Legal Education Statistics

‘Virtually all’ incoming law students think they will be in the top half of their class, new study finds

Updated: A new survey of more than 600 incoming law students found them to be overconfident about how well they will do in law school and poor predictors of how they would perform.

Jul 26, 2023 11:01 AM CDT

How could alternative licensure alter lawyer labor supply? Law prof’s research may have answers

If jurisdictions eliminate the bar exam as an entry to attorney licensure, the labor supply of lawyers would increase by 16%, according to new research by an associate professor at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Jun 14, 2023 10:51 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Bar group that ditched drag trivia event criticized; Black law schools guide drops overall rankings

Social justice group criticizes bar drag event cancellation The nonprofit Southern Coalition for Social Justice is forwarding a letter with more than 100 signatures to a bar group that canceled a drag show trivia night, citing “political” reasons. The letter says the decision by the North Carolina Bar Association “flies…

Jun 9, 2023 3:04 PM CDT

These law schools did best in blog’s ‘omnibus specialty rankings’ based on US News data

The best law school for its showing in specialty rankings by U.S. News & World Report is Georgetown University, according to “omnibus specialty rankings” devised by a law dean.

Jun 5, 2023 8:40 AM CDT

Gender, race and finances for law school admittees examined in new report

In 2022, 70% of law school applicants received admissions offers, and men continue to be admitted at higher rates than women, according to a report released Tuesday by the AccessLex Institute, a nonprofit organization.

May 16, 2023 2:32 PM CDT

Plans for cutting admissions test requirement paused by ABA Legal Ed council

After receiving letters from various law school deans with concerns about cutting the Law School Admission Test requirement, the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar on Friday walked back plans to go forward with the proposal in August.

May 12, 2023 2:28 PM CDT

Following methodology changes for US News rankings, 7 law schools reach top 100

With more weight now given to law school employment outcomes and first-time bar passage rates in U.S. News & World Report’s best graduate schools rankings, there was little movement among the top 10. But 14 schools outside that grouping saw significant position increases, the publication reports.

May 10, 2023 11:01 PM CDT

For 2022 law grads, bar-pass-required jobs increase, while JD-advantage positions decrease

For the second year in a row, there is an increase in jobs for new lawyers, according to data released Tuesday by the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Apr 25, 2023 12:12 PM CDT

Why are US News law school rankings delayed?

Updated: Following “an unprecedented number of inquiries from schools,” the release of U.S. News & World Report’s best graduate schools rankings, which include law schools, was pushed back twice in the past week.

Apr 17, 2023 3:25 PM CDT

Yale Law keeps top place in US News rankings preview—but it is tied with another school

Yale Law School and Stanford Law School are tied for first place in a preview of refashioned rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

Apr 11, 2023 3:27 PM CDT

How can law schools comply with faculty diversity accreditation standards? Some deans have questions

It’s been almost a month since ABA notice was posted that the University of Oregon School of Law was out of compliance for a diversity accreditation standard, and Marcilynn Burke, the dean, still hasn’t figured out why. She’s in the process of finding out, and in the meantime, is getting a report ready to demonstrate compliance.

Apr 10, 2023 10:49 AM CDT

February bar scores decrease for repeaters and first-time test-takers

For the multiple-choice section of the February 2023 bar exam, there was a decrease of 1.5 points in the national mean scaled score, according to the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Apr 4, 2023 8:40 AM CDT

Studies supporting mismatch theory are replete with ‘demonstrably incorrect’ assumptions, law prof says

Studies supporting an “academic mismatch” theory claim that students are harmed by racial preferences, but the data doesn’t support that assertion, according to a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law.

Mar 29, 2023 9:41 AM CDT

How can law schools with history of bar pass issues get their rates above 75%?

For law schools that fall below the bar pass rate required for ABA accreditation, there are many avenues for change. We spoke to three schools that have improved their numbers.

Mar 16, 2023 2:34 PM CDT

Data on about 6,500 law students proves my mismatch theory, shows racial-preference harm, law prof says

A controversial law professor has said data on about 6,500 law students at four law schools provides strong support for his “academic mismatch” theory—that law students with lower qualifications than their peers fall behind and have worse outcomes in a learning environment geared toward better-qualified students.

Mar 16, 2023 11:47 AM CDT