Founded in 1949, UCLA School of Law is one of five law schools within the University of California system. L. Dale Coffman became the school's first dean and recruited Harvard dean Roscoe Pound to become one of its first professors. The school was forced to operate in a Quonset hut for its first two years until a proper building was constructed. In September 1949, Pound insisted on delivering the school's first keynote address in the Latin language at the Quonset hut.
The UCLA Law Review, the law school's flagship scholarly journal, was first published in 1953. From 1971 to 1983, UCLA School of Law published the Alaska Law Review, a publication dedicated to the legal issues that pertain to Alaskans. Additionally, the first scholarly journal in the nation focused on issues affecting Latinos, the Chicana/o Latina/o Law Review, was first published in 1972 as the Chicano Law Review.
Degrees and areas of specialization
The school offers standard Juris Doctor degrees in addition to notable programs of specialization within the schools. Students can elect to specialize in Business Law and Policy, Entertainment Law, Public Interest Law, Critical Race Studies, and Law and Philosophy. The roughly 300 students who begin Law School at UCLA every year are divided into sections to encourage a sense of community. Students take all of their first year courses with their sections.
The Socratic method is widely used by most professors, though some faculty allow for more relaxed classroom atmospheres than at similar top-tiered law schools. The school has traditionally offered a strong clinical program, which is housed in a wing of its building at a cost of $9 million. Each year, the clinical program puts students through realistic simulations of trials, depositions, and client meetings, staffed by a pool of nearly 500 volunteers drawn from across southern California to play defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, judges, and jurors.
Several joint degree programs are available, which require four years of study and result in the simultaneous award of a Juris Doctor and master's degree in Afro-American Studies, American Indian Studies, Law and Management, Public Health, Public Policy, Philosophy, Social Welfare, and Urban Planning.
The school also offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) law program, which involves one year of post-law-graduate studies. This program is popular among foreign students intending to take the California bar exam.
The school additionally offers a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) degree, designed for students who already have a J.D. and hope to become law professors.
Faculty and students
UCLA School of Law has a faculty of over 100 members with expertise in all major disciplines of law, representing "one of the most diverse in the country."
For the class entering in the fall of 2013, 1,567 out of 5,563 applicants were offered admission (28.2%), with 293 matriculating. The 25th and 75th LSAT percentiles for the 2013 entering class were 162 and 169, respectively, with a median of 167. The 25th and 75th undergraduate GPA percentiles were 3.51 and 3.88, respectively, with a median of 3.79.
The school sponsors a chapter of the Order of the Coif, a national law school honorary society founded for the purposes of encouraging legal scholarship and advancing the ethical standards of the legal profession.
UCLA School of Law is located on the northeastern edge of the UCLA campus in the Westwood area of Los Angeles. The school is approximately five miles from the Pacific Ocean.
The school proper is housed in a five-story brick building known simply as the Law Building. The oldest parts of the Law Building's interior are notorious for a "high school atmosphere" and "dark, drafty classrooms," but have been extensively improved by the addition of the clinical wing in 1990 and the new law library in 2001. A few offices, like the Office of Career Services, are housed in an adjacent building, Dodd Hall.
The campus sits on the sloping foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, between the communities of Brentwood to the west and Holmby Hills to the east. The entrance to the Playboy Mansion is a short way up Sunset Boulevard, in Holmby Hills. Just beyond Holmby Hills is Beverly Hills.
In 2017 US News & World Report ranked UCLA as 15th of U.S. law schools. In 2010, it had the largest student body in the UC system after Hastings, and the smallest student-faculty ratio. UCLA Law has a student-faculty ratio of 10.4:1. Also it was the second least expensive law school in the UC system, Hastings being the cheapest.
According to Brian Leiter's Law School rankings, UCLA Law ranks 8th in the nation in terms of scholarly impact as measured by academic citations of tenure-stream faculty during the years 2009–2013.
The Hollywood Reporter ranked UCLA the number one school for entertainment law in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Based on a 2001–2007 6 year average, 88% of UCLA Law graduates passed the California State Bar.
American Bar Association data shows that 273 of 332 (82%) of 2013 graduates had secured full-time, long-term, JD-required employment within nine months of graduation. A total of 108 graduates (32.5%) had found employment in firms of more than 100 lawyers, and 23 graduates (6.9%) had secured federal judicial clerkships.
Institute for Business Law and Policy
In 2011, the business law and policy program established the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy with a 10 million dollar gift from alumnus Lowell Milken. The institute focuses on research in business law and policy in bankruptcy, corporate law, corporate governance, intellectual property, international business transactions, real estate, securities regulation and tax.
Center on Climate Change and The Environment
Founded in 2008 with a gift from Dan A. Emmett and his family, the Center was the first law school center established to focus on climate change. The Emmett Center curriculum details law and policy solutions to the climate change crisis locally, statewide, nationally and internationally.
Founded in 2000, the program, which hosts many legal scholars, studies the intersection of race and law.
The International Human Rights Program "engages in research, advocacy and public education to advance the norms of international human rights law."
Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy
The Williams Institute was founded in 2001 through a grant by Charles R. "Chuck" Williams. Williams's inaugural donation of $2.5 million to create the institute was the largest donation ever given to any academic institution in support of a gay and lesbian academic program in any discipline. In 2013, Williams donated an additional $5.5 million to support the institute.
In 2001, the UCLA Law School real estate program was named in honor of Richard Ziman, who established a permanent endowment. In 2005, the Ziman center was reconstituted as a campus-wide center of both UCLA Anderson School of Management and UCLA School of Law.
Program in Public Interest Law and Policy
In Spring 1996, in response to a desire to produce and support high level training for lawyers pursuing public interest work, the UCLA School of Law established the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. The Program graduated its inaugural class of students in 2000.
Journals and law reviews
UCLA Law ReviewUCLA Asian/Pacific American Law JournalUCLA Chicano/Latino Law ReviewUCLA Entertainment Law ReviewUCLA Journal of Environmental Law and PolicyUCLA Journal of International Law & Foreign AffairsUCLA Journal of Islamic and Near Eastern LawUCLA Journal of Law & TechnologyUCLA Pacific Basin Law JournalUCLA Women’s Law JournalNational Black Law JournalMoot Court Honors ProgramMuslim Law Students AssociationOUTLawLaw Students for Reproductive JusticeGary Chartier - professor, La Sierra University, law and business ethics (2012-), associate professor (2005-2012)Drucilla Cornell – professor, Rutgers University, in political science, comparative literature, and women's studies (2001–); former professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (1989–1994) and Rutgers School of Law–Newark (1994–2001)Joshua Dressler – professor, Moritz College of Law, Ohio State University (2001–); prominent author in criminal law and criminal procedureRichard D. Freer – professor, Emory University School of Law (1983–); expert in civil procedureEric Goldman - professor, Santa Clara University School of Law (2006-); expert in Internet lawRichard L. Hasen – Chancellor's Professor, University of California, Irvine School of Law (2011–); expert in election law and campaign financeLaurie L. Levenson – professor, Loyola Law School; TV legal commentator, gained fame during Rodney King and O.J. Simpson trialsSusan Westerberg Prager – former Dean of the School of Law (1982–1998) – one of the first female law school deans; Professor at the UCLA School of Law (1972–1998, 2001–2006); Provost of Dartmouth College (1998–2001); President of Occidental College (2006–2007), Executive Director of Association of American Law Schools (2008–2013); Dean of Southwestern Law School (2013–)James Tomkovicz – professor, University of Iowa College of Law (1982); expert in criminal procedureEugene Volokh – UCLA Law professor and legal commentatorBusiness and private practice
Val Ackerman – first female president of USA Basketball (2005–2008); President of the WNBA (1996–2005)Leslie Abramson – criminal defense attorney who defended Lyle and Erik Menendez and Phil SpectorAnn Baskins – General Counsel, Hewlett-Packard (2000–2006)Harland Braun – criminal defense attorney who defended John Landis and George Folsey, Jr. against manslaughter charges in the Twilight Zone: The Movie caseRinaldo Brutoco – entrepreneur; co-founder of early pay cable company Channel 100John Howard – director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (2002–2008, 2009–)Stewart Kwoh – founder and executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal CenterBrian Lee - entrepreneur, founder of LegalZoomStewart Resnick – president and CEO of Roll GlobalNelson Rising - real estate development executive, former CEO of Catellus Development CorporationMartine Rothblatt - co-founder of PanAmSat and Sirius Satellite RadioDavid P. Steiner – CEO, Waste Management, IncGovernment and politics
Stewart Baker – Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2005–2009)Howard Berman – United States Congressman from CaliforniaPeter Carlisle – Former Mayor of Honolulu (2010-2013) and Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu (1996-2010)Anna Caballero – Secretary of the California State and Consumer Services Agency (2011–), member of the California State Assembly (2006–2010)David Dawson – member from the 14th District, Iowa House of Representatives (2013–)Roger Dickinson - member of the California State Assembly (2010-)Kirsten Gillibrand – United States Senator from New York (2009-)Rachel Goslins - executive director, President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (2009-)Jerry M. Patterson – member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 38th Congressional District (1975–1985)James E. Rogan – California State Assemblyman, 43rd District (1994–1996); Congressman from California's 27th Congressional District (1997-2001); Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO (2001–2004); Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court (2006–)Linda Sánchez – Congresswoman from California's 39th Congressional District (2002–)Henry A. Waxman – Congressman from California's 30th Congressional District (1975–2013)Jack Weiss – member, Los Angeles City Council (2001–2009)Joshua D. Wright – commissioner, Federal Trade Commission (2013–)Percy Anderson - United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2002–)Janice Rogers Brown – judge, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals (2005–); former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California (1996–2005)Joe Brown – former judge of the Criminal Court of the Thirtieth Judicial District of Tennessee (Shelby County); star of court show Judge Joe Brown (1998–2013)Audrey B. Collins - associate justice, California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District (2014-); former United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1994–2014)Dale A. Drozd - chief magistrate judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California (2011-), magistrate judge (1997-2010)Gary Allen Feess – United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1999–)Gil Garcetti - Former Los Angeles County District Attorney (1992-2000)Dolly M. Gee – United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2010-)Andrew Guilford – United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2006-)Philip S. Gutierrez – United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2007-)José Huizar - member from the 14th District, Los Angeles City Council, (2005–)Sandra Ikuta – judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2006–)Robert Clive Jones – Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada (2003–)William B. Keene - Former California Superior Court Judge and presiding judge on the court show Divorce Court.William Duffy Keller - United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (1984–)Alex Kozinski – Chief Judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1985–)Alicia Limtiaco – United States Attorney of GuamJeffrey T. Miller – judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1997–2010), Senior Judge (2010–)Salvador Mendoza, Jr. - United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington (2014-)Dorothy Wright Nelson – Senior Judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1979–); former Dean of the University of Southern California School of Law (1969–1980)Jacqueline Nguyen – judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2012–), United States district judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of California (2009–2012)Thomas W. Sneddon, Jr. - Santa Barbara County District Attorney (1983-2010)Kim McLane Wardlaw – judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (1998–)Paul J. Watford – judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2012–)John Branca – entertainment lawyer who specializes in representing rock and roll acts, as well as independent investors, music publishing catalogs, and independent music labelsThomas Bliss – motion picture producer with credits on over 30 films, including The Hurricane and Air Force OneJeff Cohen – entertainment lawyer best known for work as child actor in The Goonies (1985)Robert Fitzpatrick – entertainment attorney, film producer, and music executive; President of Allied Artists InternationalCynthia Gouw – television show host, news anchor, reporter, actress, and modelChip Johannessen – writer and producer for several popular television showsJohn Kerr - Tony Award-winning actor best known for Tea and SympathyKalyanee Mam – director and producer of the award-winning documentary A River Changes CourseGeorge Mastras – writer and producer of AMC's Breaking BadStephan Pastis – creator of the comic strip Pearls Before SwineKelly Perdew – winner of Season 2 of The ApprenticeRobert Rotstein - entertainment attorney and novelistStacey Snider - current co-chair of 20th Century Fox, former co-chair and CEO of DreamWorks, former chair of UniversalHoward K. Stern – entertainment lawyer who was the former domestic partner, attorney and agent of model and actress Anna Nicole Smith.Lauren Woodland – Emmy Award nominated actressVincent Bugliosi – Attorney and writer of non-fiction works as Helter Skelter and The Betrayal of America: How the Supreme Court Undermined the Constitution and Chose Our President.Cara Dunne-Yates – blind Paralympic athleteJulie Heldman – retired professional tennis playerLowell Milken – co-founder and chairman of the Milken Family FoundationKaren I. Tse – human rights activist and social entrepreneurRichard L. Abel – member of the faculty since 1974; expert on sociology of lawKhaled Abou El Fadl – Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law and expert in Islamic Jurisprudence; Chairman of Islamic Studies Department at UCLANorman Abrams – author of leading casebooks on federal criminal law, anti-terrorism law and evidence; member of the faculty since 1959; former UCLA Vice Chancellor of Academic Personnel; former acting ChancellorStephen Bainbridge – expert on corporations and business lawAnn E. Carlson - expert on U.S. environmental law and policyKimberlé Williams Crenshaw – founding coordinator of the "Critical Race Theory Workshop" movement; Also teaches at Columbia Law SchoolJill R. Horwitz - expert on health law, economics, and policy as well as the law of nonprofit organizationGerald P. Lopez – author of works on rebellious lawyering, community lawyering, re-entry issues and Director of the Center for Community Problem SolvingLynn M. LoPucki – Security Pacific Bank Professor of Law. LoPucki's Bankruptcy Research Database provides data for empirical work bankruptcyDaniel H. Lowenstein – expert on election lawJennifer Mnookin - expert on evidence (law)Grant S. Nelson – noted authority on real estate lawDavid Nimmer – expert on copyright lawFrances Olsen – expert on feminist legal theorySeana Shiffrin – expert on philosophy of lawRichard H. Steinberg – expert on international lawEugene Volokh – author of textbooks on First Amendment law and academic legal writing; author of over 45 law review articles; founder of The Volokh Conspiracy weblogAdam Winkler - Author of Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in AmericaBrainerd Currie – professor (1949–1952); expert on the conflict of laws in the United StatesJesse Dukeminier – professor (1963–2003); expert on property law, wills, trusts, and estatesBill Felstiner – assistant professor (1973–1976); expert on sociology of lawJody Freeman – professor (1995-2005); expert on administrative law and environmental lawJames L. Malone – associate dean (1961–1967); later became Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (1981–1985)Mari Matsuda – first female Asian-American law professor to obtain tenure at any law school in the United States, while teaching at UCLA Law in 1998Richard C. Maxwell – Dean of the School of Law (1958–1969)Melville B. Nimmer – professor (1962–1985); expert on U.S. copyright law and father of David NimmerCruz Reynoso – professor (1991–2001), former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California (1982-1987)Michael H. Schill – dean and professor (2004–2009), expert on property law and urban planning; became president of the University of Oregon in 2015Lynn Stout – professor (2001–2012); expert on corporate law, securities, and derivatives
