An article from AM Law Daily suggests that the continual bad press about the lack of discernible growth in female leadership positions in large law firms and legal departments may be causing a decline in female students applying to law school. Although it is constantly stated that women make up around 50% percent of the students in our nation’s law schools, the statistics seem to be suggesting a decline. The numbers at the top ten law schools show that female students make up around 40% of the population, with only the University of Berkeley ahead of the crowd with a female law student population of 52.9%. Such numbers may not be an immediate cause for concern, but the article does point to statistics that show that there has been a steady decline, albeit a small one, in female enrollment since 2002.
Is this just the product of regular ups and downs in enrollment levels or a cause for concern that the legal profession should be evaluating? And if fewer women actually enter the legal profession over time will it further exacerbate the compensation disparity issues between female and male lawyers? More than anything it may simply be the combination of many factors – the state of the economy and the profession, the cost of law school compared to its benefits and pressures, and the articles and blog reports about the alleged lack of growth potential in Big Law.