Law Admissions Trends 2015 Applicants Should Know About

​As regular readers know, Law Admissions Lowdown usually covers specific aspects of law schooladmissions, such as preparing for the LSAT or writing your personal statement. However, as this year’s admissions cycle begins to wind down, this week we will step back and examine the bigger picture.

Law schools and the legal industry are constantly changing and evolving, so the 2015-2016 admissions cycle should bring some exciting new developments. Here are three trends to watch for in the coming year.

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1. Increase in applicants and LSAT test-takers: Although the statistics for this year aren’t yet available, all indications are that, after several years of steady declines in both law school applicantsand LSAT test-takers, those numbers are beginning to creep up again. An increase would mean two things for prospective law school applicants and future lawyers.

First, an increase in applicants will mean increased competition for both admissions and scholarships. This means that applicants in next year’s cycle will benefit more from submitting their applications earlier in the admissions cycle – when schools have filled fewer of their spots for the incoming class – and will want to make an extra effort to present themselves in the best way possible. 

You can start that process now by reviewing your profile and looking for any ways to improve it. Current undergrads may consider taking classes that emphasize writing, research and analytical thinking skills, and those who have graduated might look for ways to increase their leadership roles both at work and in any community involvement.

Second, this increase means that students should make sure to be as prepared as possible when taking the LSAT. Since the LSAT is scaled, an increase in test-takers does not mean that it will be harder to score well than it has been in the past, but it does mean that the applicant pool will be more competitive and schools will likely be seeking applicants with slightly higher LSAT scores than in the past few years.

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2. Entrepreneurship in the legal profession: Fostering entrepreneurship continues to be emphasized among top law schools. Schools, including the University of Michigan, are offering students entrepreneurship clinics. Part of the school’s Zell Entrepreneurship and Law Program, this clinic aims to advise on new ventures while simultaneously provide an opportunity for students to gain authentic representational experience. Established in 2012, the clinic continues "offering valuable legal services to the University entrepreneurial ecosystem," as they put it.

There are more than thirty law schools offering entrepreneurial clinics including the University of Chicago’s Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship, the University of Pennsylvania’s Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic and the University of Texas—Austin’s Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic.

Harvard Law School's Harvard Law Entrepreneurship Project functions similarly. It offers legal research and answers to Harvard and MIT-affiliated students. These innovative interdisciplinary resources are mutually beneficial and on the rise.

[Explore three non-legal career options for law school graduates.]

3. Increased focus on international practice: The trend toward globalism continues, and the legal profession continues to reward those who can contribute international knowledge and expertise to their legal practice. This affects students from both the admissions and professional development perspectives.

From an admissions perspective, I expect having some form of international experience will continue to be viewed favorably by admissions committees as they seek applicants who have the tools to be successful lawyers upon graduation. From a professional development perspective, I predict international experience will continue to be sought by employers. 

Whether you’re in law school now or at the beginning of your legal career, you can bolster your international credentials. Law students should seek clinics and other extracurricular activities, such as the New York University School of Law’s abroad program, which sends students to South America, Asia, and Europe for a semester.

Junior lawyers, especially those in corporate or business law, should seek opportunities to be involved in matters that involve international law, including cross-border transactions and domestic transactions involving foreign companies. Corporate law firms continue to expand their footprints in the international sphere, and staying on the cutting edge of your firm’s international practice will open up future professional opportunities.

What are your thoughts on these law school trends? Email me or tweet me.

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