Legal Education Statistics

After spike up in 2021, MPRE mean scaled score slightly decreases

The national mean scaled score for the March 2022 Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination is 95.6, compared to 99.0 in 2021, the National Conference of Bar Examiners announced Thursday.

Apr 29, 2022 8:53 AM CDT

If you pass the bar on first attempt and want to be a lawyer, you’re likely to get hired, 2021 grads say

Employment data for 2021 graduates shows a vibrant job market for new lawyers, but it’s too soon to predict the 2022 market, says Aaron Taylor, executive director of the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence. Taylor also thinks law school enrollment will be a significant factor.

Apr 28, 2022 12:37 PM CDT

Numbers show slight increase in two-year bar pass rates

Based on data for 2019 graduates, the two-year bar passage rate for ABA-accredited law schools has increased to 91.17%.

Apr 26, 2022 11:29 AM CDT

Following a boost in 2021, national average score for February 2022 MBE drops

After increasing to 134 in 2021, the national mean scaled score for the February Multistate Bar Examination has decreased to 132.6 for 2022, which was the same as it was in 2020—just before COVID-19-related quarantines started in many jurisdictions.

Apr 11, 2022 12:09 PM CDT

Diversity increases with law school deans, according to new AALS study

The number of women and people of color in law school dean positions is growing, but those hired through search firms were mostly white men, according to a new study released by the Association of American Law Schools. The American Law School Dean Study surveyed 197 deans of ABA-accredited law schools and 222 former deans who served between 2010 and 2020

Apr 4, 2022 11:01 PM CDT

Here’s what could have been behind the shake-ups in US News rankings, say some deans

The University Oregon School of Law moved up the U.S. News & World Report rankings this year, from No. 72 to No. 67, while the University of Wisconsin Law School moved down, from No. 29 to No. 43. Deans at both schools advised potential applicants to take the rankings with “a grain of salt.”

Mar 31, 2022 12:28 PM CDT

Is interest in law school waning? ‘This year is not going to be as red-hot off the charts’

Some statistics are pointing to a lessened interest in law school this year.

Mar 10, 2022 11:48 AM CST

Which law schools overperformed on the bar exam? Some are unranked by US News

What helps law schools garner better-than-expected bar passage rates? A high ranking by U.S. News & World Report isn't necessarily part of the formula, according to a new study.

Feb 8, 2022 4:31 PM CST

Which law schools have the highest and lowest median LSAT scores?

At Columbia Law School, Harvard Law School and Yale Law School, the median LSAT score for this year’s entering class was 174, which was the highest of all law schools.

Dec 16, 2021 10:16 AM CST

A higher percentage of law grads are getting hired by larger firms

Larger firms of 250 or more lawyers are hiring a higher percentage of law grads as class sizes stagnate and law firms grow.

Dec 2, 2021 9:43 AM CST

Law school applicants are down, for now, for the first time since 2018

The number of law school applicants has decreased nearly 5% compared to the same time last year, the first decline since 2018.

Nov 30, 2021 12:36 PM CST

Are remote learning and burnout to blame for declining bar pass rates?

Bar exam pass rates dropped in July 2021, and some fear another decrease for 2022 graduates nationally because most candidates will have experienced at least half their legal education during the pandemic. Related problems mentioned by academics include getting used to online learning, isolation, anxiety and exhaustion.

Nov 16, 2021 3:37 PM CST

More law school applicants with high LSAT scores are getting rejected, admissions officers say

Law school admissions officers are becoming choosier amid a surge in law school applicants. In a survey by educational services company Kaplan, 72% of law school admissions officers said they rejected more applicants with what they consider to be high scores on the Law School Admission Test than they did in the previous cycle.

Nov 8, 2021 3:08 PM CST

Some law schools report ‘eye-popping increases’ in median LSAT scores for incoming 1Ls

At least six law schools have reported three-point increases in their median LSAT scores for incoming first-year classes, while another 42 schools have reported two-point increases. And one law school reported a four-point increase.

Oct 27, 2021 4:20 PM CDT

New findings published on law school debt

A survey released Tuesday asked young attorneys if their legal education was worth the cost, and fewer than half said yes. However, 60.9% of respondents said that if they had to do it over, they would still attend law school.

Sep 21, 2021 1:00 PM CDT