Applications to law school have jumped more than 40% over two years even as questions mount about how artificial intelligence will reshape legal work and career payoffs. The surge in interest came alongside a Gallup Workforce survey showing about one-quarter of employed adults now use AI at least a few times a week and six in 10 technology workers use it frequently. Law deans and admissions officers are now balancing rising applicant demand with uncertainty about the profession’s long-term labor market, licensing and curriculum needs as AI tools change document review, legal research, and transactional work.