“Legal education has been down in the dumps for a good seven years now,” says Law.com senior reporter Karen Sloan in this week's program. And it looks like we're on the brink of a turnaround.

The percentage of grads in jobs that require a J.D. is up, as is the number of high-scoring LSAT-takers applying to law school. What's more, starting pay has risen, with many big firms offering $190,000 to new associates.

So what's the problem? For starters, the actual number of J.D.-required jobs has not increased, and the relatively few new jobs offering that higher first-year associate salary won't put a dent in student loan debt for the vast majority of new lawyers.

In our latest episode, Law.com editor-in-chief Leigh Jones talks with Sloan, who helps put the news about the job market and law school applications in a broader context. Then, Sloan chats with Chris Chapman, president of AccessLex Institute and an expert on J.D. jobs and law student debt.

Listen to the podcast above or find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or Libsyn.