More than half of Black enrollment at Harvard Law drops following affirmative action decision

After the Supreme Court ruled against race-based admissions, Harvard Law saw a significant decrease in enrollment among black students last year.

In the summer of 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action, stating that using race as a factor in college admissions violates the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

According to data from the American Bar Association, Harvard Law enrolled only 19 first-year Black students in 2021, which is the lowest number since the 1960s. This represents 3.4 percent of the class. In contrast, the law school's first-year class had 43 Black students in the previous year.

Harvard Law School believes that a diverse student body is essential for legal education, and remains committed to upholding the law and fostering a community and profession that reflects various human experiences, according to Jeff Neal, Harvard Law spokesman.

One year after the Supreme Court's decision, Neal told Planet Chronicle Digital that a comprehensive analysis of its full impact is still limited.

The Supreme Court's ruling last year would have unforeseen effects on the ability of educational institutions, including law schools, to attract and admit a diverse group of students, according to Neal.

"The conclusions drawn from one year of data are limited, but we believe that a diverse student body is crucial for legal education. Harvard Law School is committed to upholding the law and fostering a community and profession that reflect a wide range of human experiences."

According to The Times, some Harvard faculty hold a more negative view.

David B. Wilkins, a Harvard law professor who specializes in Black representation in the legal profession, contended that the decision had a significant impact on the number of Black students entering law school. Specifically, he pointed out that this was the lowest number of Black students to enroll in first-year classes since 1965.

According to The Times, he mentioned data from the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard, where he is faculty director. In 1965, there were 15 Black students entering Harvard Law. Since then, the number of Black students in the first-year class has typically ranged from 50 to 70.

According to Wilkins, professors teaching first-year sections observed a significant decrease in Black students, specifically a small number of Black men, which was six.

The Harvard Black Law Students Association president, Sean Wynn, expressed his disappointment over the decrease in enrollment as a "devastating blow" and stated to The Times that this decline has fundamentally altered the law school experience.

The Supreme Court's decision led to a decrease in Black students, as well as a decline in Hispanic students, and an increase in white and Asian students in the law school.

A UCLA law professor, Richard Sander, who is critical of affirmative action, stated that data indicates there are some favorable tendencies occurring.

"Despite some top-tier schools experiencing a decline in Black enrollment, the overall number of Black students enrolling in law school increased by approximately 3% this fall, from 2,969 in 2023 to 3,060, according to the A.B.A. However, it is challenging to determine the significance of this increase due to changes in reporting, as Mr. Sander pointed out. Additionally, the Black enrollment data does not include students who identified as multiracial or those who declined to report their race."

Sander stated that despite the appearance of a decline, there was no significant reduction.

It is claimed that the decline in Black enrollment at Harvard Law may be advantageous for Black students, as they will attend a school where they are better suited and more likely to succeed.