Disbarment Disparities: How Law School Prestige Affects Disbarment Rates
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between law school ranking and attorney disbarment rate.Drawing on a novel dataset comprising over 12,000 bar passers across eight law schools over a ten-year period, the analysis reveals a strong positive correlation between lower law school rankings and higher disbarment rates.This result elicits discussion into the nature of professional ethics, legal education, and systemic disparities in disciplinary enforcement.Several alternative explanations for the correlation are explored,
Fields of Study & Subjects
Legal Education and Practice Innovations
Legal Systems and Judicial Processes
Occupational and Professional Licensing Regulation
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Digital Commons at University of Maryland Carey Law (University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law)
- Publication date
- 3 February 2026