Paul Marcus
How to bring back law school applicants? What an intriguing question, and one for which no one has a definitive answer. We don't really know how students are making their decisions, and we don't really know what information they are relying upon in making those decisions. The AALS hopes to change that.
In the past year, the AALS has organized the Before the JD Project, and has selected Gallup Inc. to conduct a national survey intended to identify factors contributing to the decision to apply to law school, or not. The centerpiece of Before the JD is the national survey, which will be given in the fall to 3,000 undergraduate students who are likely to enroll in graduate or professional school as well as 1,000 first-year law students. The survey questionnaire, which was tested in the field, has been designed in collaboration with representatives from study sponsors as well as an advisory group composed of faculty with expertise in empirical research.
The goal of the project is to understand why interest in legal education has been declining. The project will also study what are the primary sources of information and advice about law and legal education used by college students.
Law Schools Are Losing Smart Applicants. How Do They Lure Them Back?