The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated a primary opponent who went to Yale. His predecessor went to Yale and Harvard, and defeated opponents who went to Yale and Harvard, and Harvard, respectively. The previous two presidents also went to Yale, with Bush I defeating another Harvard grad for the presidency. And once Elena Kagan gets confirmed, every Supreme Court Justice will have attended Harvard or Yale law schools.
I know that Harvard and Yale attract a disproportionate percentage of America’s talented youth, but still, isn’t this a bit much? Are there no similarly talented individuals who attended other Ivy League schools, other private universities or (gasp!) even state law schools?
Tweets that mention Isn’t This a Bit Much?: (David Bernstein) The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated… -- Topsy.com says:
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The Volokh Conspirac. The Volokh Conspirac said: Isn’t This a Bit Much?: (David Bernstein) The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated… http://goo.gl/fb/RBtrC [...]
May 10, 2010, 12:03 pmDumbing Down the Narrative | Popehat says:
[...] love to see some SCOTUS nominees who didn’t go to Harvard or Yale. My personal preference is that appellate judges have experience as trial court judges, or at least [...]
May 10, 2010, 6:14 pmFight Fiercely, | Little Miss Attila says:
[...] Harvard. [...]
May 10, 2010, 8:54 pmSlatest says:
[...] Source: The Volokh Conspiracy [...]
May 11, 2010, 12:24 amPolitical Wisdom: The Kagan Backlash - Capital Journal - WSJ says:
[...] Bernstein of The Volokh Conspiracy takes issue with what will be the Ivy League nature of the Court, particularly in light of [...]
May 11, 2010, 6:45 amReason Morning Links: Supreme Court Diversity, Marijuana Clinics Firebombed, a Bloody Day in Iraq - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine says:
[...] Kagan, Supreme Court will get yet more diverse: It will have Catholics from Harvard or Yale, an African-American from Harvard or Yale, women from [...]
May 11, 2010, 7:08 amChicago Boyz » Blog Archive » Intellectual Nondiversity says:
[...] David Bernstein observes that if Elena Kagan is confirmed then every single Supreme Court Justice will have attended Harvard or Yale law schools. He also observes that: [...]
May 11, 2010, 7:52 amHarvard e Yale fanno l’America « Caffe America says:
[...] La scelta del Presidente Obama di nominare Solicitor General Elena Kagan alla Corte Suprema preccupa alcuni osservatori non tanto per le poco conosciute e molto discusse inclinazioni politiche di Kagan, ma piuttosto [...]
May 11, 2010, 8:53 amHouse of Eratosthenes says:
[...] Volokh: The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated a primary opponent who went to Yale. His predecessor went to Yale and Harvard, and defeated opponents who went to Yale and Harvard, and Harvard, respectively. The previous two presidents also went to Yale, with Bush I defeating another Harvard grad for the presidency. And once Elena Kagan gets confirmed, every Supreme Court Justice will have attended Harvard or Yale law schools. [...]
May 11, 2010, 9:42 amElena Kagan Is Obama's Supreme Court Pick | Evans Politics says:
[...] See, Isn’t This a Bit Much?, The Volokh Conspiracy, May 10, 2010, by David Bernstein, excerpt quoted verbatim: I know that [...]
May 11, 2010, 9:43 amKagan and the Conservatives | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen says:
[...] while I’m here, David Bernstein makes an obvious, but important point about the Harvard-Yale monopoly on our national leadership. [...]
May 11, 2010, 10:08 amFausta’s Blog » Blog Archive » Get out of Yale says:
[...] Bernstein asks, Isn’t This a Bit Much? The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated a primary opponent who went to Yale. His [...]
May 11, 2010, 11:26 amThe Purity Of Her Careerism – The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan « Firesaw says:
[...] pleasing every single authority figure she has encountered, and reveling in the approval of the First Class Car Acela Corridor elite. The NYT profile – which is superb apart from its editorial decision to [...]
May 11, 2010, 12:22 pmWhy You Shouldn’t Like Obama’s Pick for SCOTUS « Pat’s Daily Grind says:
[...] pleasing every single authority figure she has encountered, and reveling in the approval of the First Class Car Acela Corridor [...]
May 11, 2010, 1:12 pmCaution and Elena Kagan - Michael Preston - Deep Background - True/Slant says:
[...] every justice have the same background? I fully agree that the court is overstocked with Harvard and Yale grads, but whose fault it that? Even Sotomayor, whom Sullivan seems to make a benchmark of comparison for [...]
May 11, 2010, 1:18 pmDaily Pundit » Old School Ties says:
[...] The Volokh Conspiracy » Isn’t This a Bit Much? The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated a primary opponent who went to Yale. His predecessor went to Yale and Harvard, and defeated opponents who went to Yale and Harvard, and Harvard, respectively. The previous two presidents also went to Yale, with Bush I defeating another Harvard grad for the presidency. And once Elena Kagan gets confirmed, every Supreme Court Justice will have attended Harvard or Yale law schools. [...]
May 11, 2010, 2:27 pmSCOTUS Diversity | mad libertarian guy says:
[...] proud that we pay such close attention to diversity on our Supreme [...]
May 12, 2010, 2:47 amNever Yet Melted » Harvard and Yale and the Supreme Court says:
[...] At Volokh, David Bernstein, Yale Law ‘91, graciously stands up for other [...]
May 12, 2010, 10:14 amBalloon Juice » Blog Archive » What It Takes To Be a Justice says:
[...] David Bernstein is tired of Ivy Leaguers, so come on down, Heritage Law [...]
May 12, 2010, 7:08 pmKagan and Ivy League Dominance « Cornell Insider says:
[...] that this is just the most recent example of American institutional elitism. David Bernstein from VC writes: “I know that Harvard and Yale attract a disproportionate percentage of America’s [...]
May 12, 2010, 11:29 pmElena Kagan & Class Analysis | Taking Hayek Seriously says:
[...] UPDATE: Read more on Kagan, diversity, and the Supreme Court here, here, here, here, and here. [...]
May 13, 2010, 4:02 pmObama the Tease « Just Above Sunset says:
[...] not fair to white men or something, and there’s David Bernstein saying he’s tired of Ivy Leaguers, or as Cole puts it, “so come on down, Heritage Law [...]
May 14, 2010, 3:29 amThe Briefcase » Friday Roundup says:
[...] but Ohio State had a lot more guys go in the NFL draft. Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, Dave Bernstein points out The president went to Harvard, and barely defeated a primary opponent [...]
May 14, 2010, 6:31 am