LGBTQ+ Inclusion: From Candidate to Law Student, 2024 Update

When navigating the law school enrollment journey, LGBTQ+ candidates face the challenging task of meeting two important criteria: finding a law school that meets their academic and professional needs while also providing a culture that will support their full authentic selves both inside and outside of the classroom. With the publication of the LSAC LGBTQ+ Report in 2022 and the LGBTQ+ Guide to Law Schools based on a revamped LGBTQ+ Survey of Law Schools administered in 2021, as well as the ongoing work of the LGBTQ+ Bar Association & Foundation (“LGBTQ+ Bar”) with their Campus Climate Surveys and Best Practices Guides,[1] the limited information to guide students in finding a law school that meets their criteria has been expanding. In 2023, LSAC and the LGBTQ+ Bar collaborated in combining their surveys to incorporate the most current perspectives on policies and practices impacting LGBTQ+ candidates and law students. The 2023 survey was designed to better address questions about representation, the student experience, engagement, resources, availability of affirming spaces, and inclusive curriculums.

The specific purpose of the 2023 LGBTQ+ Law School Survey (“LGBTQ+ Survey”) was to update information collected by LSAC in 2021 and the LGBTQ+ Bar in 2022 on how law schools support LGBTQ+ students.[2] The survey was administered in November 2023 to all 217 LSAC member law schools in the U.S. and Canada. A total of 118 law schools, including 116 U.S. law schools from 43 states and two Canadian law schools, provided responses (at a response rate of 54%).

This report builds on the 2022 LSAC report and 2022 LGBTQ+ Bar report and incorporates new information about policies and practices to both present a nuanced perspective on how law schools support LGBTQ+ students and examine the progress legal education has made in creating an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ candidates and law students. This report provides an overview of current law school policies and practices during the 2022-2023 academic year related to (1) LGBTQ+ representation, (2) recruitment and admission, (3) the student experience, and (4) faculty, courses offered, and alumni involvement. The results of this survey will have a number of immediate uses, including:

• Providing information on current LGBTQ+-related practices and policies so law school professionals will have a common understanding of barriers to access and inclusion for LGBTQ+ law school candidates, students, faculty, and staff
• Noting how policies and practices have changed since 2021 to indicate where law school professionals may want to focus their efforts to address barriers to access and inclusion for LGBTQ+ individuals through the legal education journey
• Creating the LSAC LGBTQ+ Guide to Law Schools

For key takeaways, we created a brief series titled the “Legal Education Brief Series: The 2023 LGBTQ+ Law School Survey.” The series includes the following topics:

To learn more about the law school experience and LGBTQ+ candidates and students, and for an in-depth examination of the 2023 survey findings, please download the full report.

If you have any questions about this project and future work informed by the survey results, please contact LSAC DEI at DiversityOffice@LSAC.org.

[1] The LGBTQ+ Bar has been administering their Campus Climate Survey and publishing a Best Practices Guide based on their survey since 2019.

[2] The 2023 LGBTQ+ Law School Survey results reflect school policies and practices for the 2022-2023 academic school year.