Law schools see surge in applications with high LSAT scores

A surge in law school applications across the nation has persisted through the spring, especially among aspiring lawyers with high LSAT scores.

The number of applicants was up 8.4 percent from a year ago as of March 30, with a 21 percent increase among those with LSAT scores of 160 or higher, according to data from the Law School Admission Council.

There has been a 70 percent boost in applicants from the highest score range the LSAT-administering council included, 175 to 180. While that was the biggest jump reported, scorers in that range by far make up the smallest percentage of overall applicants.

The second largest increase came from scorers in the 165-169 range, with nearly 29 percent more applicants. Overall, there have been 51,424 applicants for the 2018-2019 academic year, up from 47,424 at this time a year ago.

Kyle McEntee, executive director of the advocacy group Law School Transparency, said a desire to be part of the resistance to President Donald J. Trump was the most likely cause of the heightened interest in law school.

“One important way for people to resist the problems with the current administration is through the justice system,” McEntee said. “Lawyers are a critical part of that justice system.”

Stephen C. Ferruolo, dean of University of San Diego School of Law, agreed there has been a Trump bump. He said his school has seen a 12 percent increase in applicants this year, one year after seeing an 8 percent uptick.

Ferruolo said many applicants have expressed a desire to pursue legal careers working on immigration, environmental, human rights and other public interest matters.

“It is encouraging that people are seeing that lawyers can be real change-makers in addressing the pressing issues in our society,” he said. “It is a strong wave among millennials.”

The improved applicant pool can be seen in a wide array of credentials beyond LSAT scores, Ferruolo said, such as more students applying from elite undergraduate schools.

California Western School of Law began seeing a strong increase in applicants last year with a more than 10 percent bump, said Donald J. Smythe, the school’s vice dean for academic affairs.

While the San Diego school is behind that pace this year, he said, the school is still up 6 percent in applicants this cycle compared to a couple years ago.

“I think the economy has improved and employment prospects for law graduates have significantly improved, and I think word about that has gotten around,” Smythe said.

Meanwhile, the University of San Francisco School of Law has seen the number of applicants remain steady compared to last year, said Alan Guerrero, the school’s senior director of admissions and financial aid. He said the school’s application deadline is May 1.

Kellye Y. Testy, president and CEO of the Law School Admission Council, wrote in a message last week to law school admissions officials that the application numbers were “good news for all of us who had become concerned that some very talented students were choosing not to pursue legal education.”

During the steep decline in law school enrollment in prior years, schools accepted students with weaker credentials.

The boost in applications could provide institutions with an opportunity to admit students more likely to pass the bar exam and enter the profession, McEntee said, rather than simply seeking to grow their class sizes.

“It’s up to the schools to make ethical decisions when we have a larger applicant pool,” he said.