The doom and gloom predictions about diversity in law schools diversity post-affirmative action ban have proven to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors, according to a report from Reuters.
Despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to axe race-conscious admissions, the hallowed halls of legal education are still echoing with a symphony of diverse voices.
The American Bar Association dropped a bombshell of data on Monday, revealing that the racial and ethnic makeup of the 2024 first-year law class is a near carbon copy of its 2023 predecessor. Black students? Holding steady at 7.71 percent, barely a whisper below last year’s 7.84 percent.
Hispanic students? A microscopic uptick from 14.17 percent to 14.2 percent. And in a plot twist worthy of a legal thriller, Asian students surged by 2 percentage points, now representing 9.76 percent of fresh-faced 1Ls.
But here’s where it gets juicy: The ABA, in a move that’s raised more than a few eyebrows, decided to shake up their counting game. Non-U.S. residents, once relegated to their own statistical island, are now swimming in the same data pool as everyone else.
It’s a change that’s got the number crunchers scratching their heads, trying to decipher what it all means for year-over-year comparisons.
Aaron Taylor, (pictured) the big brain behind the AccessLex Center for Legal Education is cautiously optimistic. But he’s not ready to pop the champagne just yet. Taylor’s got his eye on the long game, wondering if the crème de la crème of law schools might be seeing a different story play out behind their ivy-covered walls.
Meanwhile, law schools across the nation are patting themselves on the back, their diversity recruitment efforts apparently paying off in spades.
Nearly half of all applicants – a whopping 48 percent – identified as people of color, up from 47 percent last year. It seems these institutions have found a way to thread the needle, maintaining diversity without running afoul of the Supreme Court’s new rules.
But hold onto your briefs. Kellye Testy, the head honcho at the Association of American Law Schools, is predicting fireworks. She’s betting dollars to donuts that conservative legal groups are sharpening their knives, ready to cry foul and drag schools to court over their diversity wins.
It seems the pawns have become queens, and the board is set for a showdown that could redefine the future of legal education. This story is far from over.
