Profile of the Legal Profession — from the American Bar Association (ABA)
Excerpt from the Legal Education section:
After several years of declining enrollment in legal education, the number of students enrolled at law schools accredited by the American Bar Association increased in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
In 2020, the number of students pursuing a juris doctor degree hit 114,520 – the highest number since 2014. This represented an increase of 1,638 students (or 1.5%) over the previous year. Still, it was far below the high of 147,525 enrolled law school students in 2010.
Enrollment is growing faster for students in non-JD legal programs in law schools – for example, those seeking master of law degrees and certificates. In 2020, there were 21,292 students in these non-JD programs – a 78% increase from 11,973 non-JD students in 2014.
For 2020, there were 63,384 law school applicants, 44,115 of whom were accepted to at least one school, according to the Law School Admission Council.