In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s groundbreaking decision to bar affirmative action policies, the landscape of law school admissions has undergone a seismic shift. No longer guided by the familiar checkbox indicating the race of applicants, institutions such as Georgetown University Law Center have chosen to cloak racial identities on paper, triggering an unprecedented and meticulous reevaluation of the admissions process.
Gone are the days when the admissions team, led by Andy Cornblatt at Georgetown, would rely on race disclosures to shape their decisions. The aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling has ushered in an era of heightened scrutiny, leading to what experts describe as the most holistic admissions process in years. Susan Krinsky, Executive Vice President of Operations at the Law School Admission Council, notes that admissions offices are delving deeper into applicant files, ensuring compliance with the law while striving to maintain the diversity of their student bodies.
The implications of this shift are profound, particularly for minority enrollment in law schools. The legal profession’s diversity, notably among Black, Hispanic, and Native American students, hangs in the balance. With the percentages of attorneys of color lagging far behind the general U.S. population, the ability of law schools to adapt and respond to the affirmative action ban is crucial.
Diversity advocates express concerns that the Supreme Court’s decision could roll back decades of progress in increasing the number of minority lawyers. Conservative groups, seizing on the ruling, have already challenged diversity programs at law firms and bar associations, adding an extra layer of complexity to the evolving landscape.
While the decision doesn’t outright bar colleges from knowing applicants’ race, it prohibits the use of such information in decision-making. To preempt potential legal challenges, some law schools, including Georgetown, have chosen to mask race disclosures on applications, as noted by admissions dean Andy Cornblatt.
However, race and diversity still play a role in admissions, as the Supreme Court’s opinion allows for essays and personal statements where candidates discuss their background. Many law schools, such as Harvard, have revamped their essay prompts to gain a deeper understanding of candidates’ motivations and perspectives.
This transformation has introduced new challenges, leading to a slower admissions cycle. Applicants face the hurdle of crafting school-specific essays, replacing the more generic personal statements of the past. Admissions offices, in turn, grapple with increased material as they carefully shape their incoming classes.
As the admissions landscape navigates uncharted waters, the 2023 cycle stands out as the slowest in 25 years, according to law school admissions consultant Mike Spivey. The ripple effects of the Supreme Court ruling reverberate through each application, interview, and essay, making the task more demanding for admissions offices and applicants alike.
In this era of change, the quest for diversity in law schools takes on renewed significance, ushering in an admissions process marked by uncertainty, adaptation, and the pursuit of a balanced and inclusive legal education.
