Statistics released by the American Bar Association this month revealed that, for the first time, the number of women applying to law school this year exceeds the number of men.
Although the study only reflected those individuals who had applied to law schools as of March 16 of this year, it showed that of the 67,239 applicants nation-wide 50.4 percent were women. This was a marginal increase over the 49.4 percent of female students who enrolled in law schools last year.
Law schools in Virginia have been aware of the increase in female applicants in recent years.
According to Law Prof. John Jeffries, who will take over as dean of the University Law School in July, "such changes have already occurred" at the University.
Two years ago, the Law School admitted its first class with more women than men, Jeffries said.
The admissions offices at the University of Richmond and Washington & Lee University law schools reported that in past years they have admitted roughly equal numbers of female and male applicants.
Nonetheless, many law school officials said crossing over the halfway point in female applications numbers marked a significant milestone for women trying to compete in a traditionally male-dominated profession.
According to Susan Palmer, associate dean for student affairs and admissions at Washington & Lee School of Law, law classes are now more receptive to women than in the past.
The old method "of teaching students by abusing them is gone. Women don't have to learn by combat," Palmer said.
Dean of Yale University's Law School Anthony T. Kronman described the teaching method as "ruthlessly interrogat[ing] students and reduc[ing] them to tears."
Changes in social attitudes towards women in law are another important reason for the increasing numbers of female law students, said Amy Arnold, associate attorney at the Richmond office of Hunton & Williams.
In addition, many women see law as an opportunity to gain even more status in the workplace. A career in law offers women "a little more power in controlling their destinies," Arnold said.
Glenn Cummings, University interim director of Pre-Professional Services, said there was a keen interest for women in pursuing law careers.
"I encourage them," he said. But "I let them know that there remains a serious shortage of female partners at law firms, so that while the law student demographic may be 50/50 between the sexes, there is still much work to do before women can have quite the same voice in the legal field as men"
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