California Law Schools Must Encourage Viewpoint Diversity:
Many law schools operate in a manner that reinforces ideological orthodoxy and chills dissenting views.
In June, the deans of over 100 law schools published a joint letter affirming that legal education should teach students “to disagree respectfully and engage with one another across ideological lines.” As thousands of new law students begin their professional education, in the midst of a divisive election cycle and debate over another round of contentious U.S. Supreme Court decisions, are law schools doing enough to train advocates for a pluralistic society in practice? …
Educational institutions, especially those training the nation’s future lawyers and judges, should work to counter the groupthink and polarization degrading our civic life. But in practice, many law schools operate in a manner that reinforces ideological orthodoxy and chills dissenting views on contentious legal issues.
Here in California, examples of such problems abound. Many law faculties lack meaningful ideological diversity. Institutionally sponsored events and social media overwhelmingly promote progressive speakers and perspectives. Administrators issue institutional statements on national and world events, leaving the impression that dissenting views are unwelcome. And, when students invite outside experts to present alternative perspectives, they sometimes face harassment and shout downs, as we witnessed at my law school, Stanford Law School, and other institutions in recent years. … As a state that prides itself on tolerance and openness, California can and should do better.
