Fewer women are seeking law degrees News & Analysis

Please note that this post is from 2007. Evaluate with care and in light of later events.

NLJ – Fewer women are seeking law degrees :

Now an analyst at Morgan Stanley in New York, Dadd, 22, went so far as to take a prep course for the Law School Admission Test before she decided that pursuing a juris doctor degree was not the right move for her. ‘It was something I was always interested in, but women are getting more opportunities outside of law school,’ she said. Like Dadd, more women are forgoing a law degree. Since 2002, the percent of women in law schools has declined each year, according to the American Bar Association (ABA). Five years ago, women made up 49% of law school enrollment. This year, 46.9% of law school students are women. And while the number of applicants overall has dropped in the last two years, the percentage decline in the number of women has been greater. Although observers say a variety of factors contribute to the dip, the prevailing message is that fewer women want a lawyer’s life.