First-year law students will begin classes Monday, Aug. 21, at UC Davis -- and at 140 enrollees, the new class is one of the smallest in years. The reduced number of new law students reflects a state and national trend toward fewer law school applicants during the past five years. Applications to UC Davis' law school dropped 11 percent this year, the second largest drop in the past five years after a 15 percent drop in 1993, says Sharon Pinkney, law school admissions director. Pinkney attributes the drop to students' concerns over being able to get jobs in the legal profession after graduation. "Students are looking at a lot of different things. We've found that before they apply, students ask for placement statistics. They want to know how UC Davis law graduates have done," Pinkney says. The incoming UC Davis law school class of 72 women and 68 men is one of the most diversified to enter King Hall, with 39 percent of students from underrepresented minorities. Students in the class are among the most competitive in the nation, with those enrolling placing in the top 10 percent academically of all first-year students in the standard law school admissions test, Pinkney says.