Thanks, Trump: Law School Applications Are On The Rise

The law school 'Trump bump' isn't an alternative fact, it's real.

You should go to a big, beautiful law school! (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

If President Donald Trump wants to brag about something, he can tell his friends that he inspired thousands of college graduates to go to law school. Ever since his inauguration and the legal turmoil that followed shortly thereafter, law school applications have been on the rise.

The “Trump bump” isn’t an alternative fact, it’s real, and the increased application numbers were recently detailed in a report from the Law School Admission Council. Take a look at this graph from LSAC:

As of last week, law school applicants were up by 8.8 percent and law school applications were up by 10.0 percent from the 2017–2018 application cycle. Even with the rise of the GRE, LSAC data shows that 27.9 percent more LSAT tests were administered in December 2017 than in December 2016.

It’s safe to say that law schools may start increasing their class sizes again due to the sudden uptick in interest from prospective students, but does that mean it’s safe to go to law school again? Absolutely not, and we’ll tell you why.

Despite the country’s apparent economic health, the same dangers of indebtedness and joblessness for recent law school graduates remain. According to the most recent data reported to U.S. News, recent graduates of public law schools have an average debt of $90,217, recent graduates of private law schools have an average debt of $130,349, and the average class of 2016 law school graduate $112,389 of debt.

Yes, you can and should go to law school if you want to change the world, but you must first acknowledge that these numbers do, in fact, exist, and that they are very, very scary. If you aren’t able to secure a job that pays a salary that will enable you to service your law school debts, you’ll be left in a worrisome situation.

Please make sure you’re fully informed before you decide to enroll in law school. Trump’s presidency won’t last forever — but your student debt story could.

Law School Applications Increased This Year [U.S. News & World Report]


Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.