Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Where Self-Replicating Law Professors Come From
Here's an interesting chart about where law professors come from (or at least recent grads). It's intriguing in a few ways.
First, it's clear that, nationally, most law professors come from a handful of schools. This is both long-standing and self-perpetuating. I know that I can go to most other law schools and find faculty that not only went to Yale, but went there about the same time I did. That network was helpful when I was looking for a job, and continues to be a natural source of contacts as my career continues. It's not fair, and it doesn't reflect any particular talent I have, but it is still there and I confess to using it now and again.
In fact, when I was in Law School I was basically apprenticed to be a law professor. I was a Coker Fellow, a position one obtained through a competitive application process. No, there was no coke involved-- actually, we taught legal writing in pairs of two under the tutelage of professor. The Coker Fellows are even included (way down) in the Yale Faculty list as "Assistants in Instruction." It was great training, and a large percentage of former Coker Fellows are now law teachers.
Second, it seems that most law schools produce almost no law professors, relative to the top producers, at least for recent grads. It's pretty amazing that some schools, for example, made the top twenty by only producing four law professors during the relevant time period!
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Well, first a mommy self-replicating law professor and a daddy self-replicating law professor have to meet. After they fall in love and get married...
Do you have to practice for a while before you start teaching, or can you go right from being in law school to teaching it? I mean, I know you practiced for a while but does everyone?
I am not sure where Baylor ranks in the TOP 20 or whatever but honestly you have such an excellent bar exam pass rate that it should be high
I am not sure where Baylor ranks in the TOP 20 or whatever but honestly you have such an excellent bar exam pass rate that it should be high
I've talked to classmates several times about the high proportion of Baylor Law grads on faculty at BLS. Is that common? Is that something that keeps us out of the coveted USN&WR Top 50?
Jeremy--
It is unusual, but I'm not sure it hurts us. I certainly think that some of the BLS grads are great professors, and would be at any school. Probably the biggest thing that hurts us in the ranking is our evaluation by other academics, and that is because other schools too often don't realize what we have here. That's one reason I try to get the word out...
It is unusual, but I'm not sure it hurts us. I certainly think that some of the BLS grads are great professors, and would be at any school. Probably the biggest thing that hurts us in the ranking is our evaluation by other academics, and that is because other schools too often don't realize what we have here. That's one reason I try to get the word out...
Tyd-
We don't rank in the Top 20 and that is the problem. We are notably absent from the 30's and 40's.
We don't rank in the Top 20 and that is the problem. We are notably absent from the 30's and 40's.
You don't???? I mean when almost every graduate passes the Bar Exam like on the first try? That is weird!!! Don't they count that?
The big factor that hurts a lot of schools, like William and Mary, is a small endowment.
The "academic reputation" irritates the heck of out me! Professors rating other schools based upon the articles the professors publish. There are some brilliant writers and thinkers on many law school faculties that couldn't "teach" students how to tie their own shoes, let alone how to think like a lawyer. Just because some egghead can publish an article with a brilliant insight on the applicability of the footnote in the Palko decision to future cases involving the commerce clause doesn't mean he can challenge students to think or to write or to use any of the ideas in practice.
The "academic reputation" irritates the heck of out me! Professors rating other schools based upon the articles the professors publish. There are some brilliant writers and thinkers on many law school faculties that couldn't "teach" students how to tie their own shoes, let alone how to think like a lawyer. Just because some egghead can publish an article with a brilliant insight on the applicability of the footnote in the Palko decision to future cases involving the commerce clause doesn't mean he can challenge students to think or to write or to use any of the ideas in practice.
# posted by 
: 4:07 PM
: 4:07 PM
Tyd,
In some circles, the high bar pass rate is looked upon with disdain. Folks from other schools in Texas argue that we're "teaching to the test," the same criticism leveled at public K-12 schools.
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In some circles, the high bar pass rate is looked upon with disdain. Folks from other schools in Texas argue that we're "teaching to the test," the same criticism leveled at public K-12 schools.
# posted by : 3:42 AM
: 3:42 AM << Home
