Comments on: “Law Schools Overwhelmingly Hire Liberals as Law Professors”

By: Jackie Chiles

Jackie Chiles — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:46:48 +0000

Jerry

So you would remain similary agnostic regarding, e.g., underrepresentation of females in math and science – that is, you would acknowledge that it may be the result of factors other than bias?

Regarding the second point – A demonstrably biased group gives an opinion regarding a matter on which it biased and that opinion is cited because of the supposed authoritativeness of the biased group – but we aren’t justified in being skeptical of the opinion and whether we should defer to the “authoritative” group unless we “have more data?” Sorry – that’s just not sensible.

By: Jerry Vandesic

Jerry Vandesic — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:47:15 +0000

Jackie, of course there are a variety of actions besides bias that can impact a statistical distribution. The issue here is that the data and data analysis is insufficient to draw a conclusion in this example. As to your second question, before you can be skeptical, you need more data. Unfortunately the lack of data doesn’t usually people who have already made up their mind about an issue (all too common these days).

By: Jim Collins

Jim Collins — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:05:18 +0000

wybz,

If they don’t have these tendencies when they start their education to become teachers, they do when they finish, because, it is ingrained in them during their education.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:50:17 +0000

This isn’t terribly surprising. Academic institutions in general tend to lean a little to the left, so it makes sense that they hire that way.

By: Jackie Chiles

Jackie Chiles — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:05:39 +0000

Two questions for Mr. Vandesic and wybz –

1. Do you accept under-representation of a given group in other contexts as the result of group preferences rather than bias?

2. Do you acknowledge that the overwhelming over-representation of liberals on law school faculties is grounds for skepticism when the opinion of law professors is invoked in support of a given proposition?

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:15:54 +0000

So What?

By: gumby

gumby — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:33:28 +0000

And the business schools hire….

By: Anonymous Attorney

Anonymous Attorney — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:28:26 +0000

My law school, Brooklyn Law School, has recruited a small handful of Federalist Society-types as professors.

By: Leafs

Leafs — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:15:27 +0000

Don’t forget about the old adage, those who can – do, and those that can’t – teach.

By: mojo

mojo — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:09:09 +0000

Because, yannow, they’re smarter than you. Just ask ’em.