New Study Shows Law Schools Hiring Far More Liberal Professors Than Conservatives

by Jocelyn Rousey | 12:00 pm, July 22nd, 2010

» 13 comments

In light of how smooth (and, let’s be honest, boring) Elena Kagen’s confirmation hearings were, it’s really too bad that this new study by University of California, Berkeley, School of Law didn’t come out sooner. In the new study, Berkeley Ph.D student Douglas Spencer (pictured) and research partner James Phillips conclude that law schools “hire more openly liberal professors than they do openly conservative ones.”

While previous studies have analyzed the gender and ethnic makeup of law school professor, this study breaks new ground in analyzing the political leanings of recently hired professors. The study looks at factors such as work experience, publications, and even Facebook profiles for a sample of 149 professors hired in the past five years. Even though the researchers were unable to clearly identify the political leanings of 60% of the professors, “the number of hires who were easily identified as libereal far outpaced those who were very clearly conservative.”

The study acknowledges that this ratio could simply mean conservative professors are more discreet about their ideology, and that, without information about rejected candidates, it’s difficult to judge what kind of role political leanings play in landing a job as a professor.

In an age when Supreme Court nominees routinely runs the gauntlet of accusations of judicial activism, it’s hard not to extrapolate from one study like this. But it is still interesting to find law professors of one particular political leaning being more open than professors on the opposite side of the political spectrum, and it does make you wonder if that indicates any rising trend in the legal community.

Berkeley School of Law, Douglas Spencer, Elena Kagan, law professors, University of California

lanquihue

“New Study Shows Law Schools Hiring Far More Liberal Professors Than Conservatives”

Wow. Now this is _news_!
john5366

This also just in:

Study confirms that the sky is blue and grass is green.
DrFunke

Makes sense

Why hire idiots when you can hire intelligent people?
ImNotBlue

DrFunke says:
July 22, 2010 at 3:15 pm

Bigot.
tatboy

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”
felixw

This is news?
shootfromthehip

Sorry, conservatives, it just so happens that liberals are more well read, more qualified and better teachers than conservatives.

You guys are great at fucking over the middle class, however, and ripping off Americans at the gas pump (see Exxon, Enron etc.).

Stick with that and stop crying.
MichelleF

And in a related story, water is wet.

Shoot, your comment is ignorant, but feel free to back it up, if you can.
Contessa

As a former law student, I say, “Thank God!”.
Phocus2

“New Study Shows Law Schools Hiring Far More Liberal Professors Than Conservatives” No shit?

Gotta tell ya, this story bodes well for Jocelyn Rousey’s investigative reporting career.
http://none pyrope

This “New Study” is about as telling as the study that revealed that HIV positive homosexuals in Brazil are more likely to practice unsafe sex when they’ve been drinking. (Oh, and by the way, some of your “stimulus” money was earmarked to fund that study.)

Don’t expect the Pulitzer for this gem.
Integr8d

My cousin was taking Constituional Law. The professor asked what they thought the original intent of the 2nd Amendment was. Cousin’s friend (both conservatives) said that it was to go after the government, if need be. The professor laughed at him.

Good job, libs. Once you’ve disarmed us all, there’ll be nothing to stop your intrusions!
Integr8d

BTW: this is indicative of something far more widespread among academia. Ben Stein’s documentary points how the majority liberal faculty work against anyone conservative in their midst.

When my dad came out of med school, he said you’d be lucky to come out not completely biased toward the left.