The year 2016 marked a major change in the history of law education. Women now exceed men in the number of enrollments in law school to earn a Juris Doctor degree in the United States. This degree is the highest in legal education, and when completed, prepares the student to take the state bar exam.
According to the infographic below (provided by Enjuris.com) there has been much research conducted to reveal where women are enrolling the most in programs nationwide. Below are some of the findings:
- The Eastern and Southern portions of the United States dominate in the amount of females enrolled in law school.
- There are 55,766 females enrolled and 55,059 males. This has come a long way from the early 20th century when JD programs in the U.S. were predominantly male.
- The Appalachian School of Law and Brigham Young University have the lowest percentage of females enrolled in the law programs.
- Columbia University and New York University have the highest percentages of females enrolled in the top prestigious schools.
- Three out of 9 Texas law schools have more women than men. In Massachusetts, 6 of 8 law schools are female dominated. In Florida, 9 of the state’s 12 law schools have more females than males.
The results of this study indicate a huge trend of women showing a high interest in law and taking on professional legal careers.