Law school applications nationwide decreased last year for the first time since 1997-98, but officials at ASU and UA law schools said they weren't worried about fluctuations.
The Law School Admission Council reported a 4.8 percent decline in applications nationally last year.
ASU registered a 1.7 percent increase from 2004 to 2005, while UA registered a 7.6 percent decline for the same period.
Shelli Soto, associate dean of admissions and financial aid at ASU's law school, said applications have been consistently near the 3,000 mark for the past four years.
Applications to ASU touched 3,072 in 2003. In 2004, it received 2,987 applications, a 2.7 percent decline.
In 2005, the number stood at 3,040, and this year 2,926 applications were received as of March 24.
"We're in the middle of our application process right now, so 2006 application totals will increase by a small amount over the coming months," Soto said.
Nationwide, the number of students taking the LSAT also decreased 5.4 percent in the 2005-06 cycle.
At UA's James E. Rogers College of Law, the number of applications in 2004 was 2,376, as compared to 2,589 in 2003. In 2005, the number went down further to 2,194. This year, the figure has moved up to 2,480, but is still lower than the 2003 figure.
Terry Sue Holpert, assistant dean for admission at UA's law college, said there has always been movement in the numbers over the past decade.
"An education in law is an investment in oneself for the future, so people will always pursue higher education," she said.
Law School Admissions Council figures suggest the most significant recent upswing in applications across the United States came in 2002 and 2003, with jumps of 17.6 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.
David Bodney, adjunct professor of law at ASU and partner at Steptoe & Johnson law firm, said it was difficult to explain the recent decline, but it could have to do with other opportunities for college graduates.
"The economy is such that graduates are eager to find jobs without investing another three years into their educational lives," he said.
Bodney added other fields such as business schools, which bring immediate financial rewards, might also be more alluring.
"Students recognize law school is challenging and sometimes a grueling way to earn a living," he said.
While the cost of law school can be high, that shouldn't be a deterrent for applicants, said Rowan Smith, a second-year law student.
For the 2005-06 academic year, the ASU law college estimated tuition, books and living expenses would be $26,846 for Arizona residents and $37,110 for out-of-state students.
"Everyone knows you have to work hard at law school and you'll most likely end up in significant debt," Smith said. "It's par for the course."
Smith added that applications to graduate school in general are influenced by the overall state of the economy.
"As the economy gets worse, recent undergraduates may find it difficult to get jobs and existing workers find it hard to find new opportunities," he said. "Graduate school is a great place to hide while the economy is so-so."
Bodney added that while numbers may be down, that shouldn't be seen as a rejection of law as a profession.
"I wouldn't suggest this to be a generational shift," he said.
Business sophomore Michael Bailey, who attended a workshop on campus Friday about getting into law school, said he wasn't too concerned with the figures.
"I want more minority representation in the field and that's why I want to apply," he said.
Reach the reporter at sonu.munshi@asu.edu.
