Top-Ranked Law Schools With Major Declines in Black Enrollments Over the Past Decade

In last week’s edition, JBHE reported the high-ranking law schools that have achieved the best progress in increasing black enrollments over the past decade. Now JBHE reports on the poor performers.

Eighteen of the nation’s 30 highest-ranked law schools have shown a decline in black enrollments since 1997. Nine of these law schools have posted declines of 20 percent or more. The largest decline was at the University of Illinois. In 1997 there were 75 black students at the law school at the University of Illinois. The latest enrollment figures show 44 black students, a decline of more than 41 percent. In 1997 blacks were 12.4 percent of all students at the law school. Today blacks make up 6.9 percent of the law school’s students.

The law schools at the University of Iowa, the College of William and Mary, the University of Washington, and Boston College have all shown declines of 33 percent or more.

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