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ABSTRACT Factors Influencing African-American Students Enrollment in Texas Law Schools Janis A. Hunter, M.S.Ed. Mentor: Robert C. Cloud, Ed.D. While extensive research has been conducted examining the college choice process of undergraduate students, little empirical research has been conducted on the relative factors affecting the law school choice of prospective African-American students, not only in Texas, but also nationwide. By developing a college choice model for African-American students considering legal education, this study will assist researchers and law school administrators in understanding the importance of these factors in the decision-making process. For example, how influential are (1) minority faculty role models and mentors; (2) financial aid; (3) assurance of employment after graduation; (4) supportive on-campus and off-campus organizations; and (5) scholarships in the law school selection process of African-Americans? The study was designed to survey prospective African-American students enrolled in Texas law schools during the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 academic years. Of the nine law schools located in the state of Texas, four private law schools, three public law schools and one historically Black law school chose to participate. Overall, 364 African-American students were admitted and enrolled in Texas law schools when both academic years were combined. Of the 364 African-Americans attending Texas law schools; 299 chose to participate in the study, which constitutes an overall response rate of 82%. In addition, seven of the eight law school administrators chose to participate in the interview portion of the survey, which constitutes an overall response rate of 87.5%. The study focused on the consideration of eleven research questions related to the factors that affect the law school choice of prospective African-American students. Additionally, a purpose was associated with each research question. The need to understand the factors that influence the law school choice of African-American students in Texas has never been greater, not only because of the pressures involved with today’s recruitment process, but also because of the declining number of African-Americans in the legal profession. Hopefully, these reflections might help (1) determine the most influential factors; and (2) assist Texas law school administrators in determining whether to commit resources to (a) the recruitment of minority students, (b) the hiring of minority faculty, and/or (c) curricular modifications. FactorsInfluencing African-American Students Enrollment in TexasLaw Schools by JanisA. Hunter,M.S.Ed. A Dissertation Approvedb the_D epartment of EducationalAdmini stration .C.Cloud, Ed.D., Acting Chairperson Submittedto the GraduateFaculty of Bavlor Universitv in PartialFulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree of Doctor of Education Approvedby the DissertationCommittee Cloud,Ed.D., phairperson SaraStone, Ph.D. a Green,Ph.D. Acceptedby the GraduateSchool December2006 J.Lany Lyon,Ph.D., Dean Copyright © 2006 by Janis A. Hunter All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... xxii LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................... xxx ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................... xxxii DEDICATION........................................................................................................... xxxiii CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................ 1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 1 Historical Perspective of African-Americans in Higher Education and Legal Education ....................................................................................................... 5 African-Americans in Higher Education ....................................................... 9 African-Americans in Legal Education ......................................................... 12 Blacks’ Enrollment in Law Schools .............................................................. 14 Blacks’ Entry into the Legal Profession: A Century of Exclusion and Segregation ........................................................................................ 16 Blacks’ at Historically Black Law Schools and Predominantly White Law Schools....................................................................................... 18 Blacks’ Enrollment in Law Schools during the Twenty-First Century ......... 23 Summary.................................................................................................................... 25 Statement of the Problem........................................................................................... 27 Purposes of the Study................................................................................................. 27 Research Questions.................................................................................................... 28 Professional Significance of the Problem.................................................................. 29 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 31 Definition of Key Terms............................................................................................ 32 Organization of the Remainder of the Study ............................................................. 39 iii CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................... 41 Review of Literature .................................................................................................. 41 Introduction................................................................................................................ 41 Review of College Choice Research.......................................................................... 45 College Choice Models.................................................................................. 45 Undergraduate College Choice Studies ......................................................... 49 College Choice Studies and Ethnicity............................................................ 56 Graduate School Admissions Studies ............................................................ 59 Factors Influencing African-Americans’ Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education ....................................................................................................... 62 Factors Influencing African-Americans’ Enrollment at the Undergraduate Level .................................................................................................. 62 Factors Influencing African-Americans’ Enrollment at the Graduate Level .................................................................................................. 67 Institutional Factors ........................................................................... 69 Environmental Factors....................................................................... 71 Motivational Factors .......................................................................... 73 Factors Influencing African-Americans’ Enrollment at the Professional Level (Law School)............................................................................ 76 Affirmative Action and Minority Enrollments in Law Schools ................................ 75 African-American Trends and Access in Professional Schools (Law School)...................................................................................... 79 African-American Trends and Access in Texas Law Schools....................... 82 Factors Influencing the Underrepresentation of African-Americans in Legal Education ....................................................................................................... 83 Admissions, Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT), and Financial Aid ............ 83 African-Americans, Racism, and Affirmative Action in Legal Education and the Legal Profession.................................................................... 87 Prejudices, Stereotypes, and Fears in Legal Education and the Legal Profession........................................................................................... 91 Legal Decisions on Affirmative Action in Higher Education: From Plessy to Grutter ....................................................................................................... 95 Plessy v. Ferguson (1898).............................................................................. 96 Sweatt v. Painter (1950) ................................................................................ 97 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas (1954) ............................... 99 The United States District Court’s Ruling in Brown ......................... 100 The United States Supreme Court’s Ruling in Brown....................... 100 iv DeFunis v. Odegaard (1974) ......................................................................... 101 The Washington State Trial Court’s Ruling in DeFunis ................... 103 The Washington State Supreme Court’s Ruling in DeFunis............. 103 Regent’s of the University of California v. Bakke (1978).............................. 104 Hopwood v. State of Texas............................................................................