Law schools face dwindling enrollments

Hamline Law School
Hamline Law School in St. Paul is one of the schools facing declines.
MPR Photo/Tim Post

Law schools are facing sharp declines in applications and enrollment, both in Minnesota and around the country.

According to the Washington Post: "As of May 17, about 55,760 people had applied to American Bar Association-accredited law schools for the 2013-14 school year — down 13.4 percent from 2012, according to data compiled by the Law School Admission Council.

"Law school enrollment is also trending downward, with 48,700 people entering their first year of law school in fall 2011 — 7 percent below the previous year, and the first significant decline in a decade. The council has yet to compile nationwide enrollment data for fall 2012."

William Mitchell College of Law is among the law schools in Minnesota seeing declining enrollment. We speak with the dean about what his school can do to stem that decline.