Bloomberg, Why Is Going to Law School So Popular Again?:
Law school is back in fashion.
Applicants to US law schools numbered 76,496 for the 2024-2025 admission cycle, up 18% from 2023-2024 — the biggest percentage gain on record (going back to 1989).1 The number of applicants for next year is up 29% through Oct. 28. “Early volumes can be highly volatile, and thus are not always reflective of application cycle trends,” cautions the source of these statistics, the Law School Admission Council, but it does seem safe to say that the trend continues to be upward.
Why this return to popularity? In test-prep firm Kaplan’s most recent survey of law school admissions officers, 94% said the current political climate in the US played at least a moderate role in the increase. A Kaplan survey obtained a similar result during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2019 — when the phenomenon became known as the “Trump bump” — but the increase in applicants at the time was much smaller. That leads me to believe that other factors may weigh heavier now, perhaps economic ones.
Why this return to popularity? In test-prep firm Kaplan’s most recent survey of law school admissions officers, 94% said the current political climate in the US played at least a moderate role in the increase. A Kaplan survey obtained a similar result during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2019 — when the phenomenon became known as the “Trump bump” — but the increase in applicants at the time was much smaller. That leads me to believe that other factors may weigh heavier now, perhaps economic ones.
Why this return to popularity? In test-prep firm Kaplan’s most recent survey of law school admissions officers, 94% said the current political climate in the US played at least a moderate role in the increase. A Kaplan survey obtained a similar result during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2019 — when the phenomenon became known as the “Trump bump” — but the increase in applicants at the time was much smaller. That leads me to believe that other factors may weigh heavier now, perhaps economic ones.
Still, there are other interpretations. Law school attracts smart people looking for high-paying, prestigious work, and after a long slump, lawyer pay has risen in recent years. …
