Careers in Conservative Groups Forum

[akarmenia1]

Being a conservative in academia is tough, and I'm concerned that most law schools won't work hard to help me find a job with a conservative political action firm. I've applied to the conservative schools, but I have been offered some scholarships at other schools that do not share my worldview. Anyone have any thoughts on working in the conservative world after graduation?

[AngryAvocado]

Being a conservative in academia is tough, and I'm concerned that most law schools won't work hard to help me find a job with a conservative political action firm. I've applied to the conservative schools, but I have been offered some scholarships at other schools that do not share my worldview. Anyone have any thoughts on working in the conservative world after graduation?

Law schools want their students to succeed, period. I sincerely doubt they'll avoid helping you because your political persuasion is different than theirs, unless (of course) you're the type of tool who desires nothing more to impose their ideology on everyone and everything. If that's the case, you're going to have more to worry about than just getting career support from your law school.

[chicoalto0649]

1. Go to Regent Law School.

2. Gun your way to mediocre 1L grades. Make each one of your peers strive to be as ideologically pure as you (they never will).

2. Secure a 2L summer internship at Focus on the Family http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ .

3. Graduate in the bottom quartile of your class (optional).


4. Secure a long term position at Focus on the Family.

5. Get arrested for molesting male interns/ feds find your huge stash of child pronz

6.?????

7. Become a special contributor on Fox News. Later on become Glenn Beck's fill-in.

8.???

9. Profit

[mb88]

I think it depends entirely on what your definition of "conservative" is. If you mean conservative in the sense of less government, states' rights, and lower taxes, then I don't think you'll run into any problems at all. Just as a previous poster said: They want you to succeed. It makes them look better.

Now, if you mean "conservative" in the sense of "Jesus tells me to kill the gays!", well, then, I think you've got more to worry about than what your law school thinks.

[Dignan]

Being a conservative in academia is tough, and I'm concerned that most law schools won't work hard to help me find a job with a conservative political action firm. I've applied to the conservative schools, but I have been offered some scholarships at other schools that do not share my worldview. Anyone have any thoughts on working in the conservative world after graduation?

Don't get too hung up on on the general "worldview" of a school. As you have probably figured out, almost all of the schools are liberal. Instead, look at schools that have a couple of key conservative faculty. If you attend those schools, you can form relationships with those faculty, who will be able to help you out with landing a job in conservative PI.

In a way, the best combo for you is a very liberal school that has a couple of conservative faculty. Very few of the other students will be interested in working with those faculty, so you won't have much competition.

[Andrew the Wolverine]

1. Go to Regent Law School.

2. Gun your way to mediocre 1L grades. Make each one of your peers strive to be as ideologically pure as you (they never will).

2. Secure a 2L summer internship at Focus on the Family http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ .

3. Graduate in the bottom quartile of your class (optional).


4. Secure a long term position at Focus on the Family.

5. Get arrested for molesting male interns/ feds find your huge stash of child pronz

6.?????

7. Become a special contributor on Fox News. Later on become Glenn Beck's fill-in.

8.???

9. Profit

Here is liberal "tolerance" (i.e. idiocy) on full display. Way to go, dunce!

[FunkyJD]

Being a conservative in academia is tough, and I'm concerned that most law schools won't work hard to help me find a job with a conservative political action firm. I've applied to the conservative schools, but I have been offered some scholarships at other schools that do not share my worldview. Anyone have any thoughts on working in the conservative world after graduation?

Don't worry about going to a school that's contrary to your worldview. Worry about getting into the best law school you can attend, do well there, and the rest will shake out.

I'm no hardcore conservative, but I'm a little right of most of my classmates at a fairly left-wing graduate institution. Believe me, I have gravitated towards the professors with similar ideological proclivities, and vice versa. It's like gravity.

Otherwise, join the Federalist Society once you get to law school, and take advantage of their network.

Out of curiosity ... when you say, "work with a conservative political action firm," give me an example of what you mean. What do you envision your job consisting of?

[vanwinkle]

I don't really understand the conservative paranoia about law schools. Even if you go to the most liberal law school out there, the legal industry turns people into conservatives almost immediately after they graduate. They get out and suddenly want $160K/year, low taxes, and less guilt for taking the money instead of the morally rewarding work.

Seriously, though, most law schools probably won't work hard to find you a job with a conservative PAC because you can do that yourself. It's not like they're doing on-campus interviews with MoveOn.org either. If you want to do that kind of work that's outside the scope of what most schools focus on (firm placement, and if the school is large/prestigious enough, a separate PI division that focuses on criminal/gov't/indigency work). Left or right, there isn't that much help to get you into an organization that's overtly political in nature. You build those bridges yourself.

[eudaimondaimon]

Being a conservative in academia is tough...

I'd imagine being a conservative anywhere is tough, considering that reality has a well-known liberal bias.

[Rawlsian]

Being a conservative in academia is tough, and I'm concerned that most law schools won't work hard to help me find a job with a conservative political action firm. I've applied to the conservative schools, but I have been offered some scholarships at other schools that do not share my worldview. Anyone have any thoughts on working in the conservative world after graduation?

What do you mean by this? You'll find conservatives throughout the legal and academic world. Are you looking for ideological homogeneity? I wouldn't worry about institutional persecution. That paranoia is baffling--perhaps it is an effect of the evangelical-Right's drive towards insulated separation? In any case, I agree with other posters; your school wants you to be successful.

An aside: I think political action committees will become increasingly unnecessary. See the recent Citizens United case.

[mb88]

Being a conservative in academia is tough, and I'm concerned that most law schools won't work hard to help me find a job with a conservative political action firm. I've applied to the conservative schools, but I have been offered some scholarships at other schools that do not share my worldview. Anyone have any thoughts on working in the conservative world after graduation?

What do you mean by this? You'll find conservatives throughout the legal and academic world. Are you looking for ideological homogeneity? I wouldn't worry about institutional persecution. That paranoia is baffling--perhaps it is an effect of the evangelical-Right's drive towards insulated separation? In any case, I agree with other posters; your school wants you to be successful.

An aside: I think political action committees will become increasingly unnecessary. See the recent Citizens United case.

I didn't even realize he used the term "worldview" until just now with it bolded.

That kind of changes things a little. "Conservative Worldview" is usually codeword for "Guns, Babies, Jesus!" If that's the case, the OP might be in trouble. At that level of education and academia, even the "conservative" professors are going to have a problem with that "worldview".

[katjust]

I go to one of the most liberal law schools. The people here really aren't so anti-conservative (at least in helping you find a job). Maybe I would not go around broadcasting you views everywhere, but you should be fine.


Join the Federalist Society and contact conservative or libertarian (depending on if you are of that persuasion) public interest firms or think tanks. There are a lot of them out there. I will be working with one this summer. As someone else said, it is up to you to do the legwork on this, because they don't really do OCI. However, many welcome interns/externs and even law clerks. The Heritage Foundation has law clerks for example. Just make sure you start looking for opportunities early in the first year.


Also, not all liberals are the same, they come in a wide variety, so not everyone at the law school will be in agreement with the views of a student just because that student is a liberal.

[Neelio]

1. Go to Regent Law School.

2. Gun your way to mediocre 1L grades. Make each one of your peers strive to be as ideologically pure as you (they never will).

2. Secure a 2L summer internship at Focus on the Family http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ .

3. Graduate in the bottom quartile of your class (optional).


4. Secure a long term position at Focus on the Family.

5. Get arrested for molesting male interns/ feds find your huge stash of child pronz

6.?????

7. Become a special contributor on Fox News. Later on become Glenn Beck's fill-in.

8.???

9. Profit

HAHAHA.

[ChrisC]

1. Go to Regent Law School.

2. Gun your way to mediocre 1L grades. Make each one of your peers strive to be as ideologically pure as you (they never will).

2. Secure a 2L summer internship at Focus on the Family http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ .

3. Graduate in the bottom quartile of your class (optional).


4. Secure a long term position at Focus on the Family.

5. Get arrested for molesting male interns/ feds find your huge stash of child pronz

6.?????

7. Become a special contributor on Fox News. Later on become Glenn Beck's fill-in.

8.???

9. Profit

180.


Does anyone else find it lol-inducing that the most extreme socially conservative schools are also the shittiest?

[insidethetwenty]

Being a conservative in academia is tough...

I'd imagine being a conservative anywhere is tough, considering that reality has a well-known liberal bias.

Depending on your definition of liberal, I'm going to say no. A classical liberal bias? Probably. A "progressive" bias? Not even close.

[ViIIager]

1. Go to Regent Law School.

2. Gun your way to mediocre 1L grades. Make each one of your peers strive to be as ideologically pure as you (they never will).

2. Secure a 2L summer internship at Focus on the Family http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ .

3. Graduate in the bottom quartile of your class (optional).


4. Secure a long term position at Focus on the Family.

5. Get arrested for molesting male interns/ feds find your huge stash of child pronz

6.?????

7. Become a special contributor on Fox News. Later on become Glenn Beck's fill-in.

8.???

9. Profit

180.


Does anyone else find it lol-inducing that the most extreme socially conservative schools are also the shittiest?

Oh crap, now you did it. Pat Robertson is going to call Jesus to send an earthquake or hurricane towards the TLS servers. Hippies always gotta screw it up for the rest of us.

[Rocketman11]

1. Go to Regent Law School.

2. Gun your way to mediocre 1L grades. Make each one of your peers strive to be as ideologically pure as you (they never will).

2. Secure a 2L summer internship at Focus on the Family http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ .

3. Graduate in the bottom quartile of your class (optional).


4. Secure a long term position at Focus on the Family.

5. Get arrested for molesting male interns/ feds find your huge stash of child pronz

6.?????

7. Become a special contributor on Fox News. Later on become Glenn Beck's fill-in.

8.???

9. Profit

180.


Does anyone else find it lol-inducing that the most extreme socially conservative schools are also the shittiest?

180? Thank the good lord you do not set the curve for the LSAT. 158 at best for that post.

[Rocketman11]

I go to one of the most liberal law schools. The people here really aren't so anti-conservative (at least in helping you find a job). Maybe I would not go around broadcasting you views everywhere, but you should be fine.


Join the Federalist Society and contact conservative or libertarian (depending on if you are of that persuasion) public interest firms or think tanks. There are a lot of them out there. I will be working with one this summer. As someone else said, it is up to you to do the legwork on this, because they don't really do OCI. However, many welcome interns/externs and even law clerks. The Heritage Foundation has law clerks for example. Just make sure you start looking for opportunities early in the first year.


Also, not all liberals are the same, they come in a wide variety, so not everyone at the law school will be in agreement with the views of a student just because that student is a liberal.

Blatant anti-Liberty trolling.

[The Kid]

Instead, look at schools that have a couple of key conservative faculty.

Could you mention some?

[Rocketman11]

Instead, look at schools that have a couple of key conservative faculty.

Could you mention some?

I didn't actually post that, you got your quotes mixed I think. But Notre Dame is a very strong school with conservative faculty. I think in most schools, however, you will be able to find at least 1 professor who is conservative amidst the sea of liberalism. Often those are the better mentorships anyway.

[The Kid]

I didn't actually post that, you got your quotes mixed I think.

You're right. I'm sorry.

you will be able to find at least 1 professor who is conservative amidst the sea of liberalism

I liked that.

But how are things like among the T14? Is Columbia the most liberal?

[Jerome]

Instead, look at schools that have a couple of key conservative faculty.

Could you mention some?

1. Start with BYU.
2. Look at the schools from whence Scalia, Thomas, and Alito pull their clerks.
3. Try to find "conservative" (whatever that means) professors you'd like to study with - check out the Volokh Conspiracy contributors.
4. Why go to a school that is ideologically homogeneous in a way that corresponds to your worldview? Some of the best professors I had were of opposite political beliefs.

[eudaimondaimon]

Being a conservative in academia is tough...

I'd imagine being a conservative anywhere is tough, considering that reality has a well-known liberal bias.

Depending on your definition of liberal, I'm going to say no. A classical liberal bias? Probably. A "progressive" bias? Not even close.

*cough* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSE_saVX_2A#t=3m9s

[akarmenia1]

Thanks, guys. There was some useful stuff in there, of course mixed with the expected liberal "tolerance."

Someone asked what kind of place I am looking for. I am hoping to work either with a PAC or conservative PI firm such as the ACLJ.

[vanwinkle]

Thanks, guys. There was some useful stuff in there, of course mixed with the expected liberal "tolerance."

Someone asked what kind of place I am looking for. I am hoping to work either with a PAC or conservative PI firm such as the ACLJ.

Liberty, Regent, Pepperdine, or Baylor.