The mood might be downright jovial this week when more than 2,200 legal academics convene in New Orleans for the Association of American Law School’s annual meeting—and not just due to Bourbon Street libations.

Unlike recent meetings, when the law professors grappled with why students were staying away in droves, this year educators can contemplate whether 2018′s eight-percent increase in law school applicants means the legal academy’s fortunes have turned. Law.com caught up with Harvard law professor Vicki Jackson, who will assume the association’s 2019 presidency, to discuss her goals for the coming year and law schools’ prospects. Her answers have been edited for length and clarity.