The 2024 fall enrollment numbers at Harvard Law School paint a stark picture of the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision to ban affirmative action in college admissions. With only 19 Black first-year students making up 3.4% of the class, this marks the lowest enrollment of Black students at the institution since the 1960s, according to data from the American Bar Association (ABA). This drastic shift not only highlights the immediate effect of the Court’s ruling but also casts a shadow on the legacy of diversity at one of America’s most prestigious law schools, historically known for producing high-profile Black alumni like Barack Obama and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The Numbers: A Sobering Decline
Last year, Harvard Law welcomed 43 Black first-year students, a number that has now plummeted by nearly 60%, according to an analysis by The New York Times based on ABA data. This sharp decrease is part of a broader trend that has affected the demographic makeup of many top-tier law schools across the United States. At other elite institutions, such as Stanford, the drop was less pronounced and even saw an increase in Black student enrollment.
The reasons behind this shift are complex. The Supreme Court decision, which found that race-conscious admissions policies violated the Constitution, fundamentally changed how colleges and universities across the nation approach diversity. For schools like Harvard, where Black students have historically been underrepresented, this ruling has resulted in a significant retraction.
Harvard Law’s Legacy: A History of Empowering Black Lawyers
Harvard Law’s historical role in shaping the careers of some of the nation’s most prominent Black figures further underscores the gravity of this decline. Notable alumni, including former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, have long represented the school’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The fact that these names stand as symbols of success, and have navigated through the very legal systems that now seem less accessible to future generations, adds another layer of frustration for students who once saw Harvard as a beacon of opportunity.
The dramatic reduction in Black enrollment at Harvard raises critical questions about access and representation within the highest echelons of the legal profession. According to the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard, the decline not only affects the school’s immediate diversity but also has long-term implications for the types of perspectives and experiences that are represented in the field of law.
Comparing the Effects: Other Top Schools and National Trends
Despite the drastic fall at Harvard, the broader trend across law schools is mixed. According to the ABA, while some schools, like Harvard, experienced significant drops in Black and Hispanic enrollments, other institutions such as Stanford have reported a sharp rise in the number of Black first-year students. In fact, Stanford’s Black student enrollment nearly doubled in the 2024 fall semester, rising from 12 to 23. In contrast, other schools like the University of North Carolina saw similar drops in Black and Hispanic enrollments, with Black first-year students decreasing from 13 to 9 and Hispanic students falling from 21 to 13 in 2024.
Nationwide, the number of Black students enrolling in law schools has seen a modest increase, rising by about 3%, from 2,969 in 2023 to 3,060 in 2024, according to the ABA. However, this increase is difficult to fully interpret, given changes in data reporting by the ABA, which now includes international students in its racial and ethnic breakdowns.
A Long-Term Shift or a Short-Term Shock?
The numbers from 2024 are jarring for sure. Whether or not the decline in Black students at Harvard Law is part of a larger, long-term trend or merely a short-term shock remains to be seen. What’s clear, however, is that this is more than just a numbers game. It’s about the future of diversity in legal education, and whether or not the erosion of affirmative action will leave a permanent mark on the profession.
So, as we watch the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling unfold, one question remains: What will it take to restore balance to the scales of justice, when the next generation of lawyers is so much less diverse than the last? Time will tell—but Harvard’s drop in Black enrollment is a stark reminder that change, once made, is hard to reverse.
