Boosted by partnerships with minority serving institutions nationally
As law schools nationwide grapple with declining racial diversity among students following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against race-based admissions, Case Western Reserve University School of Law is bucking the trend.
In the wake of this landmark decision—which critics say stunted efforts for a more diverse student body—CWRU’s law school has increased the percentage of underrepresented minorities (URM) and other diverse students with distinct perspectives and experiences in its incoming class.
The goal, law school leadership contends, is to enhance the educational experience by attracting a more diverse student body to share their distinct perspectives.
“Diversity has long been a fundamental value at Case Western Reserve University School of Law,” said Paul Rose, the school’s dean. “Promoting diversity in legal education—and, ultimately, in the legal profession—is crucial for ensuring both the accessibility and quality of legal services that all communities need.”
Using national data collected since 1980, a recent study found that affirmative-action bans have reduced diversity in U.S. law school enrollment by 20%. In 2023, for example, only 5% of lawyers nationally identified as Black, despite Black individuals making up 13.6% of the population. Such disparities extend to key career opportunities, including federal clerkships.
Last year, 21% of CWRU’s law school’s students identified as URM.
But, this year, 27% of first-year CWRU law students identify themselves as URM with U.S. citizenship, with 31% identifying as URM, without regard to citizenship. The school also reports a 24% LGBTQ representation, 8% first-generation citizens and 12% first-generation college students.
“Law school admissions for underrepresented minorities have largely flatlined in the wake of the Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action,” said Bryan Adamson, the David L. and Ann Brennan Chaired Professor of Law and associate dean of diversity at the law school. “While many institutions struggle to adapt, our proactive strategies and partnerships have allowed us to create natural pathways for a more diverse legal community.”
“What is more, CWRU Law accomplished its goals while abiding by new rules dictated by the Supreme Court decision barring inquiry into law school candidate race and ethnicity, and making race-blind admission offers,” he added.
Adamson said the law school managed to continue diversifying the student body without increasing its size. CWRU’s approach, he said, includes a holistic admissions processes and focused on partnership outreach to minority-serving (but not exclusive) institutions.
Specifically, the law school established partnerships with a dozen Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) since 2020. The goal: to encourage students from diverse backgrounds with distinct perspectives, experiences, and qualities, to attend the law school.
Upon acceptance, the law school’s incentives include generous scholarships, students are assigned student mentors, and they are offered tuition-free enrollment in our JumpStart program in which they take Criminal Law in the summer before their full-time 1L enrollment.
“We have been encouraged by the significant rise in applications, particularly from students at our strategic partner institutions and first-generation college students nationwide,” said Alyson Suter Alber, the law school’s associate dean for enrollment planning and strategic initiatives.
“This growth reflects the targeted work we’ve undertaken to expand access to legal education, from cultivating meaningful partnerships with HBCUs, HSIs, and TCUs to providing tailored support for underrepresented students throughout the admissions process,” she added. “Dean Adamson’s leadership has been central to building these relationships and fostering pathways for diverse talents to thrive in law.”
For more information, contact Colin McEwen at Colin.McEwen@case.edu.