Will Law Schools Experience A Late 'Trump Bump' This Admissions Cycle?

Following up on my previous posts (links below): National Law Journal, The 'Trump Bump' for Law Schools Is (Kind of) a Thing:

Is the Trump administration's early turmoil a gift to legal education?

Pundits have speculated that Washington's recent turbulence will spur a surge in law school applicants, given the armies of lawyers—hailed by many as defenders of democracy—that assembled at airports around the country in the wake of President Donald Trump's so-called Muslim ban.

Despite the hype, most law schools have yet to see a significant Trump bump, though some report that recent political events are foremost in the minds of many of this year's applicants. Admissions officials at law schools who have seen an increase in applications say it's difficult to attribute that rise to any one factor, but they allow that Trump is one of the many variables contributing to greater interest in the law, from both his supporters and those who oppose his policies.

If any school can make a case for a Trump bump, it may well be George Washington University School of Law, where applications are up 9 percent over last year. Admissions Dean Sophia Sim stopped short of attributing that increase directly to Trump, but she said the political climate has emerged as a major theme this admissions cycle. ...

Nationwide, the numbers don't reflect inspiration, at least not yet. Applicants to all American Bar Association-accredited law schools were down 1.5 percent as of March 3. ... A late surge in applications is still possible. The number of people taking the Law School Admission Test in December was up nearly 8 percent. The council has yet to release the number of LSAT takers in February, which is the final opportunity to earn a score before the application period ends at most schools.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Will Donald Trump Solve The Law School Crisis? (Feb. 2, 2017)
• Is Donald Trump Making Law School Great Again? (Feb. 17, 2017)
• The Atticus Finch Effect: Has Donald Trump Made Attorneys (And Law Schools) Popular Again? (Feb. 23, 2017)
• Brooklyn Dean: Donald Trump Is Causing A Legal Education Renaissance, Just As Woodward & Bernstein Inspired A Generation To Pursue Journalism Careers (Feb. 25, 2017)