Promoting Graduation Outcomes for Racially Minoritized Law School Students

• In Event: Perspectives on the Educational Experiences of Racially Minoritized Students

Abstract

The legal profession is one of the least racially diverse in the United States, as 85% of practicing lawyers are White. Because racial diversification is necessarily a function of the demographics of law school graduates, this study examined the role of three broad types of factors (finances, racial representation, and rankings) in predicting the number and percentage of law school graduates who hold racially minoritized identities. Indicators from each of these factors are significantly related to graduation outcomes, with some results diverging between law schools that have higher versus lower U.S. News rankings. These findings have important implications for the actions that law schools may take to promote the success of Students of Color.

Authors

• Nicholas A. Bowman, University of Iowa

• Nicholas Stroup, The University of Iowa

• Solomon Fenton-Miller, The University of Iowa