UCLA School of Law: A Legacy of Innovation and Influence
UCLA School of Law, established in 1949, stands as the third oldest law school within the University of California system, celebrated for its innovative and exceptional legal education. From its humble beginnings in temporary barracks to its current stature, UCLA Law has consistently fostered a collaborative and challenging learning environment. The school cultivates a faculty of cutting-edge scholars and dedicated teachers who embrace its core values. The student body broadly represents the rich diversity of Los Angeles and the nation. During the 2024-25 academic year, UCLA School of Law celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Genesis and Early Years
The impetus for creating UCLA School of Law emerged from outside the UCLA community during the mid-1940s, spearheaded by state assemblyman William H. Rosenthal's legislation. On July 18, 1947, California Gov. Earl Warren signed a measure authorizing $1 million to build a law school on the UCLA campus. The search for the law school's first dean was difficult and delayed its opening by a year. UCLA Law opened in 1949 in temporary barracks behind Royce Hall. UCLA's law school planning committee prioritized merit, while the then-conservative Regents of the University of California prioritized political beliefs. Another factor was a simultaneous deanship vacancy at Berkeley Law. The law school building was completed in 1951, and founding Dean L. Dale Coffman assumed his role, facing the challenge of recruiting faculty.
Coffman was able to recruit faculty to UCLA, including Roscoe Pound, Brainerd Currie, Rollin M. Perkins, and Harold Verrall. To build a law library, he hired Thomas S. Dabagh. However, Coffman's deanship did not end well, allegedly due to his vindictive and strongly prejudiced personality. Coffman drove out Dabagh in 1952 after they could not bridge their fundamental differences over how to run the law library, which was widely regarded around the UCLA community as contributing to Dabagh's early death in 1959. On September 21, 1955, the faculty revolted in the form of a memorandum to chancellor Raymond B. Allen.
Growth and Expansion
Richard C. Maxwell succeeded Coffman. By 1963, the law school had 600 students in a building designed for 550, and the law building's deficiencies had become all too evident, such as a complete lack of air conditioning. In October 1963, the law school administration announced a major remodeling and expansion project, which added air conditioning and a new wing to the building. Under Dean Richard Maxwell (1958-69), the faculty size tripled, from 12 to 37 professors, and the school hired its first female and African-American faculty members.
In these years, UCLA Law also established areas of focus that would blossom into full-fledged centers of scholarship and study. With copyright legend Melville Nimmer on faculty, the school held its first entertainment law courses. Other professors developed curricula in environmental law, Indian law and communications law, and the school launched its International and Comparative Law Program. Students, too, broke new ground. Today, El Centro is a powerful student-run organization with 15 projects serving underrepresented communities in Los Angeles. The Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment is among the top-ranked environmental programs in the country. Alumni of the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law routinely are ranked among the entertainment industry’s power lawyers.
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Trailblazing Leadership and Modern Developments
In 1982, alumna Susan Westerberg Prager ’71 (1982-98) assumed the deanship, making her one of the first female law school deans in the country and the first of three women - including Rachel Moran (2010-15) and Jennifer Mnookin (2015-2022) - to serve as dean of the law school. Under Prager’s leadership, the school expanded its physical and intellectual footprint, adding numerous leading faculty members and investing deeply in its law library.
Entering the 21st century under deans Jonathan Varat (1998-03) and Michael Schill (2004-09), UCLA Law established new centers of excellence that are driven by faculty members who are among the leading figures in their fields. The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy is the leading organization for research and analysis of LGBT legal issues. The David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy trains students who are committed to advancing social justice and serving communities of need in Los Angeles and around the world.
In recent years, UCLA Law has continued to work with alumni and friends of the school to create programs that address sophisticated and emerging areas of the law. Under Dean Moran, the school founded the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy and the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy. UCLA Law Women LEAD, a networking organization of UCLA Law alumnae and students founded in 2015, has grown to more than 2,000 members. The school has also expanded its robust LL.M. Under Dean Mnookin, the school deepened its commitment to serving the public, profession and society. The Achievement Fellowship program, established in 2017, offers full-tuition scholarships to qualified students who have overcome exceptional challenges in order to attend law school. The Promise Institute was founded that same year with a $20 million gift, the largest single gift in the history of the law school. In 2017, the school also created the A.
In 2020, UCLA Law established two new centers in areas of growing importance: the Center for Immigration Law and Policy and the Institute on Technology, Law and Policy, which is the first formal collaboration between UCLA Law and the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. In August 2020 the school began a Master of Legal Studies degree, a program designed to serve non-lawyers who are looking to cultivate legal knowledge and skills. Beginning in June 2022 Russell Korobkin, the Richard C. Maxwell Distinguished Professor of Law, served as the law school’s interim dean through July 2023.
Academics and Programs
UCLA Law has approximately 1,000 students in its Juris Doctor (J.D.) program and 200 students in its Master of Laws (LL.M.) program, which is popular among foreign students intending to take the California bar exam. It also offers a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) program for students who already have a J.D. and hope to become law professors, as well as a Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) program for those who do not seek a law degree, but find a legal education an important complement to their professional obligations.
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The school was a pioneer in clinical legal education and today offers a strong experiential education program. Through clinical courses and related offerings, the school allows students to directly represent clients in a variety of settings while under expert supervision. UCLA Law's clinics also provide service to many people who cannot afford to pay for their legal services, including veterans, the homeless, and indigent individuals appearing in criminal and immigration courts. Students can elect to specialize in criminal law and policy, business law and policy, entertainment law, environmental 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. In 2023, 6,457 students applied to attend UCLA Law, and 315 were enrolled. The median LSAT score for members of the entering class in 2023 is 170. J.D.
Facilities
UCLA School of Law's south entrance facing Charles E. Young Drive. The school proper is housed in a three-story brick building known simply as the Law Building, with the law library tower extending to five stories. The oldest parts of the Law Building's interior are notorious for a "high school atmosphere" and "dark, drafty classrooms". However, the Law Building has been extensively improved by the addition of the clinical wing in 1990 and the new law library in 2001.
Ongoing Brand Evolution
To ensure brand consistency and recognition, UCLA Law partnered with 789 to define its brand identity. Currently, they are in the initial stages of Research and Concept Exploration, employing various valuable methods such as focus groups, competitive analysis, SWOT analysis, interviews, and mind maps. This extensive research allows them to gain insights into the target audience, competition, and opportunities. Concurrently, they are updating the Law School’s campaigns and materials across digital and print platforms, leveraging expertise in SEO and engagement. The aim is to align messaging and visuals with the evolving brand identity. Through this comprehensive approach, they optimize reach and impact, engaging prospective students, alumni, faculty, and the legal community.
Notable People
Ann E. Richard L. Lynn M. Angela R. Ken Ziffren - entertainment attorney, L.A. Richard L. James L. Richard C. Melville B. Michael H. N.E.R.D.
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