Lawmakers press UNM Law on recruitment, Native American enrollment, admissions and adjuncts
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Summary
Committee members pressed Dean Camille Carey on resident recruitment, Native American enrollment (10 in 2023; 14 in 2024 and 2025 across classes), admissions procedures (no LSAT cutoff), student representation on admissions, adjunct faculty use and accreditation. Carey cited AALS and ABA reviews and said required classes are taught by full-time faculty.
Members of the House Judiciary Committee used the Dean’s briefing to press for more granular data and new strategies to increase New Mexico representation among law students and address legal deserts.
Key numbers and programs: Carey said 19% of the incoming class are nonresidents and described the school’s holistic admissions process: "We do not have an LSAT cutoff," she told the committee. The dean said total enrollment is 300 and that the 1L class is 108 students; she reported that across the three classes there were 10 Native American students in 2023 and 14 in both 2024 and 2025 (the counts Carey described were total, not per‑class). Carey also described the Pre‑Law Summer Institute (PLSI) run by the American Indian Law Center; students who succeed in PLSI are offered reservations for slots in the entering class.
Lawmakers’ concerns and requests: Speaker Alan Martinez and several members said the law school must do more to recruit New Mexico students and to prepare graduates to practice across rural and tribal areas. Members suggested expanding pipeline programs similar to those used by the medical school and exploring alumni interview programs to reduce cost. Several legislators urged the dean to provide demographic breakdowns showing how many Native American students are New Mexico residents and where additional recruitment funding would be targeted.
Adjunct faculty, accreditation and misconduct reporting: Carey said the school underwent recent AALS and an ABA site visit and received renewal/reaccreditation notices (AALS renewal 11/18/2024; ABA reaccreditation notice 12/10/2025). She told the committee that full‑time faculty teach 81% of contact hours and 73% of credits and that the ABA site team expressed no concerns about adjunct use. On allegations of discrimination or Title IX matters, Carey said such reports are routed to UNM’s Compliance, Ethics and Opportunity (CEO) office and not handled internally by the law school to protect confidentiality and comply with federal law.
What lawmakers asked for: multiple members requested follow-up data on (1) residency status of Native American students, (2) demographic breakdowns for all classes and (3) faculty demographics and hiring plans. Carey agreed to supply the requested information and to meet with legislators to discuss pipeline partnerships and outreach.
