Educating for Social Responsibility: Participation in Race- and Gender-Based Law School Organizations Predicting Prosocial Post-Graduation Outcomes

• In Event: Social Justice Approaches in Professions Education

Abstract

Legal professionals are in a position to work toward promoting equity and justice within society, but little is known about whether and how legal education succeeds in achieving these goals. This study used a nationally representative longitudinal dataset to explore the extent to which leadership and membership within race- and gender-based law school organizations predict post-graduation social responsibility outcomes. The results are often favorable for graduates who led race-based organizations, but the findings are generally nonsignificant for gender-based organizations and for general membership in these groups. Some differential patterns by gender were also observed.

Authors

• Hyun Kyoung Ro, Korea University

• Nicholas A. Bowman, University of Iowa

• Frank Fernandez, University of Wisconsin - Madison