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What are some law schools that are known to have a more conservative student body?

combsnicombsni Free Trial Member

I know that the University of Chicago has a fairly conservative undergraduate campus and I come from a pretty conservative school. What are some other well-known conservative campuses?

Comments

  • Accounts PlayableAccounts Playable Live Sage
    3107 karma

    It doesn't exactly answer your question, but I found this paper a few weeks ago. Page 23 has a pretty interesting chart. Most of the T14 (unsurprisingly) swing pretty left, but the distribution is more bimodal than I expected.

    http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/msen/files/clerk-ideology.pdf

  • SamiSami Live Member Sage 7Sage Tutor
    10774 karma

    I have heard University of Virginia is more conservative. I would say University of Austin because it's in Texas, but I live in Dallas and have been to Austin as well, the culture there is very much liberal.

    Just for curiosity, and you don't have to answer this :), may I ask why you are looking for a particular student body type?

  • stgl1230stgl1230 Member
    821 karma

    Chicago for sure. Anecdotal, but whatever: toured their law school and met a lot of Romney-esque republicans

  • danielznelsondanielznelson Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    4181 karma

    I second the comment made about UVA, at least relative to other law schools. Honestly, I think Harvard is a bit conservative relative to some of the other top law schools, but that's more anecdotal. Though I guess all of this is, haha.

  • combsnicombsni Free Trial Member
    652 karma

    @Sami I was highly involved in the Young Americans for Freedom and I see how lot of people on the left are acting at this point in time. I really don't feel like being labeled a bigot because I happen to be conservative.

  • Connor180Connor180 Member
    edited March 2017 123 karma

    @combsni as active conservative/ libertarian/ republican at UC Berkeley (needless to say thats a left leaning school) myself, I chose to go there to challenge my beliefs and I am glad I did.

    It is tough when some people won't even engage with your ideas and just call you names like a racist and what not. Although my blood boiled pretty consistently, it was worth it. There were times when I was not allowed to pass a human chain of students blocking our main quad and was forced to hop over a creek to get to my class (which I had an important quiz in) all because I am not a marginalized group (at least a group they deemed marginalized). Listening to students bash liberty and the constitution and what not does get annoying. Last week I went to hear a controversial speaker I don't even like, and radicals were bashing the school, burnt generators, shot fireworks at the police, and went around with sticks/ poles attacking people.

    There are times when its hard being an open conservative on (probably) any campus. You do have to worry about your safety especially given the climate today. But, I found being in such different environments makes you stronger if you can learn to put up with it. I learned to communicate with people who hold radically different ideas and am much better for it. In some areas I've adapted my thinking. In others, I've become better at making the case for my beliefs (so I think). Some of my best friends in the world are hardcore progressives and we have "tremendous" and "big league" conversations all of the time.

    My two cents, for whatever its worth (probably not much), go to the most left leaning and top school you can and join the federalist society and take the fight to the left. Don't go to an environment where people are more prone to agree with you.

    Since you were active in YAF, I'm sure you've dealt with similar stuff to this. I partly wrote all that out above in case other people who are concerned about this as well and haven't seen how hard it can be on campus having non leftist views. I also don't know your situation and I'm just fighting through the LSAT right now myself. Keep your head up though and good luck with wherever you end up!

  • combsnicombsni Free Trial Member
    652 karma

    @Connor180 thank you for your insight! I go to the University of Detroit Mercy and given the socioeconomic background of our students, we mostly lean right, though the left is pretty loud. So there are plenty of times where I feel like I can't speak my mind. There are people who just assume that I am just a "selfish rich kid", without knowing me at all.

  • jennilynn89jennilynn89 Alum Member
    822 karma

    George Mason, aka the Antonin Scalia School of Law. It has a very conservative student body (I know someone that goes there, and have talked to admissions people).

  • Creasey LSATCreasey LSAT Member
    423 karma

    Duke, Notre Dame, BC, UVA, Vandy, UT, Emory.

  • danielznelsondanielznelson Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    4181 karma

    Definitely second Notre Dame. Probably Pepperdine and Baylor, as well.

  • dervy2017dervy2017 Member
    72 karma

    Late comment, but what kind of conservative are you looking for? Social/Religious conservative? Political/ideological conservative?

    Just something to think about.

  • Micaela_OVOMicaela_OVO Alum Member
    1018 karma

    @"Creasey LSAT" said:
    Duke, Notre Dame, BC, UVA, Vandy, UT, Emory.

    Ehhh, Texas in general, yes. UT, no. I went to UT for undergrad. Liberal campus in a liberal city!

  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    23929 karma

    I've heard UChi leans a bit conservative, but most schools have federalist societies and groups no matter your political leanings :)

  • AlejandroAlejandro Member Inactive ⭐
    edited February 2017 2424 karma

    +1 on what @Connor180 said!

  • pbenjamin57pbenjamin57 Alum Member
    112 karma

    In general I think one can do oneself a great disservice by searching out environments that mirror one's own world view.

  • combsnicombsni Free Trial Member
    652 karma

    @dervy2017 politically speaking

  • BinghamtonDaveBinghamtonDave Alum Member 🍌🍌
    8689 karma

    @Connor180 Excellent post. From one Conservative to another.

  • charleyv7charleyv7 Alum Member
    6 karma

    @Connor180 Love!

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