According to the Lawyer, the number of students applying to study law has gone down by a record 5.2%, using UCAS figures. There had been a sharp increase in applications following the banking collapse in 2008.
In fairness to the Law Society (a phrase not used that often) they have been warning prospective students that finding a training contract is difficult, so not all law students will qualify. And I have not seen that students are suing law schools for misrepresenting the likelihood of a successful career, as has happened in the USA.
Yes, all this is in the context of an overall decline in university applications of 9%, caused by tuition fee increases. It still means fewer lawyers in the pipeline. What students need to realise though is that a law degree is a good stand alone qualification. It is challenging, and trains the mind. And the more traditional understand what it is. There is no necessity to go along the tram lines to a legal career, unless that is what you want to do.
Do we have too many lawyers? That is another discussion.
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