Tracking the Progress of Women in Law School Graduations

In 1960 when John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States, 230 women in the United States earned law degrees. That same year more than 9,000 men graduated from the 134 U.S. law schools that were in existence at that time. A decade later the number of women law school graduates had nearly quadrupled.

During the 1980s women flocked to law schools. In 1980, 10,026 women graduated from a U.S. law school. This was more than 12 times the number in 1970. By 1980, the number of accredited law schools had increased to 179. The number of men graduating from law school also skyrocketed during the decade, increasing from 14,115 to 24,893. Women were still only 30 percent of all law school graduates.

Over the next 25 years women closed the gender gap in law school graduations. By 2003 there were 19,981 men and 19,151 women who graduated from U.S. law school. In 2004, the gender gap was down to 455 degrees. Women made up 49.4 percent of all law school graduates in 2004.

Since that time the gap was reopened a bit. In 2009, 20,185 women and 23,860 men graduated from U.S. law schools. Thus, women made up 45.8 percent of law school graduates.