Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch
The problem shouldn't be money. To fight the effects of declining enrollment and increase the entering class credentials for law school ranking purposes, many law schools are awarding generous scholarships (or discounts on tuition) for those with high LSAT scores. And those with good entering stats tend to do well in law school and so tend to secure jobs after graduation. But perhaps because of the negative stories about the high cost of law school, the depressed job market, and the problem of student debt, the word simply hasn't gotten out to the highest scoring applicants that the high cost of law school may well not be a factor for them. We need to make the availability of scholarships and tuition discounts known to these potential candidates.
If the impediment isn't money, then the inducement for top scholars must be something else. That gives me hope that these potential applicants seek a sense of purpose, an appreciation that the law is a noble profession that helps right wrongs, aids in the search for truth, and ensures that justice is done. While we will always need lawyers to do the day-to-day work of lawyering, others may wish to become leaders of government and organizations that seek to better the world. We must get the word out that the study of law, with its focus on analysis and problem solving, provides a pathway to these leadership positions.
Law Schools Are Losing Smart Applicants. How Do They Lure Them Back?