The number of Black students starting at Harvard Law School this fall has hit a 60-year low.
The drop in enrollment comes after the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended race-based admissions.
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Attending Harvard Law is a major milestone for students. Graduates include some of the nation's most prominent Black lawyers, including the Obamas, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
"I had a wonderful colleague when I worked at the Legal Defense fund," Patrick recalled in a previous interview.
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But this fall, only 19 Black students entered, following last year's Supreme Court decision. It's the lowest number since the 1960s, according to the American Bar Association.
“Being the only face you see in a class or one of a huge difference for first year’s in their actual experience," Harvard Law student Jheri Richards said.
"The limited amount of Black students in law school in general, you know you’re going to have a bigger proportion just by going here because it’s a bigger school. And now our school is so big but there’s just less Black people so it’s just strange," added student Dhalia Bailey.
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Hispanic students are also noticing the decline, down to 39 this fall from 63.
A spokesperson with the law school says,
“The conclusions that can be drawn from one year of data are necessarily limited. We continue to believe that a student body composed of persons with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences is a vital component of legal education.”
Earlier this year Harvard University reported a slight decline in the number of Black students entering for the 2024 year. Other Boston-area schools, including MIT, have reported similar drops in the diversity of admitted students.
