Law school applications surging

Uncertain times in the United States are leading to a surge in law school applications, and Minnesota’s law schools are on the leading edge of that trend.

A report last month in the Wall Street Journal pointed to a weakening white-collar job market and a volatile political climate creating what could be a competitive national market for aspiring lawyers. The response from area law schools: We know.

“When there’s an extra focus on government and policy, you sometimes see more applications,” said Annie Gemmell, vice president of enrollment at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, which has seen a 31% increase in applications this year versus at the same point in 2024. “We had a similar bump the last time Trump was in office, but it’s probably too early to say that’s a major factor.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that the number of applicants to the nation’s nearly 200 law schools is up 20.5% compared with last year. All three area law schools are showing increases in applications that outstrip that national figure.

Dan Kelly, dean of the University of St. Thomas School of Law, said applications at that school are up about 30% over this time last year. Kelly partly credited the 26-year-old school’s growing reputation as one reason why.

“We’ve gotten good applications from many states nationally and throughout our region this year,” he said. “We’re dedicated to the professional formation of the whole person. Word gets around.”

The numbers are also up at the University of Minnesota School of Law, which has seen an increase in applications of about 40% compared to last year.

“We are confident this increase is a testament to the top-quality legal education we offer,” said U of M Law dean William McGeveran in a statement. “We are looking forward to recruiting an excellent Class of 2028.”

The local figures even outpace those from such national giants as Georgetown University School of Law, which recently told Axios its application totals are up about 25% over last year at this time.

“Our region has been up this entire year by more than the nation as a whole,” said Gemmell. “But the reasons are mostly the same; the fact that a Minnesotan (Gov. Tim Walz) was a major part of the national political scene last year might be factor.”

The volatility that dominated last year’s presidential race and that has become a staple of the second Trump administration is being pointed to as a factor by several schools. Also, studies have shown that applications for advanced degrees tend to rise during uncertain economic times.

“It would make sense intuitively that this would happen during a volatile political period, but I can’t say definitively that that’s the case,” said Kelly. “In general, aspiring law students are interested in questions of legal policy and constitutional issues.”

A more obscure reason for the increase might be a change instituted to the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) last summer. After a settlement with two blind people who asserted that the test’s Analytical Reasoning section (commonly known as “logic games”) put them at a disadvantage because they could not draw or use diagrams, the national Law School Admission Council removed that portion of the test. The LSAT currently includes a second Logical Reasoning section to replace the former logic games section.

“That section was difficult for a certain number of applicants,” said Gemmell. “That could definitely be a piece of the puzzle.”

The increased interest among aspiring attorneys is in contrast with an era earlier this century in which the Twin Cities had four law schools and the pool of strong applicants was diluted. (Hamline and William Mitchell merged in 2015).

Currently, Mitchell Hamline accepts about 65% of its law school applicants, while St. Thomas takes 64% and the U of M around 35%.

While law schools are enjoying a surge of interest, admissions departments are trying to keep an eye on how the trend goes in the coming year.

“One thing is, it takes a while to get an application together,” said Gemmell. “Another thing we’re watching is what might happen with financial aid for higher education.

“My best guess is that this spike will continue and maybe even grow in the next year. Graduate-school applications are higher when the economy doesn’t feel as secure.”

“Based on LSAT scores, there seem to be a lot of high-quality applications, maybe more than in recent years,” said Kelly. “That’s good for any law school.”