It’s probably not surprising that enrollment for 2021 far exceeded enrollment for 2020, but whether this is a positive development is a topic of heated debate.

According to newly-released American Bar Association data, 196 law schools that are approved by the ABA to confer the Juris Doctor degree reported a total J.D. enrollment of 117,501 for the fall 2021 term. This is an increase of 2,981 students (2.6%) from 2020.