According the Law School Admission Council,  applications to start law school in the U.S. have dropped 11.5% since  least year. This is lowest level of application in over a decade. Turns  out, a J.D. is no longer a guarantee of a good job. 
 
From ABA  Journal.com:
 
After widespread publicity about the  hard-hit legal economy, it appears many prospective applicants have  gotten the message that a law degree isn't necessarily a ticket to well-paid  employment or even a legal job, the Wall Street Journal reported.
 
"When the economy first went down,  students saw law school as a way to dodge the workforce," says  pre-law adviser Ryan Heitkamp of Ohio State University. "The news  has gotten out that law school is not necessarily a safe backup plan."