Update on the Number of LSAT Takers Increasing in February

The LSAC released more detailed information about the 1.1% increase in February LSAT takers.

"There were 19,085 standard LSAT test takers for the February 2014 administration. This number and all other statistics stated below do not include test takers who took the new Spanish LSAT. The 19,085 count is down 206 or 1.1% from February 2013...."

This news means that the standard February LSAT saw a 1.1% decrease in test takers. The 1.1% increase which LSAC reports on their website is not quite comparable since last year's numbers did not include the new Spanish test administration which were included in this February's overall test count.

This February was the first time that LSAC administered a Spanish LSAT and it was the Spanish tests administered which counted for the overall 1.1% increase (assuming that the Spanish test takers would not have taken the standard test if the Spanish test was not offered).

There was also a slight increase in repeat test takers and a slight decrease in first-time test takers for the standard test administration, however, the numbers do not vary significantly from other test administrations beyond the news that the drop in test takers appears to be slowly leveling off. 

Overall, the biggest news of the day seems to be that there was not a big drop in test takers as has been seen for the last few years. In this sense, no news is good news for law schools.

Number of LSAT Takers Increased in February

For the first time since June 2010, the number of LSAT takers increased. Although the test takers for the February 2014 LSAT administration only increased 1.1%, it is another indication that the law school recession may be nearing an end. (see also, here and here). 

This LSAT cycle has also seen the least decrease overall in test takers - only a 6.2% decrease as compared to a 13.4%, 16.2%, 9.6% decrease for 2012-13, 2011-12, and 2010-11 cycles respectively. Overall, applicants and test takers are still declining, however, these small changes could be the early signs of a larger swing.

So what does this mean for prospective students? Potentially, it may become more competitive to be admitted into law school. Over the last few years the national acceptance rate to law schools has been increasing; however, as students with higher LSAT scores begin returning to legal education this trend may change.

This is good news if you are a law school but it could be bad news if you are a prospective student. Over the last few years, with the increased competition for students, law schools have been awarding generous scholarships to induce students to attend. If there is less competition for students, it is likely that scholarship offers will start shrinking as well. Good ol' supply and demand economics!

If you are in a position to enter law school this year it may be a good time to attend before the market swings back in favor of law schools and becomes less favorable to prospective students; however, you should take a close look at your own personal situation and goals before making a decision.

Choosing a Law School

The saying "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb" may be about the weather but it can also pertain to law school admissions as well. At the beginning of March there are a rush of decisions being released by law schools and then by the end of March things slow down and it becomes your turn to make the big decision. Now the question becomes "how do you choose a law school?"

Assuming you have done a plethora of research on the law schools you applied to and know what programs they offer, below are a few additional things you should do before you make your final decision.

1) Visit the Law School:
Law school is going to be your home for three years. You would never buy a house without a thorough inspection and you should never attend a law school without visiting it first. Each law school has its own culture and environment which will significantly impact your experience as a student and your ability to practice law when you graduate. You should consider the size, composition, and background of the student body as well as the location, size, and nature of the community. You need to be in a place where you can succeed not just academically but also professionally and personally as well. The best way to get a feel for an institution is by putting your feet on the ground and walking its halls to get a sense of whether you can spend the next three years of your life there.

2) Meet the Faculty:
The faculty are the heart and soul of a law school. You will be learning from their expertise, growing from their mentorship, and at some point probably crying in their office. Your success is tied in with the professors teaching you. Do your research and find some professors at the law school who have the same interests as you. You can reach out to the professor directly, however, as a professional courtesy, it is probably better if you contact the Admissions Office and have them contact the professor to set up a conversation. It will help ease the transition to law school if you begin building relationships with the school before orientation - just don't go over the deep end and be a stalker.

3) Explore Student Services Opportunities:
Everyone who attends law school is the smartest person in the class and will get their first choice job. Well... at least that's what everyone seems to think on the first day of orientation. The reality is that everyone who attends law school is smart and has the ability to get a great job; however, mathematically, not everyone can be at the top of the class. That's where student service departments come into play. Departments like Career Services, Externships, and Academic Achievement can have a huge impact on your experience in law school and your opportunities for employment afterwards; however, you need to know what your school offers and, most importantly, take advantage of them. Ask about what kind of support the school provides to help you transition into law school and what opportunities are available to help you transition out and into practice.

Choosing a law school will be one of the most important professional decisions you will make in your life. It is important to do your research and choose the school that is the best fit for you to help you reach your goals. Good luck!

In Review: Hiring of Law Grads Improving

The legal job market is starting to turn around in favor of new graduates. This is great news if you are looking to enter law school this year because analysts are saying that offer rates for summer interns are increasing to prerecession levels and are becoming more optimistic about future hiring trends.

The Wall Street Journal explains it best: "The job-offer rate for those lucky enough to have landed a summer job at a law firm in 2013 is nearly as high as it was before the financial crisis."

Rather than rehash the analysis here I will provide links below to the relevant articles in an attempt to index them for your convenience. Enjoy!

Hiring of Law Grads Improves for Some

Summer Associate Recruiting Stays Mostly Flat but Offer Rates Rise

Perspectives on Fall 2013 Law Student Recruiting

Are Summer Associate and Entry-Level Hiring Picking Up?

National Association for Law Placement Press Release

For more information on graduate employment prospects see HERE.

Acceptance Rate to Law School Increases Again

According to the LSAC US National Decision Profiles, the acceptance rate to law school nationally increased to 77% for the 2013 entering class. This is up from the 75% acceptance rate for the 2012 entering class and represents the highest acceptance rate to law school in the last 11 years.

From a prospective student perspective, 2013 represented a student's best opportunity to be admitted to law school; however, just because 2013 represented the best opportunity to be admitted to law school overall, it does not necessarily mean that students were admitted to their first choice law school - an important distinction.

When choosing which law schools to apply to it is always important to be realistic about your expectations of being admitted. It is good to have aspirational goals; however, check the school's website, with an Admissions Counselor, or the ABA/LSAC Guide to learn about enrollment data such as the median LSAT and GPA to help you predict your chances of admittance and set goals.

There is no guarantee that the acceptance rate to the 2014 entering class will increase again. In fact, there are some early indicators showing that admission to law school may soon begin to get more difficult. (see HERE and HERE) However, if you are intent on attending law school, statistically speaking your best chances of being admitted may already be here. Just like the law school enrollment bubble burst in 2010/11, it is only a matter of time before the acceptance rate bubble bursts as well.

Please see below for some historic acceptance rate data:

Year	2013	2012	2011	2010	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002
Acceptance Rate*	77%	75%	71%	69%	67%	67%	66%	63%	59%	56%	57%	62%

*Acceptance rate is calculated by the total number of ABA applicants divided by the number of applicants accepted to one or more ABA law schools

Four Benefits of Earning Your Law Degree in a Part-Time Program

Less than half of all ABA accredited law schools offer part-time (PT) programs and PT students only account for about 15% of the total enrollment in law schools; however, for many students who need to balance work or family life with law school, a PT program may be the best option to earn a Juris Doctor degree and achieve career goals. It typically takes a tough four years to complete the degree, rather than three, but the character and motivation of PT law students is truly inspiring. Below are four benefits to applying and attending law school part-time.

1) Flexibility
Part-time programs typically fall into two categories: day and evening programs. Day programs usually integrate the PT students into classes with full-time students, however, the PT students take a lighter course load. Evening programs are usually exclusively for PT students and classes are offered after regular business hours so students can maintain a full time job during the day and go to class in the evening. Some schools also offer weekend classes or allow students to jump between daytime and evening classes which allow students to have even more flexibility in their schedules to complete the degree.

2) Class Size
As discussed above, PT students only account for 15% of the total enrollment in law schools. Because of the small number of PT students, at many law schools the classes designated for the PT program are smaller than that of the FT programs. The smaller student to faculty ratio allows for more personalized interaction with the professor and fellow students which should lead to a better learning experience for the student.

3) Homogeneity and Diversity
PT programs are incredibly homogenous and diverse at the same time. This dichotomy leads to a very exciting learning experience.

PT programs are homogenous in the sense that the students are uniquely motivated to attend the program and many have the same outside anxieties, pressures, and goals influencing their experience which are largely exclusive to PT students.

PT programs are diverse in the sense that everyone in the program comes from very different experiences. PT students are typically non-traditional students and have years of life wisdom which allow them to analyze material from a plethora of  viewpoints and create a rich diversity of ideas in the classroom.

4) Admissions Standards
Because PT programs are largely non-traditional students, Admissions Committees must review PT applications differently than FT applications which tend to be from younger, more traditional students.

Traditional applications tend to rely more on LSAT and GPA as indicators for success in law school because the applicants have less life experience to balance out their applications.

Non-traditional students, however, have a rich diversity of life and working experiences which overrides the importance of a GPA earned 10 or 20 years ago or a LSAT score which does not measure ability to overcome obstacles.

This is not to say that Admissions Standards are less rigorous for PT students. In many cases, PT applications are much more difficult for Committees to review since the Committee must spend additional time and effort as they analyze and weigh the applicant's unique "soft" factors which indicate success in law school and the legal profession.

If you are one of the brave few that are interested in attending law school part-time, do your research and find the right program for you. Your law school experience will be challenging but it will be very rewarding. Good Luck!

Law School Applicants with Highest LSAT Scores Increase

According to the latest LSAC Current Volume Summary (2/7/14) applicants to law school are down 11.1% and applications are down 12.2%. This drop in applicants and applications is the smallest drop in both categories at this time of the year in the last four years. However, more interestingly, for many law schools the drop may not be a drop at all.

For the first time in years there is an increase in applicants who scored a 170 or higher on the LSAT (1.7% increase for 170-174 and 5.6% increase for 175-180). 

Conversely, the largest decrease in applicants is occurring with applicants who score a 144 or lower on the LSAT (15.7% decrease for 140-144 and 20.3% decrease for those scoring less than 140).

If these trends continue, law school applicants may continue to drop overall; however, the decrease will be anchored by lower "quality" applicants while higher "quality" applicants begin to return  to law school.

For many law schools this shift is a welcome sign that the law school recession may be slowly coming to an end as more "qualified" applicants begin to return to legal education while those who are less likely to be admitted begin to opt out of applying to law school.