Despite new teaching methods, the achievement gap between the sexes remains. A 2002 study at Yale Law showed that disproportionately more men than women took prestigious clerkships at the Court of Appeals after graduation. A study at Harvard Law released earlier this year found that far fewer female students win spots on The Harvard Law Review's editorial board. Of 46 editors added this year, only 14 are women. Editors attribute the gender gap to the fact that men tend to perform better on the writing exercise that is the criterion for Law Review selection -- mainly an analysis of court opinions -- just as they have been shown to do in class with similar assignments. Assuming they have little chance, women may be less engaged in the exercise. ''I worry that the current imbalance contributes to a vicious cycle that, unfortunately, discourages some women from putting their best foot forward.'' Editors are stepping up recruiting efforts, taking first-year women for coffee and holding special information sessions.
--NYTimes, Saturday, November 6, 2004