There are two surefire ways to increase law firm applications. The first is the perception of a weak hiring market. The second is an increased popular focus on the law and politics. While unemployment numbers are still good, hiring has slowed, particularly for office jobs. Fewer employees are leaving their existing positions. And, of course, 2024 was an election year. That's both boxes checked.
But law school is becoming an attractive option for other reasons. Consider:
- The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) dropped its logic games section for the first time in 2024. The loss is ... not widely mourned.
- The starting salary for Big Law associates has risen steadily and is now at $225,000 per year. But prospective law students should hold off uncorking the champagne until they get that extremely competitive summer associate position.
- Law is generally considered an AI-resistant field, even as its use among lawyers has proliferated.
All that considered, it is perhaps unsurprising that many are pursuing their interests in law school. In what amounts to another highly competitive application pool, The Wall Street Journal reports that applications are up 20%. This tracks with previous reports.
We are still nowhere near peak applications. The Law School Admissions Council estimates 63,000 applicants. It got as high as 100,000 in the late '90s to early 2000s.
What It Means for Incoming Students
Fortunately, aspiring law students don't tend to shy away from a bit of competition. But some are hedging their bets, applying to dozens of schools to ensure they have a spot somewhere for the 2025-26 school year.
Current applicants have had to exercise some patience, as the waiting lists for popular schools are growing daily to avoid over-enrollment. For example, Georgetown Law received 14,000 applications. The incoming class will be about 650 students. Meanwhile, there are about 9,000 applications for a class of 320 at the University of Michigan.
For many schools, May is the final month to decide. It's when many schools begin collecting initial deposits.
Prospects for Recent Grads
While law school applications have been extraordinarily high, the job market for legal professionals remains slow but steady. While demand for lawyers in government was high in 2024, that is no longer the case. Many Big Law firms have scaled back recruitment efforts at schools.
Fortunately, unemployment among lawyers remains relatively low, and long-term growth is expected to remain steady. And for law students interested in starting their own practice, there is a dearth of lawyers in rural areas. However, Big Law is, if anything, more competitive than ever.
Good luck to the incoming class. While you wait to hear back from your preferred school, please check out our resources for law students, including free case summaries.
Related Resources
- An Unexpected Surge in Law School Applications (FindLaw's Practice of Law)
- University DEI Programs Under Review By Trump Administration (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- ABA Halts DEI Standard for Law School Accreditation (FindLaw's Practice of Law)
