"It's a return to normalcy," said Susan Krinsky, the Law School Admission Council’s Executive Vice President for Operations. "It's very consistent with the last five years except for 2021."
With the exception of 2021, applicant numbers have consistently stayed between 57,000 to 64,000 during the five-year period. Reuters noted that, according to legal industry experts, the one-year surge resulted from the confluence of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on the entry-level job market, the nationwide protests related to inequality and the death of George Floyd, and the presidency of Donald Trump.
Despite the decline in applicant quantity, applicant quality and diversity remain high. The percentage of applicants with LSAT scores between 170 and 180 are up slightly from last year, suggesting that, despite the decline, spots at highly-regarded programs will remain competitive. And applicant diversity is up, with applicants of color making up 46.5 percent of the total, an increase from 45 percent last year.