University of California, Los Angeles

The University of California, Los Angeles School of Law prides itself on its variety of curriculum options and clinics that produce successful lawyers. The school enrolls a little over 1,000 students, and class sizes remain reasonably small. With more than 100 full-time faculty members, augmented by just under 100 part-time faculty, students have plenty of chances to form important relationships with their professors.

UCLA Law offers the traditional J.D. degree and students can specialize in business law and policy, entertainment law, public interest law, critical race studies, and law and philosophy. Other popular programs are in clinical training, environmental law, intellectual property law, and international law. Students can also choose to complete joint degrees, which usually take four years. Possible degrees include a J.D./M.B.A. with the Anderson School of Management or a J.D./M.A. in Afro-American Studies through the UCLA Center for African American Studies. Other master’s programs include American Indian studies, law and management, public health, public policy, social welfare, and urban planning. Each year, about 300 new law students enter the program and are divided into sections; they take all their first-year courses with this group so that they can form closer relationships with their classmates.

Students are required to complete clinic hours and there are currently more than 20 options. These clinics give students the chance to participate in real-life cases. Every year, they are put through simulations of trials, depositions, and client meetings to get a feel for what it’s like to be a practicing lawyer. Those interested in business law can take part in the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy program, which places an emphasis on corporate law, bankruptcy, and intellectual property. The Emmett Center gives students the opportunity to study climate change and environmental law, while the Sanela Diana Jenkins International Justice Clinic focuses on international human rights law. There are also programs for sexual orientation law, real estate law, and public interest law. Students can participate in fellowships through the Office of Public Interest Programs. UCLA Law also offers students the option of having student loans paid off if they work in public interest after graduation.

UCLA Law students can also find activities to do outside the classroom or clinic setting. There are 15 law journals published by students, including “UCLA Law Review,” “UCLA Entertainment Law Review,” “UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy” and “UCLA Women’s Law Journal.” Students can also take part in more than 40 student-run organizations on campus. These groups cover a wide variety of topics, like the Animal Law Society, the China Law Association, and the Environmental Law Society. There are also intramural sports teams which are not always found at law schools. One way or another, UCLA Law students usually find themselves very involved in their school.