Applications to law school are up, but so are the risks

These are extraordinary times, prompting law school applications to rise, but so is the risk, as reported by the New York Times today.

• Applications to law school shot up 44% from 2 years ago, and are up 17% this year alone. Why? Working as a lawyer can seem like a sure thing: “For decades, the American law school has served as a popular hedge against a cooling economy.”
• But going to law school has never been risk-free. Half of 2011 law school grads were not working full-time legal jobs requiring JDs within a year of graduating, for example.
• While recent graduating classes have done well (80% of ’23 & ’24 grads landed jobs within a year), AI could cut legal jobs. For example, Goldman Sachs economists estimated that technology could automate 44% of legal work.
• In addition to AI, rising tuition makes law school riskier. The average private law school tuition is $60,000, and public school $32,000.
• Adding to the risk is how to pay for law school. “Stricter limits on student loans, which were passed as part of President Trump’s tax and spending law last year, go into effect in July. They impose a yearly limit of $50,000 for students seeking professional degrees.”

If you’re considering law school, I recommend you check out the odds of landing a well-paying job at your school. Law school rankings of big law prospects here.

But I like this reason for the surge in applicants reported by the WSJ last year: a desire for political change. WSJ notes applicants were following “high-profile legal battles, including over immigration and diversity policies,” and “a swath of law-school applicants view the legal profession as a way to make a difference and champion issues they feel strongly about.”