before a student submits an application,” said Sudha Setty, the president and CEO of the LSAC, in a May 12 press release. “This study will help us better understand the early decision-making process and how institutions can support students along the way.”
Key questions include what students’ plans are after their undergraduate degrees, when they start making those decisions and taking steps toward those goals, what preparation they take for their career path, and which resources they use, according to the press release.
“The ultimate goal is to ensure that law school and higher education leaders understand what undergraduate students are thinking and doing about pursuing law or other graduate study, so that they can best design their programs and support students’ various pathways to them,” said Kellye Y. Testy, the CEO of the AALS and a 2022 ABA Journal Legal Rebel, in the press release.
The research is receiving support from the AccessLex Institute, the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the National Association for Law Placement.
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