Do Law Schools Teach Ideological Bias?

Project Title

Do Law Schools Teach Ideological Bias?

Faculty Mentor(s)

Project Description

My research studies how much of an effect law school pedigree has on US Supreme Court Justices and US Courts of Appeals judges’ ideology. I created an average ideology measure for each law school that has graduates on the courts and used it to examine whether or not law school influences ideology.

My research looks at how much law schools influence the ideology of their graduates, especially graduates that are on the US Supreme Court or the US Courts of Appeals. I started off by creating a measure of the ideology of each of the judges and justices I was studying by looking at their voting behavior on search and seizure cases. Then, I took those measures, divided them by law school, and found an average measure of the ideology for each law school. This allowed me to see if there was a trend in the ideology of judges and justices coming from specific law schools.

Why is your research important?

A major issue right now when it comes to federal courts, especially the Supreme Court, is how ideologically biased people perceive their decisions to be. However, little consideration is given to why the judges and justices may be coming across as ideologically biased. While part of it may be personal beliefs, it could also be rooted in how they were taught the Constitution and the major precedent cases, which could also help to explain their decision-making.

What does the process of doing your research look like?

The majority of my project involved analysis of pre-existing data. I used the Supreme Court database and the US Courts of Appeals database to access data on decisions made by the courts, which I can access on my laptop, so I’m lucky enough to be able to do my work anywhere. Probably the most time-consuming part of the research had to do with sorting through the massive amounts of data that are contained in the databases I used and eliminating any extra data that I didn’t need.

In what ways have you showcased your research thus far?

I presented my research as part of my research fellowship this summer, and depending on how meaningful my findings are, I hope to be able to present it at a conference at some point in the next year.

How did you get involved in research? What drove you to seek out research experiences in college?

I got involved in research through my mentor, Professor Masood. I took a class (Judicial Politics) that focused on research, including designing my own project and also analyzing previous papers and research studies in the field. After that class, Professor Masood encouraged me to take it one step further and begin conducting my own research, and he is the one who encouraged me to apply for OSURF.

What is your favorite aspect of the research process?

I love that you can pick anything that resonates with you when it comes to choosing what to research. It doesn’t have to be an established topic or anything that’s been studied before because the research community encourages going outside of established areas of study. You have so much freedom to study whatever niche topic you’re interested in, which can be so different from the specific parameters much of our other academic work tends to be within.

How has working with your mentor impacted the development of your research project? How has it impacted you as a researcher?

Professor Masood has helped me grow as a researcher because of how much faith he puts into me and how much trust he has demonstrated in my abilities. As a young researcher, there are a lot of doubts and obstacles that get in my way, and while I know that Professor Masood will step in if necessary, he usually gives me the tools I need to succeed and then steps back to let me figure out problems on my own. This has allowed me to feel so much more confident in my own abilities to solve problems and overcome obstacles, which I am incredibly grateful for.

What advice would you give to a younger student wanting to get involved in research in your field?

Do it! My research is in the field of judicial politics, which is a newer area of study and is constantly expanding. There is so much room for further research, and (in my opinion) it is a super interesting topic. Also, issues with the Supreme Court have come to the forefront of modern politics, so this research has become even more necessary than in the past.