Elitism within law school Forum

[esther0123]

I don't think OP was humblebragging. The behavior she (?) describes is consistent with how my friends have described many of their fellow students at that particular school.

Not to say everyone will be like this, of course.

Whether or not what she perceives is true doesn't affect her motive in posting this thread.

Of course there's going to be elitism at top law schools. What did OP really expect to hear? No, no, it's all in your head?

ETA: This thread should have ended after the first post. Just worry about what you're doing and being happy with yourself

I actually don't get why you're so eager to make it a point that I was humble bragging. So if I go to HYS, I can't feel that the elitism in the law school is affecting me? But if I went to a much lower ranked school, my complaint would not be humble brag but a legitimate concern? If you're peeved about my use of emoji, then I didn't mean to say "oops you caught me (bragging)" but that "gee I guess H is notorious".

And yes, I naively thought people wouldn't act that way because somehow I thought we would be more mature. I don't think going to a more prestigious school automatically means you must expect elitism and shitty behavior. I now know that was a stupid expectation to have, but sue me for being idealistic.

ETA: but thank you to the rest of you for your thoughts and comments.

[hdunlop]

A mildly interesting takeaway from this otherwise whatever back-and-forth is that elitism, like most everything, is relative.

[rcharter1978]

I don't think OP was humblebragging. The behavior she (?) describes is consistent with how my friends have described many of their fellow students at that particular school.

Not to say everyone will be like this, of course.

Whether or not what she perceives is true doesn't affect her motive in posting this thread.

Of course there's going to be elitism at top law schools. What did OP really expect to hear? No, no, it's all in your head?

ETA: This thread should have ended after the first post. Just worry about what you're doing and being happy with yourself

I actually don't get why you're so eager to make it a point that I was humble bragging. So if I go to HYS, I can't feel that the elitism in the law school is affecting me? But if I went to a much lower ranked school, my complaint would not be humble brag but a legitimate concern? If you're peeved about my use of emoji, then I didn't mean to say "oops you caught me (bragging)" but that "gee I guess H is notorious".

And yes, I naively thought people wouldn't act that way because somehow I thought we would be more mature. I don't think going to a more prestigious school automatically means you must expect elitism and shitty behavior. I now know that was a stupid expectation to have, but sue me for being idealistic.

ETA: but thank you to the rest of you for your thoughts and comments.

I think sweets was saying that you should expect elitism at top schools. The point makes sense to me, as people who go to top schools have worked hard to be elite or perceived as elite.

I think if you went to a lower ranked school it may reasonably be surprising but no less annoying.

Elitism has very little to do with maturity. People will always think they are better than some other group of people. For example, you seem to think you are somehow more mature than your "elitist" classmates or even that your version of idealism is better than theirs.

But all of this concern takes energy. And what a waste of energy to worry about others being elitist and shitty.

[sweets91]

I don't think OP was humblebragging. The behavior she (?) describes is consistent with how my friends have described many of their fellow students at that particular school.

Not to say everyone will be like this, of course.

Whether or not what she perceives is true doesn't affect her motive in posting this thread.

Of course there's going to be elitism at top law schools. What did OP really expect to hear? No, no, it's all in your head?

ETA: This thread should have ended after the first post. Just worry about what you're doing and being happy with yourself

I actually don't get why you're so eager to make it a point that I was humble bragging. So if I go to HYS, I can't feel that the elitism in the law school is affecting me? But if I went to a much lower ranked school, my complaint would not be humble brag but a legitimate concern? If you're peeved about my use of emoji, then I didn't mean to say "oops you caught me (bragging)" but that "gee I guess H is notorious".

And yes, I naively thought people wouldn't act that way because somehow I thought we would be more mature. I don't think going to a more prestigious school automatically means you must expect elitism and shitty behavior. I now know that was a stupid expectation to have, but sue me for being idealistic.

ETA: but thank you to the rest of you for your thoughts and comments.

I think sweets was saying that you should expect elitism at top schools. The point makes sense to me, as people who go to top schools have worked hard to be elite or perceived as elite.

I think if you went to a lower ranked school it may reasonably be surprising but no less annoying.

Elitism has very little to do with maturity. People will always think they are better than some other group of people. For example, you seem to think you are somehow more mature than your "elitist" classmates or even that your version of idealism is better than theirs.

But all of this concern takes energy. And what a waste of energy to worry about others being elitist and shitty.

Yeah this. But it's true that OP caught me at a bitchy moment, so I was unnecessarily mean about her post haha. (It just reminded me of my middle school nieces who like to talk about how there are bullies at their school because they themselves are not bullied. It's their weird backhand attempt at saying they're cool at their school.) lol

If OP was like "People have looked down on me for not being on journal, etc." I would have been more sympathetic. But this post just seemed unnecessary considering OP seemed pretty removed from the situation.

That being said, I believe that you weren't humble-bragging then girl. Go do you and don't stress.

[MavEryck]

I remember (years ago) when I was applying to law schools...

I applied to Yale just so that I could get the acceptance letter and put it on my wall, even though I had no intention of ever attending law school there. I got into my first choice school and had no desire at all to go to school out of state.

But, I didn't want to letter from Yale on my wall so that other people would see it... In fact, very few people every see the walls of my bedroom. It was more of a personal thing. Maybe that makes me some kind of closet elitist?!?

In my defense, I only worked on a Journal for two reasons: 1. it looked good on my resume; and 2. the work was actually interesting.

But, I never looked down my nose at anyone who wasn't doing work on a Journal. I didn't even bring it up in conversations.

...and I have never brought up what law school I graduated from unless someone asked me. But, it sure wasn't Yale

Here's the way I see it though. If I buy a Ferrari and it has to go to the shop... Someone overhears me say my Ferrari is in the shop then that person might think I am bragging or being some kind of elitist. But, if I buy a Volkswagen Bug and that same person hears me say my Volkswagen Bug is in the shop then that person probably never even considers that I am an elitist. Mind you, the people at your school may be exhibiting some type of elitist attitudes. However, it may well be that they are simply talking about what's going on in their lives. As far as excluding people from their conversations, I exclude people from my conversations all the time if what I'm talking about has no relevance to their lives. I'm a grandfather now and I talk to other grandparents all the time about my grandchild but I don't talk about my grandchild with people who don't have kids. Does that make me an elitist grandparent? Well, my grandchild is super cute... way cuter than other people's grandchildren

Disclaimer: Nothing wrong with Yale Law School...it was just too far from where I planned to practice law. During law school I wanted to build connections to my local legal community because this was where I intended to practice.

[JCougar]

I'm finding that at my school, the elitism among law students runs a bit rampant. I sense a certain disrespect from those on law review to those who are not, those in "elite law firms (higher up on vault)" seem to kind of look down on those in lower ranked firms etc. It's a bit exhausting, and I'm wondering if all of this kind of dissipates as you move further into your career. Any thoughts?

It sort of dissipates, as most people, if they actually do feel elitist after getting their grades, get pretty much put in their place once they join Biglaw and realize that it is awful and that they're totally interchangeable and replaceable. There is sort of an attitude among attorneys once they are well into their careers that "we're all in this hell together."

[Nonconsecutive]

Where do you go to school? Columbia? Penn?

At NYU, certain socially diseased students list their journal membership and position in their email signatures, and talk loudly about editorial duties in public areas, but otherwise...

Off Topic: Is your tar Jaeger?

On Topic:

I'm finding that at my school, the elitism among law students runs a bit rampant. I sense a certain disrespect from those on law review to those who are not, those in "elite law firms (higher up on vault)" seem to kind of look down on those in lower ranked firms etc. It's a bit exhausting, and I'm wondering if all of this kind of dissipates as you move further into your career. Any thoughts?

It sort of dissipates, as most people, if they actually do feel elitist after getting their grades, get pretty much put in their place once they join Biglaw and realize that it is awful and that they're totally interchangeable and replaceable. There is sort of an attitude among attorneys once they are well into their careers that "we're all in this hell together."

I'm just a 3L, but I agree with this based on non-legal work experience in other sectors (when it comes to stuff like neener-neener i'm better, a lot of it is pretty universal).

[Phil Brooks]

Lol you went to Harvard, what on earth did you expect? That was a choice that you made.

This is almost as annoying as the people who go to HYS and then whine about how much they owe in loans. Or the people who go to preftigious firms and whine about how bad the lifestyle is. Or parents who send their kids to $40,000/year private elementary schools and then whine about their income tax burdens.

There are consequences to your choices. You could have chosen a school that offers a less elitist atmosphere as well as a big merit scholarship, but instead you chose one that offers prefstige.

[Nebby]

Lol you went to Harvard, what on earth did you expect? That was a choice that you made.

This is almost as annoying as the people who go to HYS and then whine about how much they owe in loans. Or the people who go to preftigious firms and whine about how bad the lifestyle is. Or parents who send their kids to $40,000/year private elementary schools and then whine about their income tax burdens.

There are consequences to your choices. You could have chosen a school that offers a less elitist atmosphere as well as a big merit scholarship, but instead you chose one that offers prefstige.

What top school isn't elitist?

Hell, according to this bort, it's even worse at places outside of the T14 (HLS being the exception)