Top Law Schools

After having done a forum search I was unable to find much on this and would be very grateful for any who would have links to past discussions of what I'm sure is a very common question.

Basically, it appears to me that:

1) Minorities/URMs are significantly underrepresented (in this case including Asians at many law schools with notable exceptions) at many law schools in comparison to their proportions in undergraduate or in general. Minority percentage rates bounce around from 20% to 30% at the T14 and drop off sharply after that - while in undergraduate at many of these schools minorities number almost 40 to 50% (this is completely discounting schools like UCB and UCLA which are in quite unique circumstances).

Example (nothing about UNC in particular but just to show a general trend):
- UNC Law Fall 2013 entering class: 24% students of color
- UNC Undergrad Fall 2013 entering class: 33.1% non-white

Therefore:

2) What is the experience like for minority students in law school? Do you ever feel race plays a role in academic life, social life, or the professional recruiting process? I'd be very eager to hear anecdotes and stories.

KingofSplitters55 wrote:After having done a forum search I was unable to find much on this and would be very grateful for any who would have links to past discussions of what I'm sure is a very common question.

Basically, it appears to me that:

1) Minorities/URMs are significantly underrepresented (in this case including Asians at many law schools with notable exceptions) at many law schools in comparison to their proportions in undergraduate or in general. Minority percentage rates bounce around from 20% to 30% at the T14 and drop off sharply after that - while in undergraduate at many of these schools minorities number almost 40 to 50% (this is completely discounting schools like UCB and UCLA which are in quite unique circumstances).

Therefore:

2) What is the experience like for minority students in law school? Do you ever feel race plays a role in academic life, social life, or the professional recruiting process? I'd be very eager to hear anecdotes and stories.

My guess its like being a minority every other time in your life, except you make more money

Mojosodope wrote:

KingofSplitters55 wrote:After having done a forum search I was unable to find much on this and would be very grateful for any who would have links to past discussions of what I'm sure is a very common question.

Basically, it appears to me that:

1) Minorities/URMs are significantly underrepresented (in this case including Asians at many law schools with notable exceptions) at many law schools in comparison to their proportions in undergraduate or in general. Minority percentage rates bounce around from 20% to 30% at the T14 and drop off sharply after that - while in undergraduate at many of these schools minorities number almost 40 to 50% (this is completely discounting schools like UCB and UCLA which are in quite unique circumstances).

Therefore:

2) What is the experience like for minority students in law school? Do you ever feel race plays a role in academic life, social life, or the professional recruiting process? I'd be very eager to hear anecdotes and stories.

My guess its like being a minority every other time in your life, except you make more money

lol true that. In my case I'm especially wondering cause I went to a very diverse UG but will be heading to a LS that's much much less diverse (specific institutions not being said for privacy reasons).

Your experience really depends on what you make of it, and on your experiences in the past either being at an institution that is more or less diverse than your law school. It also depends partly on the students you're around too. I've got quite a few friends that are minorities and attended or are attending various law schools. Some have felt alienated and out of place. Some have felt just fine.

However, if you went to a very diverse UG and you like having that sense of community that comes with being around other minorities or just value being part of a diverse group of students, realize you have an especially strong community in organizations like the Black Law Student Association, Hispanic Law Student Association, Asian Students Association, etc. These organizations, while they may be small in number, can be very significant in providing that close-knit sense of community. They also provide great benefit acting as an academic support system, providing social opportunities, and getting connected professionally with other minority students, minority alumni, and employers looking for greater diversity in their hiring.

In any case, it's important to realize that even if you're not comfortable being underrepresented in the academic setting, now is the time to get acclimated to it and learn how to navigate that environment, make connections, and succeed. Unfortunately, the legal profession is one of the least ethnically and racially diverse.

Mojosodope wrote:
My guess its like being a minority every other time in your life, except you make more money

^bahaha. this.

I went to a predominantly caucasian school for UG in the Midwest, after attending an inner city high school. I didn't mind the transition, and I didn't feel like I experienced anything negatively race-related that I couldn't handle. (Since there are always the d*cks who will always be racist).

I imagine law schools with lower minority percentages will be the same, except we'll be surrounded with individuals of some decent intellect. For me, I see it as an advantage.

Mojosodope wrote:

KingofSplitters55 wrote:After having done a forum search I was unable to find much on this and would be very grateful for any who would have links to past discussions of what I'm sure is a very common question.

Basically, it appears to me that:

1) Minorities/URMs are significantly underrepresented (in this case including Asians at many law schools with notable exceptions) at many law schools in comparison to their proportions in undergraduate or in general. Minority percentage rates bounce around from 20% to 30% at the T14 and drop off sharply after that - while in undergraduate at many of these schools minorities number almost 40 to 50% (this is completely discounting schools like UCB and UCLA which are in quite unique circumstances).

Therefore:

2) What is the experience like for minority students in law school? Do you ever feel race plays a role in academic life, social life, or the professional recruiting process? I'd be very eager to hear anecdotes and stories.

My guess its like being a minority every other time in your life, except you make more money

Don't you mean Have more debt?

Cellar-door wrote:

Mojosodope wrote:

KingofSplitters55 wrote:After having done a forum search I was unable to find much on this and would be very grateful for any who would have links to past discussions of what I'm sure is a very common question.

Basically, it appears to me that:

1) Minorities/URMs are significantly underrepresented (in this case including Asians at many law schools with notable exceptions) at many law schools in comparison to their proportions in undergraduate or in general. Minority percentage rates bounce around from 20% to 30% at the T14 and drop off sharply after that - while in undergraduate at many of these schools minorities number almost 40 to 50% (this is completely discounting schools like UCB and UCLA which are in quite unique circumstances).

Therefore:

2) What is the experience like for minority students in law school? Do you ever feel race plays a role in academic life, social life, or the professional recruiting process? I'd be very eager to hear anecdotes and stories.

My guess its like being a minority every other time in your life, except you make more money

Don't you mean Have more debt?

Full ride playa, you should step up your LSAT game