The number of law school applications has dropped nationally by 11 percent from last year according to the Law School Admission Council.
The decrease in applicants, however, may be showing a return to the average number of applicants after a peak was shown in the past two years.
According to the Director of Pre-Law Programs at Miami University, Yvette Simpson, the drop is not actually a drop, but a return to the normal number.
“It’s a stabilization of really high increases that are leveling off,” Simpson said. “I think as the economy drops, students start to think more critically about their future.”
Andrew King, a senior attending law school next year, said he thought the number of applicants showed a return to the status quo also.
“I think the number is really just going back to what it was,” King said. “It also may be students who are deciding to get a job for a few years before going to law school because it’s more competitive.”
Simpson said the competiveness of law school could factor into the lowering rates of law school applicants as students consider how they will fare in the applicant pool.
“Very few students realize how competitive law school actually is,” Simpson said. “Some students may not be competitive enough as an applicant and need to take a few years off to gain more experience.”
The cost of law school remains an important factor for students to consider before applying and according to Simpson, the drop in applicants results partly from more students realizing this huge investment.
“Going into a graduate studies program is not the same as law school, you are going to learn to be a lawyer,” Simpson said. “We don’t encourage students who are trying to ‘find themselves’ to go because it’s a big investment.”
King agreed cost could cause the dropping number of applications also.
“Law school is a full time job,” King said. “It’s hard for students to work and go to law school, so it’s basically three years with no income.”
Although cost may be considered a disadvantage of going to law school, Simpson thought it is necessary for the legal profession.
“If you want to be a lawyer, you have to go to law school,” Simpson said. “It gives you the ability to practice what you want to do and you’re going to learn.”
Simpson also said the economic problems have affected the legal profession and attending law school does not guarantee a job.
“We encourage students to think more critically before going to law school,” Simpson said. “Students with more life experience are better able to handle the challenge of a law school as a professional school.”
Miami will not know the change the number of Miami students applying to law school until next year, but Simpson expects a similar drop, as Miami tends to stay close to the national number.
Erin L. Cox is a staff writer for the Miami Student, and a contributor to the Student Free Press Association.
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