Law school expansion has not broadened access to the profession.

Evidence

From 1947 to 2008, the number of ABA-approved law schools jumped from 109 to 198, and many schools also increased the size of their student bodies. Nevertheless, this proliferation of law schools has not made access to the legal profession easier. In recent decades the demand for legal education has outpaced the supply, which has allowed law schools to become increasingly selective. As late as 1960, Harvard Law School admitted half of all applicants. Today, elite law schools are incredibly selective: Yale Law School admitted only 189 students in 2006, less than 6 percent of those applying. Even at less prestigious institutions, the ratio of applications to admissions has increased dramatically. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 654

Categorization

• XREF: Contrasts with the course theme of equality and access; selectivity trends bear on who becomes a judge and lawyer. — connects to: Legal profession growth substantially reflects opening to formerly excluded groups — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1195

Broader Connections

• Legal profession growth substantially reflects opening to formerly excluded groups #contradicts (0.82) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1195