One student described “student intolerance” at HLS, citing instances when students were mocked for speaking in class or dressing a certain way.

Kagan said she agreed with the student, lamenting that “there is a type of student culture here where it is kind of embarrassing to be into classes.”

Kagan added that she and her fellow faculty members felt that there was “an absence of an intellectual community” at HLS.

Students said they also felt a lack of community—but attributed this to a lack of school spirit.

“It would be nice if we got a t-shirt or pen at the beginning of school...or if professors [and] administrators actually got excited when they were talking to us, and just made us feel great about being here” first-year HLS student Walter Mosley said.

Lucas S. Osborn, a second-year student at HLS, emphasized the importance of extracurricular activities. He said that he had heard a rumor that Kagan thought extracurriculars were too dominant, and that academics deserve more attention.

“To me, being serious about extracurriculars means being serious about classes,” Kagan said, denying the rumor. “I see engagement in one implying engagement in the other, and we want 100 percent of students to be engaged and participating in school life...but I don’t believe that learning at the Law School only happens outside of the classroom.”

Students present at the meeting noted a strong contrast with current HLS Dean Robert C. Clark, who they said rarely held open meetings with students.

But HLS spokesperson Michael A. Armini cautioned against comparisons between Clark and Kagan.

“Different people have different leadership styles,” he said. “Clearly Elena Kagan is comfortable jumping right into a setting like this. We should see it as a good thing and not use it as a way to question Bob Clark’s approach. He tended to meet with students in smaller settings.”

Kagan met with about 30 student leaders on Monday, and has scheduled individual meetings with the entire faculty—all 81 members—before the end of the academic year.

—Staff writer Lauren A.E. Schuker can be reached at schuker@fas.harvard.edu.