Arizone State University - Liberal? Forum

[F458JE]

I am considering applying to ASU this fall, but came across an article that described the university as liberally biased. Can anyone speak on this issue? I do not want to go to a school that teaches ideology. I would prefer somewhere that teaches how to think, over what to think.


Thanks!

[Azmatt]

Ya. It's very liberal. You should not go to ASU, which has a long academic tradition and growing recognition, because of that article. Especially regardless of whether or not the said article described the university atmosphere or the academics.

In fact, it's most certainly liberal in a state that which is fully supportive of it's ultra-conservative state law, SB1070. Who could mistake ASU Law for anything, but a conservative bastion after being named after Sandra Day O'Conner? PSHHH

[Azmatt]

oh crap. flame.

[F458JE]

Ya. It's very liberal. You should not go to ASU, which has a long academic tradition and growing recognition, because of that article. Especially regardless of whether or not the said article described the university atmosphere or the academics.

In fact, it's most certainly liberal in a state that which is fully supportive of it's ultra-conservative state law, SB1070. Who could mistake ASU Law for anything, but a conservative bastion after being named after Sandra Day O'Conner? PSHHH

The article I read was a study done by a couple of professors who ranked colleges on the number of self-declared liberal and conservative professors. ASU was among the top for liberal professors. So, please, explain to me how I would know whether a university is largely one ideology over the other when I live on the other side of the country. Where you born with this mass of information that I somehow missed out on?

[vanwinkle]

The article I read was a study done by a couple of professors who ranked colleges on the number of self-declared liberal and conservative professors. ASU was among the top for liberal professors. So, please, explain to me how I would know whether a university is largely one ideology over the other when I live on the other side of the country.

You could start by understanding that "self-identified political beliefs" ≠ "indoctrinating their students with a certain ideology". If you can't wrap your head around basic logical differences such as these, the time might not be right for you to go to law school.

[ncct07]

Stop listening to Limbaugh and Hannity.

[F458JE]

You could start by understanding that "self-identified political beliefs" ≠ "indoctrinating their students with a certain ideology". If you can't wrap your head around basic logical differences such as these, the time might not be right for you to go to law school.

If you would read my original post you can clearly see that I asked whether ASU taught liberal ideology.

[bk1]

Why does it matter?

When choosing a school: placement, cost, region. That's it.

[vanwinkle]

You could start by understanding that "self-identified political beliefs" ≠ "indoctrinating their students with a certain ideology". If you can't wrap your head around basic logical differences such as these, the time might not be right for you to go to law school.

If you would read my original post you can clearly see that I asked whether ASU taught liberal ideology.

You also said that you saw the school described as having a liberal bias, and then later said that the article claiming such was based on professors' self-identified political beliefs. So, as my point still stands, it's important for you to understand that self-identified political beliefs do not equal indoctrination by the school. In other words, you should be able to see that you shouldn't believe the article's results because its methodology is flawed. Thus you should not be panicked about ideology in the way that you are, since all you're going on is one flawed article.

[F458JE]

You also said that you saw the school described as having a liberal bias, and then later said that the article claiming such was based on professors' self-identified political beliefs. So, as my point still stands, it's important for you to understand that self-identified political beliefs do not equal indoctrination by the school. In other words, you should be able to see that you shouldn't believe the article's results because its methodology is flawed.

I assumed it went without saying that simply having a large number of liberal professors does not mean they will shove liberal ideas down your throat. I don't care about the number of professors. I went to a UG school with a huge number of liberal professors. Some taught material objectively, others subjectively.

The whole point of the study looked to find whether those professors did in fact tend to teach ideology (I should have mentioned that before). Those at ASU where believed to do just that. I didn't save the article, but I will try to find it.


Of course the professors who did the study could have been far-right-wingers, which is why i asked here.

[CanadianWolf]

The definition of the word "liberal" in Arizona is much different than than in Massachusetts or San Francisco. Essentially non-liberals in Arizona shoot first & ask questions later, while Arizona's liberals ask questions first & then shoot.

[iamsinistar]

Can anyone tell me a law school that is NOT liberally biased?

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

[Knock]

The definition of the word "liberal" in Arizona is much different than than in Massachusetts or San Francisco. Essentially non-liberals in Arizona shoot first & ask questions later, while Arizona's liberals ask questions first & then shoot.

QF brilliance.

[john titor]

Can anyone tell me a law school that is NOT liberally biased?

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

your grades havenext to nothing to do with what you say in class. most likely, no one will care/ask you about your politics. and in any event, my advice is to anyone in LS is to shut your mouth, keep your nose down, and pay attention to your work, regardless of politics or anything else.

[F458JE]

Can anyone tell me a law school that is NOT liberally biased?

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

Pepperdine, SMU, Baylor, Notre Dame, UChicago, Vanderbilt

[stratocophic]

Can anyone tell me a law school that is NOT liberally biased?

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

Pepperdine, SMU, Baylor, Notre Dame, UChicago, Vanderbilt

You so crazy. The undergrad's not conservative either, despite the outside world's mistaken opinion.

[vanwinkle]

Can anyone tell me a law school that is NOT liberally biased?

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

Aww, poor persecuted conservative, your life is so hard.

[kalvano]

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

Browse TSF more. Or search "what are my law school grades based on".

[BeautifulSW]

Twenty-five years ago, the state school I attended was very left-wing and a few of the professors had a definite agenda. As a recent Navy veteran, I was not always comfortable in the environment. In one or two extreme cases, final exam questions were written, and I believe graded, with left-wing goals in mind. So, like anything else, you figure out what they want you to say and say it. Soul-destroying, yes, but no more so than actually practicing law. And the school WAS practically free so what do you want, right?

[john titor]

Twenty-five years ago, the state school I attended was very left-wing and a few of the professors had a definite agenda. As a recent Navy veteran, I was not always comfortable in the environment. In one or two extreme cases, final exam questions were written, and I believe graded, with left-wing goals in mind. So, like anything else, you figure out what they want you to say and say it. Soul-destroying, yes, but no more so than actually practicing law. And the school WAS practically free so what do you want, right?

your post assumes that veterans wouldnt be comfortable in a left wing environment

[kalvano]

Part of being a lawyer is advocating positions you don't personally agree with.

Go to the best school you can that fits your location and finances. Ideology shouldn't be a consideration.

[MSUPHL]

1l just started at ASU...i expected a liberal law school, but here it is enforced down your throat to be honest. I am personally closest to a libertarian in my political beleifs, but none of the stuff they are forcing down your throat is that bad. 50 hours of comm. service over 3 yrs, many profs making jokes about the war in iraq and stuff, lot of family law/child abuse stuff in orientation, lot of native peoples rights issues, etc...couldnt believe all the stuff thrown down our throats during orientation. Personally, i dont really care as I dont see it affecting my LS career that much, and I agree with alot of the stuff...if you have specific qs let me know..

[F458JE]

1l just started at ASU...i expected a liberal law school, but here it is enforced down your throat to be honest. I am personally closest to a libertarian in my political beleifs, but none of the stuff they are forcing down your throat is that bad. 50 hours of comm. service over 3 yrs, many profs making jokes about the war in iraq and stuff, lot of family law/child abuse stuff in orientation, lot of native peoples rights issues, etc...couldnt believe all the stuff thrown down our throats during orientation. Personally, i dont really care as I dont see it affecting my LS career that much, and I agree with alot of the stuff...if you have specific qs let me know..

Thanks for being the only person in this thread to actually bring something to the table of this discussion

Can anyone tell me a law school that is NOT liberally biased?

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

Pepperdine, SMU, Baylor, Notre Dame, UChicago, Vanderbilt

You so crazy. The undergrad's not conservative either, despite the outside world's mistaken opinion.

I had a distant cousin graduate from Vandy a couple years ago and she describes it as fairly neutral.

[bk1]

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good to not think of me as an idiot

FTFY

[stratocophic]

1l just started at ASU...i expected a liberal law school, but here it is enforced down your throat to be honest. I am personally closest to a libertarian in my political beleifs, but none of the stuff they are forcing down your throat is that bad. 50 hours of comm. service over 3 yrs, many profs making jokes about the war in iraq and stuff, lot of family law/child abuse stuff in orientation, lot of native peoples rights issues, etc...couldnt believe all the stuff thrown down our throats during orientation. Personally, i dont really care as I dont see it affecting my LS career that much, and I agree with alot of the stuff...if you have specific qs let me know..

Thanks for being the only person in this thread to actually bring something to the table of this discussion

Can anyone tell me a law school that is NOT liberally biased?

I've just sort of accepted the fact that I am going to have to keep my center-right mouth shut during a lot of discussions if I want my 1L grades to be good.

Pepperdine, SMU, Baylor, Notre Dame, UChicago, Vanderbilt

You so crazy. The undergrad's not conservative either, despite the outside world's mistaken opinion.

I had a distant cousin graduate from Vandy a couple years ago and she describes it as fairly neutral.

Just graduated from VU in the spring. I'd maybe give you neutral, but the fact that it's generally more tolerant of conservatives than its peers doesn't make the school conservative.