Backlash against affirmative action may hit law schools

Attacks on affirmative action could have a 'devastating' effect on minority applications and admissions to top US law schools, according to an ABA report published this week.The report from the ABA's commission on opportunities for minorities found that the number of ethnic minority students has fallen by up to 41% at some law schools.Overall, minority applications to law schools have 'stalled' with only a 0.4% increase in applications since 1995, the lowest five-year increase in 20 years, the report found.However, minority representation in the profession had increased since the commission's first report in 1998 to 13% in the largest law firms and 12% overall.

But only 3% of partners come from minorities.

Sue Allen