PROF. BAINBRIDGE: The University of Louisville pulled back the curtain to expose an ugly law school secret.

Apparently the University of Louisville law school has decided to meet declining enrollments and dwindling funds not by upping their game, but by “branding” itself as a “progressive” institution committed to “social justice.” . . .

The real tragedy, however, is that what’s happening at U of L is just an express embracing of the leftist hegemony that pervades American legal education. Conservatives, libertarians, people of faith … heck, anybody to the right of Hillary Clinton are hugely underrepresented in the legal academy and our students who profess such values have learned to hide their light under a bushel lest they be sent off to the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Tolerance, and Goodness (higher education’s version of the Ministry of Love).

Ultimately, of course, this is why U of L’s branding effort will fail miserably. Virtually every other law school the country–with very few honorable exceptions–has precisely the same identity, they just don’t advertise it. And why should they when everybody knows the dirty little secret, except the parents and state legislators who fund this cuckoo in their nest.

Indeed. Worse than the lame branding effort, as Bainbridge notes, is the thuggish response to critics. But talk of “social justice” always goes hand-in-hand with thuggery. I would say that social justice is to justice as military music is to music, but that would be unfair to military music.

Meanwhile, if you want to see how the term is perceived by non-academics, check out Ann Althouse’s poll.

Related: Megan McArdle: Academics Are So Lefty They Don’t Even See It.