US law schools concerned about class diversity following ban on race-conscious admission policies

Results from Kaplan’s 2023 law school admissions officers indicate that last year’s Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions policies is raising concerns about their ability to create a racially diverse student body.

Of the 85 law schools participating in Kaplan’s survey, 50 indicated that they are very concerned (18) or somewhat concerned (32) that the Supreme Court’s decision to ban race-conscious admissions policies may impact diversity within the school.

Seventy-four of the 85 participating schools reported that they are very concerned (46) or somewhat concerned (28) about the impact on diversity in law schools across the nation as a whole.

While the survey by global educational service company Kaplan found that almost universally law schools say that diversity is important to administrators and students alike, one admissions officer who participated warned that the Court’s decision will have a “chilling effect on applications.”

"In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, Kaplan’s survey reveals that law schools are grappling with concerns about maintaining diverse student bodies, which is something many of them have long prioritized,” said Amit Schlesinger, executive director of legal and government programs at Kaplan. “However, the silver lining lies in the promising trend of an increasingly diverse applicant pool, which presents an opportunity to mitigate any challenges they may face in achieving a representative student body.

“It’s also important to note that while law schools can no longer explicitly use race as a factor, we know that some law schools have broadened their personal statement criteria, which may give admissions officers a deeper understanding of prospective students’ backgrounds, while also remaining within the bounds of the Court’s ruling.”

Meanwhile, the current national law school application pool in the US includes more than 43 percent people of color — the highest percentage on record, according to new data from the Law School Admission Council.

Schlesinger points out that in 2023, law schools enrolled their most diverse matriculating classes on record, at 40 percent students of color – their third straight year of record diversity.

“It’s unlikely this streak will continue given the Court’s decision, but law schools will likely do their best to stem the bleeding, while not violating the ruling,” said Schlesinger.

Admissions officers from 85 of the US’s 196 American Bar Association-accredited law schools were polled by e-mail and phone between August and November 2023.