Law Schools, Legal Ethics

Are Female Law Students More Ethical Than Male Law Students? Survey Says Yes!

Congratulations, ladies, because today you've got something to celebrate.

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offer girl happyCongratulations, ladies, because today you’ve got something to celebrate. No matter what your score on the MPRE may tell you, according to a recently released study, you appear to be more ethical than your male classmates.

Law360 (sub. req.) has the details on the study, which was published in the International Journal of the Legal Profession:

Scholars at UCL Faculty of Laws, Cardiff University, Northwestern University and the University of Tulsa surveyed 1,010 law students — 441 in England and Wales and 569 in the U.S. — and found that, on the whole, women students are more selfless, have a stronger sense of moral identity, are less likely to be morally disengaged and have a lower sense of entitlement.

“These differences in female respondents are all consistent with a greater disposition to behave ethically,” the researchers’ paper … said.

Researchers found that female law students were “significantly and consistently more ethical,” displaying a stronger sense of commitment to a career in the law and placing a higher value on being “professionals.” Female law students were also far more likely to place the interests of others ahead of their own interests, unlike male law students. Overall, female law students showed a “greater propensity to be more ethical.”

One area in which gender made no significant difference in terms of ethics, however, was a scenario in which law students were asked whether they would bill hours spent on a training course to hit a target and earn a bonus, even if billing for the training course violated company policy. Regardless of gender, the vast majority of law students said they’d be either unlikely or very unlikely to bill for the hours to receive a bonus. Aww, that’s so cute. Aren’t law students just darling?

Congratulations once again to female law students. Go out and do what’s just and right in the world — according to this scientific study, you’re better at doing it, anyway.

Female Law Students More Ethical Than Males, Study Says [Law 360 (sub. req.)]

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Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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