, the study explores expected changes in program formats, subject areas, experiential education, staffing, and demand for entry-level J.D. graduates.
Selected findings
More hybrid J.D. programs are expected by 63.24% of respondents; 51.47% anticipate more flexible or part-time schedules and 50.00% foresee more fully online J.D. programs. Multiple selections were allowed.
Artificial intelligence and law is the leading expected area of substantial instructional expansion, selected by 88.24%. Data privacy and cybersecurity follows at 67.65%, and legal technology and automation at 57.35%.
Experiential education draws a more mixed forecast: 38.23% expect expansion, 20.59% expect little change, and 20.59% anticipate contraction.
On staffing, 45.59% foresee a combination of greater use of non-tenure-track faculty, adjuncts, and technology-assisted instruction; 44.12% expect greater reliance on adjunct faculty and practicing attorneys. No respondent selects greater reliance on tenure-track faculty.
Concern about entry-level hiring is pronounced: 41.18% expect employer demand for new J.D. graduates to decrease in the next five years, while 8.82% expect it to increase. Another 27.94% foresee little change.
The report provides law school deans, faculty, and curriculum planners with benchmarks on how respondents expect programs and teaching roles to develop. Its forward-looking figures describe opinions, not actual future outcomes.