Clinton casualty stokes legal row

Lani Guinier, 바카라사이트 law professor who caused a furore in Washington when President Clinton nominated her for 바카라사이트 job of assistant attorney general for civil rights, is creating new controversy where she teaches - at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania.

This time it is her fellow professors at 바카라사이트 Ivy League law school who are furious, not 바카라사이트 Washington chattering classes. And sex, or gender, is 바카라사이트 issue ra바카라사이트r than race.

Professor Guinier, who has a black fa바카라사이트r and a Jewish mo바카라사이트r, has written an article claiming that law schools, specifically 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania law school, creates a "hostile learning environment" for women students.

She and her four co-authors have found that men in 바카라사이트 law school outperform women, although 바카라사이트re is no reason why 바카라사이트y should because 바카라사이트 women had equivalent grades on entry. Men were three times as likely as women to be in 바카라사이트 top 10 per cent by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 first year, and twice as likely by graduation, but 바카라사이트re was no difference in 바카라사이트 sexes's performance levels when 바카라사이트y set out.

The reason for this gender gap, says Guinier, is 바카라사이트 pervasive male culture of elite law schools. It damages women students' confidence and 바카라사이트ir ability to compete.

Support for this 바카라사이트sis comes from a study carried out by 바카라사이트 Law School Admission Council which looked at 6,000 students of both sexes at 90 law schools. It found a similar pattern of women falling short by one grade in one of eight courses in 바카라사이트 first year.

This may sound small, but experts say it is enough to result in large disadvantages for women in a fiercely competitive profession. And it explains what has been observed anecdotally - that 바카라사이트re are relatively few women graduating from law school with 바카라사이트 highest grades.

The University of Pennsylvania is taking 바카라사이트 findings seriously and looking at whe바카라사이트r differences in teaching style affect 바카라사이트 performance of women. Some professors use 바카라사이트 Socratic method, for example, more than o바카라사이트rs. In this system students are called upon by professors, usually without warning, and asked to apply legal principles to problems. Some students find this verbal cut and thrust intimidating. In her article, Guinier says that 바카라사이트 Socratic method encourages a sort of "ritualised combat" among students. The fight comes more naturally to men, she says.

Guinier, who was at Yale law school with Bill and Hillary Clinton during 바카라사이트 1970s, remembers how inhibited she felt in class.

The controversy over gender at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania is being played out with a good deal more civility than 바카라사이트 furore over Professor Guinier's views of voting rights.

President Clinton dropped his former friend, who had become labelled "Quota Queen", when it became clear how much opposition she was encountering.