Legal Education Statistics

Bar exam scores, pass rates trend upward

At the time of this post, 49 states and the District of Columbia had reported their scores—25 of those states and D.C. saw an increase in bar pass rates over last July.

Nov 10, 2025 2:52 PM CST

About 1 in 5 law students have a disability, new survey finds

A survey released this week from Indiana University found that among U.S. law students, about 20% reported that they have a disability of some kind—ranging from mental health conditions to physical disabilities—and often feel unsupported.

Nov 6, 2025 11:38 AM CST

Florida workgroup offers dozen alternatives to ABA law school accreditation

A workgroup created by the Florida Supreme Court has developed a dozen alternative methods for law school accreditation as the state considers options beyond the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, including requesting that the council become independent from the ABA.

Oct 30, 2025 11:33 AM CDT

Applying to law school? The competition is steep

Applying to law school? Warning: It’s going to be even more competitive than last year. As of Thursday afternoon, the number of applicants is up 32% compared to this time last year, while applications are up 27.8%, according to the Law School Admission Council’s volume summary data.

Oct 16, 2025 1:40 PM CDT

ABA law school accreditation should end, Texas justices say

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday tentatively approved minimizing or possibly eliminating the role of the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar in accrediting the state’s law schools, moving those powers to the court itself.

Sep 29, 2025 3:50 PM CDT

July Multistate Bar Exam scores continue upward trend

July 2025’s Multistate Bar Exam mean score hit 142.4, about a 0.6-point jump over a year earlier and one of the highest recorded in 12 years, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Aug 28, 2025 1:34 PM CDT

First-time bar pass rates hit 82%, AccessLex study says

Bar passage rates for first-time examinees hit 82% in July 2024, matching the 10-year record high of July 2020, according the AccessLex Institute’s summer 2025 update of the Legal Education Data Deck.

Aug 21, 2025 9:33 AM CDT

Record-setting employment rate for class of 2024 law grads comes with asterisk, new NALP report finds

Class of 2024 law graduates had the highest ever overall employment rate and the highest ever employment rate in bar-admission-required jobs, but percentages only tell part of the story, according to Nikia L. Gray, the executive director of the National Association for Law Placement.

Aug 5, 2025 9:04 AM CDT

Cost of law school drives where students enroll, new LSAC study shows

Anticipating substantial loans to finance their education, the vast majority—84%—of first-year law students in 2024 said cost was a driving factor for choosing a law school, according to a new study by the Law School Admission Council.

May 30, 2025 11:19 AM CDT

Should law schools have more hands-on learning requirements?

Law students will need to get twice as much practical, hands-on experience before graduation if a proposal by the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions moves forward.

May 12, 2025 4:30 PM CDT

Elections, economy and social issues inspire 22.9% jump in law school applications

Applications to ABA-accredited law schools are up 22.9% compared to last year, and the rise can be attributed to the 2024 elections, an unstable economy and a focus on social issues, experts say.

May 8, 2025 4:10 PM CDT

California Supreme Court orders return to Multistate Bar Examination, lowers bar pass score

The State Bar of California, still reeling from the disastrous February launch of its bar exam written in conjunction with Kaplan, was recently hit with California Supreme Court orders mandating the return to the Multistate Bar Examination in July and lowering the bar pass score for the February examinees.

May 6, 2025 1:45 PM CDT