US law faculty are self-censoring, survey finds

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June 9 (Reuters) - A new survey of nearly 2,000 faculty members at U.S. law schools concludes that law professors strongly support free speech ​but often struggle to put it into practice on campus.

More ‌than half of the surveyed faculty members — 56% — reported at least occasionally feeling unable to express their opinions for fear of how students, colleagues or administrators would ​react, according to a

report released Tuesday, opens new tab

by the Foundation for ​Individual Rights and Expression, a nonprofit free speech advocacy group.

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A ⁠similar

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of U.S. university faculty found that 27% of ​respondents felt they could not express their opinions because of how others ​would respond.

Here are more findings from the survey, which included responses from 1,959 faculty at 192 American Bar Association-accredited law schools:

  • Conservative faculty members reported the most pressure to ​self-censor, at 72%. That compared with 60% among moderates and 50% ​among liberal faculty, reinforcing the common perception that law schools are skewed toward liberal ‌students ⁠and professors.

  • 85% of law professors said that speech many find offensive but is used for teaching deserves complete First Amendment protection.

  • 81% said a liberal individual would be a positive fit at their law school, while only ​44% said a ​conservative person would ⁠be a good fit.

  • 61% of conservative law faculty described their law school’s political climate as hostile toward their ​political belief, compared with 11% of liberal law faculty.

  • Conservative ​law ⁠faculty were more than three times as likely as liberal law faculty to report that they at least occasionally hide their political beliefs from other ⁠faculty ​in a bid to keep their jobs.

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Reporting by Karen Sloan

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Karen Sloan reports on law firms, law schools, and the business of law. Reach her at karen.sloan@thomsonreuters.com