UNC law school sees fewer applicants

Between the economic recession years of 2007 and 2009, the number of students taking LSAT exams and applying to law school was on the rise.

But tides have turned dramatically.

The number of LSAT exams administered by the Law School Admission Council in 2011-12 was 129,958, an almost 25 percent decrease since 2009 and the lowest number of exams given by the council since the 2000-01 academic year.

The decrease has impacted many schools across the nation, including UNC’s School of Law, which has seen an 8 percent decrease in applicants.

“The 16.2 percent decrease (in LSAT exams given) for the past year was the largest we’ve seen in the history of the test,” said Wendy Margolis, spokeswoman for the admissions council.

Fewer students taking the LSAT has resulted in a nearly 15 percent decrease nationwide in law school applicants for fall 2012, with 87 percent of schools having submitted data so far.

But Michael States, assistant dean of admissions for the UNC law school, said he believes the lower number of applicants is a positive sign for UNC.

Despite the smaller applicant pool, he said this year’s class was the strongest entering class UNC has ever admitted in terms of GPA and LSAT scores.

“People applying to law school now are people who are really serious about becoming lawyers,” he said. “I think we’ll actually see more long-term job satisfaction (for law school graduates).”

He said the large number of people taking the LSAT in recent years might be due to students struggling to look for jobs after graduation.

“Now there has been a lot of media coverage about law school costs and the legal job market, and that’s caused some who weren’t as serious about law school not to take the LSAT,” he said.

He said the smaller pool doesn’t affect the selectivity of the admissions staff, and the school’s lower tuition has helped keep UNC competitive.

“If students compare the tuition costs of UNC to competitors, they’re more likely to choose UNC,” he said.

Sarah Zearfoss, senior assistant dean for admissions, financial aid and career planning at the University of Michigan’s School of Law, said the school experienced a 5 percent decline in applicants from 2011, a number she said didn’t surprise her given the struggling economy.

However, she too said there are positive aspects of the decreasing numbers.

“Having students who are pursuing law school on a whim is not good for law students or for law schools,” she said.

Despite the downward national trends, some law schools have seen an increase in the number of applicants. Wake Forest University’s School of Law reported that their applicant pool is up about 33 percent from 2011.

Jay Shively, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at Wake Forest’s law school, said in an email that he attributes much of the jump to expanded recruitment efforts. He said he personally visited a number of undergraduate programs to connect with prospective students.

“Because of this outreach, including application fee waivers and carefully drafted correspondence, we may be making the application list of students who in the past may not have considered us,” he said.

Shively said despite the high cost of a law degree and a dim job outlook, law school applicants should not be discouraged.

“The odds of anyone getting a $150,000 job right out of law school these days is slim from virtually any law school,” he said. “But a legal education is still a prerequisite to a broad range of worthwhile options.”

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