Harvard Law enrolled 19 first-year Black students this fall, the lowest number since the 1960s, following last year's SCOTUS decision banning affirmative action

The percentage of Black students in Harvard Law School’s J.D. Class of 2027 dropped by over four percentage points compared to the previous year, according to enrollment data released by the school on Monday.

This marks the first class admitted after the Supreme Court’s ruling against race-based affirmative action in college admissions.

The data, submitted to the American Bar Association, shows that the number of Black students in HLS’s first-year class fell from 43 in the prior year to 19.

The number of Hispanic students also decreased, dropping from 63 to 32 — a decline of 4.3 percentage points. In contrast, the share of Asian students in the 1L class increased by more than five percentage points, with enrollment rising from 103 to 132.

HLS spokesperson Jeff Neal emphasized in a statement to The Crimson that trends based on a single class should be viewed cautiously.

“Harvard Law School remains committed both to following the law and to fostering an on-campus community and a legal profession that reflect numerous dimensions of human experience,” Neal wrote.

Following the Supreme Court decision, HLS altered its admissions process. Applicants were asked to submit a “Statement of Purpose” and a “Statement of Perspective” instead of a personal statement. These new components encouraged students to “share how your experiences, background, and/or interests have shaped you.”

Neal noted that the Supreme Court ruling was expected to impact law schools’ efforts to attract and admit diverse student cohorts.

While HLS published its 1L profile in August — which included data on gender and LGBTQ+ enrollment — and reported in September an eight percent decline in students of color, race-specific enrollment figures were only made public on Monday. The American Bar Association requires law schools to annually report detailed demographic and admissions data for incoming classes.

These shifts in enrollment at HLS align with broader trends at Harvard College, where the Class of 2028 experienced a four percentage point decline in Black student enrollment.