Ethics

Story here.  We recently learned the very disappointing news that the total number of African-American and Latino law students has declined in absolute numbers over the last decade.  As we look to improve the diversity of the profession, we have to look at statistics.  But here are some anecdotal observations from an African-American federal judge, discussing the clerkship pool.  

But Judge Reggie Walton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said he has seen no recent increase in minority applicants for clerkships. "I don't receive the numbers I would like," he said. "They have so many other opportunities to make a lot more money than you can make as a law clerk."

Walton, himself an African-American, added that, with females outnumbering males among black law students, "the most difficult demographic to attract is the African-American male. The disparity is stark."

More studies need to be done, on a variety of fronts.  But my sense is that one of the big problems is that law schools are over-relying upon LSATs because of USN&WR rankings and ABA accreditation.  We've seen some schools experiment with different approaches to teaching that show that the LSAT test doesn't have to drive bar passage rates, and we're seeing some schools try to dispense with the LSAT requirement in some situations -- both of which are welcome initiatives, in my view.