Top Law Schools

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?

Don't choose a law school based on political leanings.

All of the T20 lean slightly left. </thread>

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.)

TripTrip wrote:Don't choose a law school based on political leanings.

All of the T20 lean slightly left. </thread>

-Chi

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.

These topics need to stop.

NoodleyOne wrote:These topics need to stop.

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.

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.

Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though

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.

Then why does it matter which way a school "leans"?

sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though

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.

BigZuck wrote:

sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though

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.

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.

sinfiery wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 TLS

BigZuck wrote:

sinfiery wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though

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.

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.

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.

What about the fact that they lack a major home market like Berekely (LA/SF), Northwestern (Chicago), Penn (Philadelphia), Cornell (NY), Georgetown (DC)

Michigan is way more popular than Duke on this site. I don't think lack of market really has much to do with it.

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.

I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:
YSH
CCN
PVBM
NDCG

Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.

TripTrip wrote:

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.

I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:
YSH
CCN
PVBM
NDCG

Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.

Schools that are popular on TLS relative to their employment numbers are the splitter friendly schools.

Duke is definitely left of center, the professors more so and the students less so.

Tom Joad wrote:

TripTrip wrote:

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.

I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:
YSH
CCN
PVBM
NDCG

Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.

Schools that are popular on TLS relative to their employment numbers are the splitter friendly schools.

Intuitively that makes sense, but is Duke really more splitter friendly that its peers?

TripTrip wrote:

Tom Joad wrote:

TripTrip wrote:

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.

I think it's because of this ridiculously common ordering:
YSH
CCN
PVBM
NDCG

Although I guess that doesn't explain the TLS fetish with NU.

Schools that are popular on TLS relative to their employment numbers are the splitter friendly schools.

Intuitively that makes sense, but is Duke really more splitter friendly that its peers?

No, it's much less, hence much less popular

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

BigZuck wrote:No, it's much less, hence much less popular

Ah. I'm an idiot. Thank you.

BigZuck wrote:

sinfiery wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

sinfiery wrote:Seems like Duke is throwing around pretty big money this cycle though

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.

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.

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.

lol wat. Is this actually a thing?

sinfiery wrote:

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.

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 TLS

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.