Joking aside, the answer appears to be “yes.” The July 2014 bar exam results were down nationwide. “Scores on the multiple choice part of the test registered their largest single-year drop in the four-decade history of the test’ according to a recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek.
The drop in scores does not affect the elite schools as much as the smaller schools who depend on bar passage rates. While some blame the test itself or other factors, the evidence suggests that with fewer applications to law school, some schools are lowering their bar by accepting students who in the past may not have been accepted. This evidenced by lower scores on the Law School Admittance Test. Less qualified applicants result in less qualified law students which ultimately result is less qualified lawyers. Some have argued for lower standards, others believe that order to protect the ultimate consumer of legal services, if a student cannot pass the exam, the standards should not be lower.
Businessweek reports that since 2008 the compensation of law firm partners has decreased 9%, while solo practioners have endured a decline of 31%, adjusted for inflation. The legal industry has lot more than 50,000.00 jobs in the past eight years, while the number of law schools continued to increase. In 2014, however, enrollments reach their lowest level in 40 years and that trend is expected to continue in the near future.