Steven Lubet writes a clever column in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In the interest of exposing readers of NLT to a "diversity" of opinion, I thought I would post it here.

For the record, I have misgivings about legislative "solutions" like the "academic bill of rights" and Steven Balch’s proposal for a kind of academic consociationalism, especially when it’s instituted from on high.

Here’s my response in a letter to the editor I just sent:

I appreciated Professor Lubet’s provocative article, which did for me what caffeine can’t. But I have to take issue with the stereotypes he associates with conservatives and liberals. Contrary to his assertions, in my 30 years as a student and professor, I have come across plenty of competitive and aggressive liberals and plenty of conservatives who valued objectivity and free inquiry. Indeed, I wonder how much competitiveness it took Professor Lubet to win a position at one of America’s top law schools?

All sorts of people are attracted to higher education, to liberalism, and to conservatism. Let’s examine the ideas, rather than impugning motives or purveying misleading stereotypes. In other words, let’s work to deserve the trust we in higher education would like to have from the American people.