2007 Law School Survey of Student Engagement

The Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University-Bloomington has released the 2007 Law School Survey of Student Engagement, based on online surveys completed by 27,000 students at 79 law schools. From the foreword by Richard A. Matasar (President and Dean, New York Law School):

Given the apparent similarity of most law schools, either we have stumbled upon the perfect formula for legal education or all of us suffer from the same delusion (or lack of creativity). Simply put: our little corner of higher education is drawn to various input measures–LSAT scores, undergraduate GPAs, and faculty from a limited number of schools to name a few. These measures provide great comfort because they are familiar. But, can we continue to rely primarily on inputs if we want to produce value for our constituents? Are they robust enough to assure us that we are in fact producing the best graduates, with skills needed by those who will use their services, and who are satisfied with the experiences they received while students? ...

LSSSE is an important part of the quest for owning outcomes. It is a window into our students’ thoughts and actions. It provides insight into whether our schools are succeeding. It is no longer enough to seek students with strong credentials and then watch them disengage because we inadequately challenge them or offer programs that do not excite them or help them achieve their goals. The brutal truth to be seen in the data for our schools is not a scorecard that compares our school to others; rather it is the scorecard of our own performance. It sets the baseline of data that we can use from year to year to measure our improvements and responsiveness. It is a way to learn whether we are providing value.

Among the findings:

• More than 75% of students rated their law-school experiences as good or excellent
• More than 20% of 3Ls went to class unprepared
• More than 33% of students will graduate with more than $100,000 in law school loans
• Private law schools are more academically challenging than public law schools
• Students at smaller (< 500 students) were more likely than those at larger law schools to participate in class discussions, but students at larger schools were more likely to participate in volunteer or pro bono activities
• African-American students more frequently asked questions in class and participated in class discussions than other students

Press and blogosphere reports:

• Chronicle of Higher Education:  Younger Law Students Report More Collaboration and Older Students More Diligence in Survey of Engagement, by Sara Lipka
• Indiana Herald-Times:  Survey of Law Students Finds Pros and Cons of Big Schools, by James Boyd
• Inside Higher Ed:  Being Active (or Not) in Law School, by Elia Powers
• National Law Journal:  Survey: Private Law Schools Harder Than Public Schools, by Leigh Jones