| Discussion
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 | Public law schools are supported by the taxes of
the citizens of their state. They have a responsibility to serve all the
citizens. |
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| This listing ranks the public law schools on
whether they are serving white citizens better than the rest of their
state population. |
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Specifically, excess whiteness in law school was
calculated using two different base populations. |
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| First,
using the population of the state 21-39 years old. This population group
was used because for most schools this age group accounts for most
of the law students. Second, using
the law school applications. |
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| This page report is based on state population. Specifically, excess whiteness was calculated by taking the based
population, such as "% state population 21 to 39 year old:
White only" and subtracting it from "%whiteness in the law school".
The data sets from the census
bureau were used to calculate total population between 21-39 and
white population between 21-39. Specifically, Census
2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data set, detailed tables. |
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| The greater the
disparity the higher the rank. Ranking is based on excess
whiteness not actual percentage of white students. That is the disparity
between the percentage of whites in the law school from the percentage of whites
in the state between 21-39 years old. |
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| So, for example, Texas Tech has 85.7%
white students while the state of Texas only has 47.38% Whites between
the age 21 to 39 years old. The disparity (excess whiteness)
between whiteness in the student body and in the state is 38.32
percentage points. That is, based on the population of the state, only
47.38% of Texas Tech Student body should be white. |
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| While there are a
number of reasons why the disparity exist the difference is so
significant, a state has to be concern whether its public institutions
are preparing lawyers to match the racial
diversity of its population. |
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| Descriptive
Statistics (Historically White Law Schools): |
| For the seventy-four public law schools, the
average excess whiteness based on state population is 11.80 percentage points; half of the schools
have excess
whiteness below 8.61 percentage points. In fact, 11 (14.9%)
have no excess
whiteness and another 11 (14.9%) have less than 5.00
percentage points excess
whiteness. For example, if a state population between 21-39 is
50% white, the average law school would have whiteness 61.8
% (11.8 Excess Whiteness Percentage Points) |
|
| 27 (37.5%) have significant excess
whiteness with excesses over 15.00 percentage points. (See
Table) For 19 schools, the disparity between the whiteness of
the state and the whiteness of the law school is over 20 percentage
points. |
| Five schools have excess whiteness percentage points
over 30.0. Those schools were Texas Tech University, University of
Houston, University of Texas (Austin), University of Mississippi and
University of California (Los Angeles). |
|
| Based on percentage of whites in the law school, some schools in
the Top Ten have a low percentage of whites in the
student body. |
| For instance, the University of New Mexico has 65.2%
whiteness and the University of California Davis has 65.2%
whiteness). |
| However, when compared
to the percentage of whites between ages 21-39 in their
respective states, these schools still have a high
percentage of whiteness in the law school. For instance, New Mexico's
white population between 21-39 years old is only 39.54% and California
is 40.81%. |
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| There are a number of factors that can affect why such
disparities exist , i.e. interest in law school, preparedness for law
school, etc., however as state schools such large
disparities may also represent a failure of the law school
to adequately serve the needs of the state by assuring access to
legal education to all citizens of their state. |
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| Descriptive Statistics
(Top Ten): |
|
The Top Ten Whitest Public Law School all
have
excess whiteness of 25 percentage points or more. For example,
if a state population between 21-39 is 50% white, the law
school would have whiteness over 75% (25 percentage points
Excess Whiteness) |
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|
Half The Top Ten Whitest Public Law School
have excesses
over 29.58 percentage points and the average is 30.08 percentage
points ; the minimum is 25.86 and the maximum is 38.32. |
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| States: |
| With the attack on affirmative
action it is probably of no surprise that Texas with Hopwood
has three schools on
the Top Ten Whitest Public Law School list and California with Proposition
209 has two schools. |
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| However, the disparities is
striking and one wonders if the difference can all be accounted for
by demise of affirmative action. |
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| Regions: |
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| Great Lakes has the lowest minimum excess
percentage points (-9.61); South Central has the highest (38.32);
Southeast has the highest mean (24.15) and Midwest has the lowest
mean (3.27); Southeast also has the highest median (25.56) and Great
Lakes has the lowest median (3.56). |
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|
Six (6) of The
Top Ten Whitest Public Law School are from the south. |
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| Of the 13 public law schools with disparities in
percentage points greater than 25, 60% are in the
south. |
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| None of the schools in the southeast have excess
whiteness below 15.00 points; all of the schools in New
England have excess whiteness points below 15.00 points. |
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| Of the 11 schools with no excess whiteness,
72.7% are in the Midwest/Great Lakes
region |
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| The difference among region is statistically
significant (p=.000). That is, there is less than a .00 probability
that the difference occurred by chance alone. Given that the highest
medians occurred in three regions (Southcentral, Southeast and Far
west) provides some indication that attacks on affirmative action is
making our power base (lawyers) more white. |
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| Tier : |
|
3 of Top Ten Whitest
Public Law
Schools are 1st tier schools and 5 are 2nd tier |
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| 68.9% (51) Historically White Public Law School are
1st tier or 2nd tier
2. In fact, only 9.5% (7) are 4th tier law schools. |
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| The 1st tier have lowest minimum excess whiteness
percentage points (-9.61); 4th tier have the highest maximum excess
whiteness percentage points (38.32); 3rd Tier have the lowest mean
(6.84) and 4th tier have the highest mean (13.49); 4th tier have the
lowest median (6.82) and 1st tier have the highest median (15.09) |
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| 2nd tier law schools have highest percentage of schools
(26.9%) with excess white percentage points over 25.00. In fact,
53.8% of all schools with excess percentage points over 25 points
were 2nd tier school. |
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| The difference among tiers is not
statistically significant. |
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