At HLS, however, this has happened before—most recently during the last recession in the early 1990’s. The number of applications to this year’s class pales in comparison to the surge in applications in the early 1990’s, when the economic downturn was more severe than it is now, according to Curll.
HLS professor Jonathan Zittrain sees no problem with the economic downturn opening the floodgates at the admissions office.
“So long as the law school’s intellectual puzzles are interesting and socially relevant, I think refugess from other pursuits can be inspired by what they find and, thanks to their backgrounds, make distinct contributions,” he wrote in an e-mail.
—Staff writer William M. Rasmussen can be reached at wrasmuss@fas.harvard.edu.