Political leanings at Duke? Forum
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Political leanings at Duke?
Anybody have general comments on where Duke stands politically? Students and faculty, general law school atmosphere. I've gotten a lot of "I heard it's liberal because it's in Durham" or "I heard they're conservative because they're southern" but nothing very sound. Did anybody have general impressions when visiting and/or talking to students?
- TripTrip
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Don't choose a law school based on political leanings.
All of the T20 lean slightly left. </thread>
All of the T20 lean slightly left. </thread>
- rinkrat19
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Higher education in general leans left. The faculty at all law schools everywhere (except the nutso schools like Liberty and Ave Maria) are probably going to be about the same: largely liberal, but some conservatives, and all intelligent; not retard tea partiers or derpy tree-sitters. The student body at Duke is probably less liberal than the student body at NYU, but overall still liberal compared to the US or North Carolina in general. Even the liberal schools are likely going to have solid FedSoc participation and a respectful atmosphere for all but the most extreme positions. (Don't walk around wearing a Westboro Baptist t-shirt, for example.)
Don't pick your school according the political ideology. Law school isn't going to indoctrinate you, although you may find you question your own opinions more after learning from people who are way, way smarter and more knowledgeable than you are. (And that goes either way.)
Don't pick your school according the political ideology. Law school isn't going to indoctrinate you, although you may find you question your own opinions more after learning from people who are way, way smarter and more knowledgeable than you are. (And that goes either way.)
- Clearly
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
-ChiTripTrip wrote:Don't choose a law school based on political leanings.
All of the T20 lean slightly left. </thread>
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
We do have a very strong and vocal Federalist Society, but for the most part Duke leans liberal. Compared to my undergrad I have found people to be much more tolerant.
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- NoodleyOne
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
These topics need to stop.
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
I thinkkk it's natural to want to be around people who you know you're going to get along with, who you can have genuine discussions with even if you disagree ideologically. It's condescending to think someone would go to a law school just because they're labelled "liberal" or "conservative," but the student environment is a really big part of law school, and if you want to be happy and do well it's something that should be taken into consideration.NoodleyOne wrote:These topics need to stop.
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
NoodleyOne wrote:These topics need to stop.
Agreed.
Off topic but its interesting that so many people are asking about Duke in these choosing threads. Duke is usually the Forgotten One on TLS.
- sinfiery
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though
- TripTrip
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Then why does it matter which way a school "leans"?yeahboiii wrote:I thinkkk it's natural to want to be around people who you know you're going to get along with, who you can have genuine discussions with even if you disagree ideologically.
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
I thought maybe that was it, although I think they have always been one of the more generous in the T14 and Cornell and NU haven't been slouches in that department. Was thinking maybe it also had something to do with such strong showings in clerkship+big law for the past two years so people aren't ignoring them as much as in the past.sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though
- sinfiery
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Yeah, their employment statistics have been rather strong + the small class size is always nice. Not sure why they aren't as popular, maybe also a combination of ranking and location.BigZuck wrote:I thought maybe that was it, although I think they have always been one of the more generous in the T14 and Cornell and NU haven't been slouches in that department. Was thinking maybe it also had something to do with such strong showings in clerkship+big law for the past two years so people aren't ignoring them as much as in the past.sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
I think it's that for the most part they are splitter unfriendly and they are located in the South, which makes people question how "conservative" (aka ignorant, racist, and intolerant) they are.sinfiery wrote:Yeah, their employment statistics have been rather strong + the small class size is always nice. Not sure why they aren't as popular, maybe also a combination of ranking and location.BigZuck wrote:I thought maybe that was it, although I think they have always been one of the more generous in the T14 and Cornell and NU haven't been slouches in that department. Was thinking maybe it also had something to do with such strong showings in clerkship+big law for the past two years so people aren't ignoring them as much as in the past.sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though
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- sinfiery
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Haha, yep on the south location. You see it a few times on TLS and that sentiment probably carries more weight to individuals deciding not on TLSBigZuck wrote: I think it's that for the most part they are splitter unfriendly and they are located in the South, which makes people question how "conservative" (aka ignorant, racist, and intolerant) they are.
- star fox
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
What about the fact that they lack a major home market like Berekely (LA/SF), Northwestern (Chicago), Penn (Philadelphia), Cornell (NY), Georgetown (DC)BigZuck wrote:I think it's that for the most part they are splitter unfriendly and they are located in the South, which makes people question how "conservative" (aka ignorant, racist, and intolerant) they are.sinfiery wrote:Yeah, their employment statistics have been rather strong + the small class size is always nice. Not sure why they aren't as popular, maybe also a combination of ranking and location.BigZuck wrote:I thought maybe that was it, although I think they have always been one of the more generous in the T14 and Cornell and NU haven't been slouches in that department. Was thinking maybe it also had something to do with such strong showings in clerkship+big law for the past two years so people aren't ignoring them as much as in the past.sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Michigan is way more popular than Duke on this site. I don't think lack of market really has much to do with it.
- TripTrip
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:BigZuck wrote:Michigan is way more popular than Duke on this site. I don't think lack of market really has much to do with it.
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Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.
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- Tom Joad
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Schools that are popular on TLS relative to their employment numbers are the splitter friendly schools.TripTrip wrote:I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:BigZuck wrote:Michigan is way more popular than Duke on this site. I don't think lack of market really has much to do with it.
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Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.
- UtilityMonster
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Duke is definitely left of center, the professors more so and the students less so.
- TripTrip
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Intuitively that makes sense, but is Duke really more splitter friendly that its peers?Tom Joad wrote:Schools that are popular on TLS relative to their employment numbers are the splitter friendly schools.TripTrip wrote:I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:BigZuck wrote:Michigan is way more popular than Duke on this site. I don't think lack of market really has much to do with it.
YSH
CCN
PVBM
NDCG
Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
No, it's much less, hence much less popularTripTrip wrote:Intuitively that makes sense, but is Duke really more splitter friendly that its peers?Tom Joad wrote:Schools that are popular on TLS relative to their employment numbers are the splitter friendly schools.TripTrip wrote:I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:BigZuck wrote:Michigan is way more popular than Duke on this site. I don't think lack of market really has much to do with it.
YSH
CCN
PVBM
NDCG
Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.
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- sinfiery
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
And NU has a very low GPA floor relative to the T14 so they get a lot of love for that. + Outperforming (less this year) their rank in the NLJ
- TripTrip
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
Ah. I'm an idiot. Thank you.BigZuck wrote:No, it's much less, hence much less popular
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
lol wat. Is this actually a thing?BigZuck wrote:I think it's that for the most part they are splitter unfriendly and they are located in the South, which makes people question how "conservative" (aka ignorant, racist, and intolerant) they are.sinfiery wrote:Yeah, their employment statistics have been rather strong + the small class size is always nice. Not sure why they aren't as popular, maybe also a combination of ranking and location.BigZuck wrote:I thought maybe that was it, although I think they have always been one of the more generous in the T14 and Cornell and NU haven't been slouches in that department. Was thinking maybe it also had something to do with such strong showings in clerkship+big law for the past two years so people aren't ignoring them as much as in the past.sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though
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Re: Political leanings at Duke?
My pet peeve. Just cause it's the south doesn't mean that we are all racist rednecks. Anyone on TLS who posts otherwise really needs to visit the Triangle area.sinfiery wrote:Haha, yep on the south location. You see it a few times on TLS and that sentiment probably carries more weight to individuals deciding not on TLSBigZuck wrote: I think it's that for the most part they are splitter unfriendly and they are located in the South, which makes people question how "conservative" (aka ignorant, racist, and intolerant) they are.
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