Admissions Officers are Concerned About Recruiting a Diverse Student Body

Half of law schools worry about creating a diverse student body following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action.

Kaplan surveyed 85 administrators from the 196 ABA-accredited law schools and asked them how concerned they are after the decision to ban race-conscious admissions policies to create a racially diverse student body. Among the 85 respondents, 18 answered “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.”

“In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, Kaplan’s survey reveals that law schools are grappling with concerns about maintaining diverse student bodies, which is something many of them have long prioritized,” Amit Schlesinger, executive director of legal and government programs at Kaplan, says. “However, the silver lining lies in the promising trend of an increasingly diverse applicant pool, which presents an opportunity to mitigate any challenges they may face in achieving a representative student body.”

MORE STUDENTS OF COLOR APPLYING TO LAW SCHOOL

Despite the diversity concerns from admissions officers, more students of color are applying law school. Applicants in nearly all ethnic categories have increased, according to the data released by LSAC. It’s a trend that has followed for the past four years, with applicants of color increasing about 1% each year.

“We’re very pleased to see that,” Susan Krinsky, executive vice president for operations and chief of staff at the LSAC, tells the ABA Journal. “We’re really delighted that the feared discouragement seems not to have happened.”

“At this moment, it is at 0.9% of 1%,” she adds. “We may see that number increase—but I don’t think we’re going to see a decrease.”

Additionally, 2023 marked a significant milestone as law schools welcomed their most diverse incoming classes to date, with around 40% of students representing various ethnicities and backgrounds.

“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 says.

Sources: ABA Journal, Kaplan, Economic Policy Institute, LSAC, ABA Journal

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