1990's Law and Justice | The Legal Profession

Law School Enrollment.

In 1990 there were 127,261 students enrolled in American Bar Association-approved law schools. This number increased to 129,397 in 1995, but dropped to 125,627 by 1998-1999. Despite the decline in total law school enrollment, the number of women in law programs rose consistently throughout the decade. In 1990 there were 54,097 women (43 percent) enrolled in 175 law schools; by 1998 the figure increased to 57,952 (46 percent) in 181 programs. The number of minority students also rose. In 1990 blacks, Hispanies, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Puerto Ricans constituted 14 percent (17,330) of law students. By 1998 minority enrollment increased to an historic high of 25,266 or just over 20 percent. The attrition rate among law students increased slightly during the decade, the vast majority of whom quit in their first year. A slightly higher percentage of men dropped out than women—in 1990,...