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According to an article on law.com (https://www.law.com/2021/03/04/a-year-l ... pplicants/), law school applications are up 20% so far this cycle. While that can be a huge boon for the legal profession as a whole, it will undoubtedly make this cycle more competitive than usual. What do you think is driving this increase in applications?

hmm hard to say, can’t think of anything unusual happening in the past year

tlsadmin3 wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:26 pm

According to an article on law.com (https://www.law.com/2021/03/04/a-year-l ... pplicants/), law school applications are up 20% so far this cycle. While that can be a huge boon for the legal profession as a whole, it will undoubtedly make this cycle more competitive than usual. What do you think is driving this increase in applications?

everyone who is anti-mask is trying to become a lawyer so they can sue?

I would think it might be because the LSAT is "easier" because you don't have the stress of being crammed into a creepy building with a bunch of other people, honestly all joking aside, probably some anti-biden, anti-mask people just like the "trump bump".

Covid-19.

Folks are spending a lot of time in isolation thinking about their futures.
Applying to graduate schools & professional schools is one way to keep busy & seem productive.

People "thinking" about their futures while isolated as CanadianWolf said, not wanting to go into the job market with just a bachelor's because it doesn't pay well. A generic degree from the college of liberal arts and sciences doesn't get you very far nowadays, especially without significant research experience or proof of passion in the subject you studied. LS seems like a good path forward for the upwardly-mobile among us– it's a professional degree, pays enough to feed and clothe you, and it's a little more respectable than being just a lib arts major (depending on who you ask). It's also easier to get than other professional degrees– I changed majors like dirty underwear every semester and still got accepted to law school. No way an MD/PhD adcom would accept me with that track record lol.

I think there is a combination of a lot of factors at play for in the increase in applications, whether or not more applications means that there are more applicants. The LSAC did a pretty efficient job of transitioning to a digital LSAT and a lot of people had a lot of time on their hands to dedicate to studying for it and to submitting applications. Cost is a huge issue for some people when it comes to interviews, and online interviews this spring meant that applicants didn't have to pay for travel, and thus could spend some of their allocated travel budget on more application for more schools. I'm sure there are more factors, but I hoped this helped

thedragon5678 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:41 pm

Cost is a huge issue for some people when it comes to interviews, and online interviews this spring meant that applicants didn't have to pay for travel, and thus could spend some of their allocated travel budget on more application for more schools.

Which schools previously required in-person interviews? When I applied, most schools didn't interview, and those that did already allowed for a remote option (or the option to interview with an alum in your area).

Obviously the pandemic, same thing happened in 2008