Law school applications have risen sharply—up more than 40% over the past two years—driving renewed demand for JD programs even as student-loan limits tighten and employers weigh how artificial intelligence will reshape legal work. The enrollment bump has pushed admissions offices to scale recruitment and rethink career advising. Law school leaders report higher applicant volumes across diverse profiles, but the spike comes with fresh anxieties: firms and in-house legal teams are experimenting with AI tools that automate research and drafting, potentially altering starting roles for new lawyers. Deans and career offices are revising messaging about the profession’s long-term returns and expanding experiential training to offset labor-market uncertainty. Colleges must reconcile growing application pressure with questions about graduate earnings and the changing shape of legal tasks. Admissions and career-outcome data will determine whether the surge stabilizes or contracts as the market for legal services adapts to generative AI.