Why You Might Want To Think Twice Before Going To Law School

More Law Schools Will Be Accepting GRE Test Results
At an increasing number of schools, you now may submit GRE scores rather than LSAT scores to get into law school.
The New York Times reports that Georgetown University Law Center and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law have joined Harvard Law and University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in making it easier for applicants to apply to law school.
The move comes after a shortfall of student enrollment in recent years as a way to attract more students to law school.
“We believe this change will make the admissions process more accessible to students who have great potential to make a mark here at Georgetown Law and in successful legal careers but who might find the LSAT to be a barrier for whatever reason,” said William M. Treanor, the school’s dean.
Arizona was the first law school to accept GRE scores in lieu of the LSAT, which has been administered since 1948.
All four schools have each conducted individual studies that compared students’ academic results with their entrance test scores, The New York Times reports. Georgetown said that it found “GRE scores were at least as strong a predictor of academic success at Georgetown Law as LSAT scores.”
Law school enrollment has seen a significant drop over the years. According to data reported by Financial Times, roughly 37,000 first-year students enrolled in law school in 2015 compared to 52,000 in 2010.
Georgetown, the country’s largest law school, has seen rising applicant numbers in recent years. While the law schools draws 9,000 candidates annually, Andy Cornblatt, dean of Georgetown Law, says the law industry is need of a change.
“It is well past time that the legal profession open the doors to an even more diverse population that better reflects American society as a whole,” Cornblatt told The New York Times.
Sources: The New York Times, Financial Times