The results of Kaplan’s 2023 law school admissions officer survey revealed that the previous year’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which outlawed affirmative action in admissions, is sparking serious concern among law schools about their capacity to cultivate a racially diverse student body.
According to Kaplan’s report, just shy of 60% of admissions officers from 85 law schools expressed being either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ concerned that the Supreme Court’s decision in Harvard v. Students for Fair Admissions—which determined race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina to be illegal, thus condemning affirmative action in higher education—might affect their own institution’s ability to create a racially diverse student body.
Despite the challenging landscape, the Kaplan survey found that, almost universally, law schools believe that diversity is critical for both administrators and students. However, one admissions officer participating in the survey cautioned that the Supreme Court’s decision might have a “chilling effect on applications.”