If you want to attend a law school with solid female representation, look no further. We at Enjuris have once again compiled the Law School Rankings by Female Enrollment report, which outlines exactly how many women attend which schools.
Women outpacing men studying law
For the second year in a row, female students outnumber male students at law schools across the country. While the difference is not drastic (51.3% female attendance vs. 48.7% male attendance), it shows an uptick that might continue for years to come.
Despite this increase, women still make up less than 20% of partnership positions at prestigious firms. Why the disparity, post-graduation?
The best law schools for female representation
The schools below rank in the top 20 nationally for female enrollment:
- Howard University 69.4%
- Atlanta's John Marshall Law School 67.7%
- Northeastern University 65.0%
- District of Columbia 63.8%
- American University 63.3%
- Golden Gate University 62.2%
- Florida A&M University 61.9%
- North Carolina Central University 61.5%
- New England Law | Boston 60.8%
- City University of New York 60.8%
- California-Berkeley 60.09%
- Texas Southern University 60.06%
- Inter American University of Puerto Rico 60.0%
- California Western School of Law 59.9%
- Elon University 59.8%
- Whittier Law School 59.7%
- Regent University 59.3%
- New York Law School 58.9%
- Pontifical Catholic University of P.R. 58.8%
- Western New England University 58.7%
Does law school correspond with post-graduation practice?
We hope it’s catching up. Last we looked, only 21% of lead counsel in tort (personal injury) cases were female.
Biglaw firms also see a large gap between schools and the working field. The Commission on Women in the Profession has stated that male attorneys make up 64% of those who practice, while women only make up 36%.
This increase in representation is an encouraging trend among law schools, and we look forward to seeing it continue.