BYU students applying for law school soon, as well as those interested in attending BYU’s J. Reuben Clark School (JRCB) — will be competing in a larger-than-normal applicant pool.
There have been significantly more applicants to law school in 2025 than in previous years. The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) has released figures showing roughly a 20% increase in applicants compared to last year.
Sources attribute the increase to varying factors. The Wall Street Journal, for example, reports that a “weakening white-collar job market” and political turmoil may be contributing causes.
Whitaker Bird, a BYU philosophy major who plans to apply to law school next fall, believes many view law as a sturdy foundation in an uncertain job market. He also sees law as “more impervious to the influence of AI (on the market).”
However, JRCB Director of Admissions Andrea Fitzgerald said it’s difficult to pinpoint a specific reason for shifts in applicant numbers.
“Any reasons that people might come up with will be based on circumstantial evidence,” she said. “Sometimes after the fact, somebody very smart will go through and look at the data, then make a reasoned analysis.”
Fitzgerald also said there is a regular ebb and flow regarding application numbers from year to year.
Regardless of the reasons behind the surge, applicants will have to deal with a larger pool and more competition.
Bird groaned at the thought of more competition, but said he feels confident despite the stress of crowded admissions offices. He has had his eye on law school for some time and has been preparing diligently to rise above the competition.
“It’s no biggie,” he said. “The way I see it, percentages will still be the same … I may still have an advantage in that it’s been my goal for a while.”
It’s common knowledge among applicants that the two most important factors in a law school application are their Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) scores and grade point averages. If these metrics are high, they can pave the way to Ivy League acceptance, scholarships and more.
However, a wider applicant pool necessitates a deeper, more unique application. Bird said that aside from numerical scores, he is nervous about writing a strong personal statement to help him stand out from the crowd.
Fitzgerald gave insight into how admissions are handled at BYU. She said the university typically aims for a class size of about 120 students. With an acceptance rate of almost 28% in 2024, the program remains competitive.
She also said the class size “is not a hard and fast number every year,” and that many law schools nationwide adjust numbers to better match application pools.
She encourages future applicants to do their due diligence and get as much information as they can about the type of school they want to attend.
“It’s going to help them at least be more confident in their decision to apply,” Fitzgerald said.
BYU offers many resources for undergraduates considering law school, including a Pre-Professional Advisement Center for general information and guidance.
The JRCB also offers programs and events such as tours guided by 3L (third-year JD candidates) and the opportunity to sit in on 1L classes to get a feel for the environment.
Interested students can visit the JRCB admissions office or view its webpage.