A weak job market is motivating more students nationwide to stay in school and is sending law school application numbers through the roof.

Between 2000 and 2003, the number of applications the Law School receives has increased dramatically. With 5,487 applicants for the Fall 2003 class, the past admissions season saw about 70 percent more applications than in 2000.

Nationwide, more students are applying and to more schools. The number of applicants was up by 11.1 percent for Fall 2003 and applications increased by 17.7 percent, according to statistics released by the Law School Admission Council. Last year there were more than 98,000 law school applicants.

Tim Zessin, a Business School senior, is taking the Law School Admission Test in October and plans to head to law school next fall, a decision he made because of the economy.

"I had the intention of doing business right away, I went to the B-School, then I kind of changed my mind about halfway through junior year and decided I wanted to go to law school - and that's where I am right now," he said.

Being a lawyer was always one of his job possibilities, he said, but the poor job market pushed him toward law.

"My ideal plans would possibly be work for a couple of years then go to law school or get my (Master's-of-business-administration degree) but because of the job market, it's more ideal to go to law school right now," he said.

Sarah Zearfoss, assistant dean of admissions for the Law School, said she attributes the increase in part to the weak economy, since students who might have sought employment are now considering graduate school as an option. The usual target size for an incoming class is about 350 students, but this year more than 400 applicants accepted spots, making it the largest class since at least 1983, according to Law School records.

"Some people end up getting jobs and choosing not to go to law school. This year people may not have been getting jobs, which is why we were getting a larger yield," Zearfoss said.

She added that she understands law school might look like a particularly attractive option, as a law degree is considered very flexible, and because as opposed to business, law is not as affected by downturns in the economy. Unlike the medical profession, it has also not been the subject of increased regulation.

Mariella Mecozzi, senior assistant director of pre-professional services in the University's Career Center, said many students are "flocking to law school" because of the economy and the perceived marketability of a law degree, but that students should also consider if they might be better served by other programs that match their goals.

"They should think about if they truly want to go to law school for the right reasons, do some good self-assessment but also research of the legal field, to make sure that indeed their career goals and preferences for lifestyle and everything match what the legal profession may offer them," she said.

The numbers reflect a significant nation al trend, Zearfoss said, though nationally

the increase has not been as large as in the University's program, a rise she views as positive.

"We're always had a strong applicant pool. We continue to have a strong applicant pool, but now it's even larger," she said.

While many prospective law school students are concerned about increased competition for coveted law school spots, Zearfoss said she would give much of the same advice she would always give, in addition to advising people to look at the trends in an historical context.

Law schools experienced similar volume increases from the mid-1980s through 1991, when there was also a "huge increase in application numbers," she recalled.

"I would say it's no different than any other time," she said. "If you want to be a lawyer, you should apply to law school. Law is an excellent profession - it just may mean that you have to apply to more law schools."

Despite the national attention the issue is receiving, Zearfoss said applicants should still focus on highlighting what sets them apart - aside from test scores and grade point averages.

"I think there's a lot more hype about it than there was historically, and thus a lot more alarm. But rationally, people should not be unduly alarmed about this. One thousand people will get into Michigan Law School this year, just like they did last year and the year before," she said.

Students aspiring to attend law school should apply early and take advantage of schools offering early assurance programs, Mecozzi said, especially if they are not binding, and select programs carefully.

"The reality is that students cannot continue to target the top 10 or 20 law schools and apply exclusively to those schools because there's not going to be enough room for everybody," she said.