Half of law schools worry about creating diverse student body, new Kaplan study says
“Law schools are grappling with concerns about maintaining diverse student bodies, which is something many of them have long prioritized,” said Amit Schlesinger, executive director of legal and government programs at test prep company Kaplan. (Image from Shutterstock)
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision striking down affirmative action, half of law school admissions officers are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about creating a diverse student body, according to a survey conducted by test prep company Kaplan released Monday.
“Law schools are grappling with concerns about maintaining diverse student bodies, which is something many of them have long prioritized,” said Amit Schlesinger, executive director of legal and government programs at Kaplan, in a Jan. 22 press release.
When 85 administrators from the 196 ABA-accredited law schools were asked between August and November 2023 how concerned they are after the decision to ban race-conscious admissions policies to create a racially diverse student body, 18 said “very concerned” and 32 said “somewhat concerned.”
In addition, 46 said they were “very concerned” about the impact on diversity in law schools as a whole across the country, while 28 said they were “somewhat concerned.”
Meanwhile, more students of color are applying to law school, according to figures from the Law School Admission Council released last month. To date, the LSAC figures show an increase in all ethnic categories. This year’s increase follows the trend of the past four years, according to the LSAC.
Also, law schools enrolled their most diverse matriculating classes on record in 2023, at about 40% students of color, their third year in a row of record diversity, according to the LSAC.
“It’s unlikely this streak will continue given the court’s decision, but law schools will likely do their best to stem the bleeding while not violating the ruling,” Schlesinger said in the press release.
