History of the Legal Profession in the U.S

Legal Education in the U.S.

According to the ABA Legal Profession 2020 Report, there were 62,400 law school applicants in 2019 with 42,300 of these students receiving at least one offer of admission, for a percentage slightly under 68 percent. The typical law school applicant applies to six or seven programs – a decline of nearly 5 percent from the previous admissions year. Nearly 113,000 students are pursuing the Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Sixty-five percent of those students took time off after their undergraduate degree before applying to law school. Over half of them took three years or more before pursuing a law degree. Fortyfour percent of law school applicants hope to pursue a career in government, politics or public service.

Law school applicants mirror trends in our society with women and minorities making significant inroads. In 2019, 53 percent of law school applicants were female, continuing a trend since 2016 when, for the first time, female law school applicants became the majority. Minorities accounted for 31 percent of law school students with Hispanics accounting for 13 percent, African Americans eight percent, Asian Americans six percent, and multiracial four percent.

As if the pursuit of a JD was not enough, at the end of their studies, students must pass the bar exam in order to practice the law. The percentage of students passing the bar has fluctuated over the past decade, with 2008 seeing 82 percent pass the bar to a low of 69 percent in 2016. For 2019, 73 percent of students passed the bar which was the highest percentage since 2014. For those taking the bar in 2019, 73 percent passed on the first attempt, while only 32 percent of repeat test-takers passed. In 2019, Kansas ranked at the top of the list with a passage rate of 87 percent. Maine had the lowest passage rate at 55 percent. Though the overwhelming majority of individuals taking the bar have earned a JD, there are states that allow applicants who study at law offices to take the bar. In 2019, 38 individuals in this category took the bar with a passage rate of 32 percent.

With data drawn prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, only 6.4 percent of law school graduates had not found employment

after 10 months. Nearly half of all new graduates (48 percent) pursued work with firms, while less than one percent entered solo private practice.

While most students interested in the legal profession pursue the Juris Doctor degree, there is a sharp rise in students pursuing other non-JD degrees such as certification and Master of Law degrees. These programs have seen a 66 percent increase in enrollment from 2014. According to the Law School Admissions Council, most of these degree programs can be completed in as little as one year.

Many law schools now offer a Master of Science in Laws, a Master of Legal Studies or a Juris Master, all of which have a similar curriculum. Master of Law programs offer the option to pursue a specialization such as American law, comparative law or other topics. Master of Legal Studies programs typically take between 16 to 28 months. The opportunity to earn a Certificate degree is another option for individuals employed in fields including court reporting, paralegal work, or those working as legal administrative assistants.

For those with a JD desiring additional legal study, the Doctor of Judicial/Juridical Science may be an option. Those with an interest in legal education or academic law are ideal candidates for this program. Another degree offered to those with a Juris Doctor is the LL.M. degree, a good option for those with an international Law Degree.

The University of Kansas School of Law offers an LL.M. in American Legal Studies as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science. Washburn University in Topeka has a LL.M. in Global Legal Studies: The LL.M. in American Law for Foreign Lawyers and a Master of Studies in Law program.

As we enter more fully into the twenty-first century, the depth and breadth of educational opportunities in the law will only continue to grow.