In a positive sign for diversity in legal education, racial and ethnic representation in U.S. law schools has remained largely steady in 2024, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 decision to ban affirmative action in college admissions. Contrary to widespread concerns that the ruling would severely impact the enrollment of diverse law students, new data from the American Bar Association (ABA) reveals that the racial and ethnic makeup of the first-year law student class has remained consistent with prior years.
The current first-year juris doctor (JD) class, consisting of 39,684 students, includes Black and Hispanic student populations nearly identical to those enrolled in 2023, the final year before the ban took effect. Black students now represent 7.71% of the first-year class, compared to 7.84% last year, while Hispanic students have slightly increased, from 14.17% in 2023 to 14.2% this year. Additionally, the percentage of Asian students has risen by 2 percentage points, reaching 9.76%.
While the proportion of white students has declined slightly from 57.8% in 2023 to 56.74% this year, the overall diversity picture remains stable, demonstrating that law schools have managed to continue their efforts to foster diverse student bodies post-ruling.
The ABA also implemented a change in its data collection methodology this year, reporting non-resident students within individual racial categories rather than as a separate group. While this change complicates direct year-over-year comparisons, it is important to note that the impact on the overall diversity numbers is still unclear. In 2023, nonresident students accounted for 3.71% of the first-year class, equating to 1,404 students.
An ABA spokesperson stated that it is currently impossible to assess the effect of this adjustment on this year’s data, as no specific data for nonresidents was collected for the 2024 cohort.
While the early trends are encouraging, experts like Aaron Taylor, executive director of the AccessLex Center for Legal Education, stress that further analysis is necessary to fully understand the long-term impact of the Supreme Court’s decision. Taylor pointed out that it is still unclear whether the enrollment of students of color will be affected at top-tier law schools, where diversity goals have traditionally been a point of emphasis.
“The effects of the ruling will become clearer over time,” Taylor said, adding that continued efforts by law schools to adjust their recruitment strategies are critical to sustaining diversity within the profession.
The ABA’s data also reveals that law schools have successfully increased their outreach to underrepresented groups. For example, Black applicants are up nearly 38%, while Hispanic applicants have increased by almost 29% compared to last year. Overall, the total number of law school applicants has grown by 25%, with the 2024 class size rising by nearly 5% compared to 2023. This suggests that law school initiatives to attract a diverse range of students in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling are having a positive effect.
Moreover, law schools have adapted to the changing landscape by modifying application processes, including rethinking personal statements and essays to better understand applicants’ backgrounds without violating the new restrictions on affirmative action policies.
Kellye Testy, Executive Director of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), has also expressed concern that legal challenges may arise from conservative groups targeting law schools that maintain or increase their diversity. “I expect there will be lawsuits, even though I don’t believe schools are violating the law,” she said.
The future of diversity in legal education remains uncertain, but the data from 2024 offers a hopeful outlook. As law schools continue to adjust their recruitment strategies, they will need to balance legal compliance with their commitment to inclusivity and diversity. The effects of the Supreme Court’s decision will undoubtedly unfold over the coming years, but the early evidence suggests that efforts to preserve diverse student bodies in law schools are proving successful.
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