Top Law Schools

Hello all -

I plan on applying to law school the next round and just had a question I was curious about. It is apparent on my resume and various activities that I am a Conservative, however I was wondering how that translates to law schools. I really love schools like NYU and Columbia, but I'm wondering if my conservatives leanings are a turn-off for the apparent liberal leaning each of these schools have. Does it have any effect at all?

What institution of higher learning doesn't lean left? You'll be fine.

I've wondered this myself (out of curiosity, since I am extremely liberal) but it might even help you a little, based purely on the following speculation: maybe you would even contribute some intellectual diversity in their view. I think that making yourself stand out is generally much more important than pandering to what you suppose the school's expectations are. If you have good softs that show you're a conservative, play it up.

This may not extend to explicitly or implicitly embracing policy positions likely to be at odds with the Adcomm's politics, such as opposing rights to same-sex marriage, etc.

I put president of the college republicans on my resume and I got into nyu and chicago. Probably would have gotten Columbia too if my LSAT were a little higher. I really don't think it hurts you, especially if you show that you're educated about it and involved with it. That said, adcomms definitely lean left and I don't think it would help you either, so leave it off your resume unless you have real involvement with it.

And no matter, don't highlight it in your personal statement. There's no reason to make that controversial.

I doubt your political leanings will make any impact. For instance, a person that was a campaign manager for a major conservative politician would be much more interesting than the president of a university's Democrat club. It's more of a question of what you accomplished than what your political leanings are.

On another note, don't use your personal statement for political commentary or to push a political viewpoint. That's bad to do whether your liberal OR conservative.

On a slightly different note (and I'm not sure of your numbers), but I've heard that George Mason is a fairly conservative school, and American a very liberal one, so I would take that into account if you're looking into DC schools. Mason would be a much better fit (and your conservatism might help if you're a borderline candidate and can express it). But, like Duckmonkey said, no need to bring up controversial political issues in your personal statements.

All law schools are harder for conservatives because you all lack the ability to think at a high level.

HTH.

wanderlust10 wrote:Hello all -

I plan on applying to law school the next round and just had a question I was curious about. It is apparent on my resume and various activities that I am a Conservative, however I was wondering how that translates to law schools. I really love schools like NYU and Columbia, but I'm wondering if my conservatives leanings are a turn-off for the apparent liberal leaning each of these schools have. Does it have any effect at all?

If you don't already, you should be reading the Volokh Conspiracy blog. Sometimes they post about this kind of thing, like here and here. I recall a post about how being conservative helps law students find mentorships and clerkships because they are such a minority that the conservative profs/judges will really want to take them under their wing and help their career, but I couldn't find it (no idea if this hypothesis has merit). I personally lean left, but I read them anyway.

Oh, is it "I'm a 0L baselessly speculating that law school is harder for conservatives" time again already?

Ty Webb wrote:All law schools are harder for conservatives because you all lack the ability to think at a high level.

HTH.

+1

Upton Sinclair wrote:What institution of higher learning doesn't lean left? You'll be fine.

The right leaning ones. Also, law is a conservative profession...You aren't going to get your Masters in Social Work.

Cade McNown wrote:

Upton Sinclair wrote:What institution of higher learning doesn't lean left? You'll be fine.

The right leaning ones. Also, law is a conservative profession...You aren't going to get your Masters in Social Work.

For law being a 'conservative profession', they sure do donate a lot of money to democrats...
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=K01

Cade McNown wrote:Also, law is a conservative profession

no

if you can't check your politics at the door to do well on a law school exam, i'm worried for you at any law school. bleeding hearts must do cold hearted economic analysis sometimes and conservatives must argue in favor of substantive due process rights sometimes. it's part of the job.

now if you're asking about finding friends with similar interests, that might vary on law schools, but guaranteed you will find plenty of conservatives at all t14s.

If you are really concerned, you can always attend a school with a religious affiliation.

Have you considered Reagent or Liberty?

nshapkar wrote:

Ty Webb wrote:All law schools are harder for conservatives because you all lack the ability to think at a high level.

HTH.

+1

And yet somehow the top schools keep letting them in...

I'm not a conservative, but taking cheap shots like this is bullshit.

TheFactor wrote:Have you considered Reagent or Liberty?

OP got a 168 on the LSAT; he/she should be shooting much, much higher than this. The aforementioned schools have awful prospects, being TTTT institutions in a state crowded with far superior schools (UVA, W&M, W&L, George Mason, URichmond, etc.)

wanderlust10 wrote:I'm wondering if my conservatives leanings are a turn-off for the apparent liberal leaning each of these schools have. Does it have any effect at all?

No.

mettasutta wrote:

TheFactor wrote:Have you considered Reagent or Liberty?

OP got a 168 on the LSAT; he/she should be shooting much, much higher than this. The aforementioned schools have awful prospects, being TTTT institutions in a state crowded with far superior schools (UVA, W&M, W&L, George Mason, URichmond, etc.)

dood....

Upton Sinclair wrote:What institution of higher learning doesn't lean left? You'll be fine.

BYU

dextermorgan wrote:

Upton Sinclair wrote:What institution of higher learning doesn't lean left? You'll be fine.

BYU

When he said higher, I don't think he meant meta-astro-physical.

TheFactor wrote:

Cade McNown wrote:Also, law is a conservative profession

no

rman1201 wrote:For law being a 'conservative profession', they sure do donate a lot of money to democrats...
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=K01

Oh come on rman, I said conservative not republican. If you guys dispute this you really are hopeless. Do yourself a favor and google these two phrases:

1. "law is a conservative profession" <---About 1,380 results.
2. "law is a liberal profession" <---About 9 results.

FWIW, you will get similar differences when you misspell a word:

1. "Wednesday" <---About 571 Million results
2. "Wendsday" <---About 112 Thousand results

Oh, and btw, you will notice that 2 of the top 3 google results for that phrase come from Temple and UT Austin law schools' websites.

wanderlust10 wrote:Hello all -

I plan on applying to law school the next round and just had a question I was curious about. It is apparent on my resume and various activities that I am a Conservative, however I was wondering how that translates to law schools. I really love schools like NYU and Columbia, but I'm wondering if my conservatives leanings are a turn-off for the apparent liberal leaning each of these schools have. Does it have any effect at all?

No

Cade McNown wrote:

TheFactor wrote:

Cade McNown wrote:Also, law is a conservative profession

no

rman1201 wrote:For law being a 'conservative profession', they sure do donate a lot of money to democrats...
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=K01

Oh come on rman, I said conservative not republican. If you guys dispute this you really are hopeless. Do yourself a favor and google these two phrases:

1. "law is a conservative profession" <---About 1,380 results.
2. "law is a liberal profession" <---About 9 results.

FWIW, you will get similar differences when you misspell a word:

1. "Wednesday" <---About 571 Million results
2. "Wendsday" <---About 112 Thousand results

Oh, and btw, you will notice that 2 of the top 3 google results for that phrase come from Temple and UT Austin law schools' websites.

Traditional =/= politically conservative.