Applications to law schools have risen more than 40% over two years even as artificial intelligence reshapes legal practice and clouds the traditional return on investment for a law degree, reporting shows. Law-school interest spikes with candidate pools swelling despite student-loan constraints and uncertainty about AI’s impact on labor demand. Admissions deans are balancing increased demand with questions about placement and training: how to equip graduates for an AI-augmented legal market, and whether tuition models still align with expected labor-market returns. Career-service offices face pressure to expand experiential learning and AI-ready legal-skills curricula. For law deans and trustees, the surge requires strategic planning: scaling capacity responsibly, retooling pedagogy for AI literacy, and strengthening employer relationships to preserve graduate outcomes in a transforming profession.