Loyola Law School

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Loyola Law School is the graduate law school of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Loyola is a private Jesuit school, and not to be confused with Loyola University Chicago School of Law or Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, which are also named in honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Located on its own downtown Los Angeles campus designed by Frank Gehry, Loyola Law School was established in 1920. The campus is separate from the Loyola Marymount campus and close to the civic centers of downtown Los Angeles.

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[edit] Academics

The Princeton Review recently ranked Loyola Law School third in the nation for "Best Overall Academic Experience," and the school is ranked as a top tier law school in the U.S., according to the 2007 US News and World Report rankings. Including its day and evening J.D. programs, Loyola Law School boasts the largest and most diverse student enrollment of any law school in California. Additionally, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Loyola's trial advocacy program fifth overall in the nation. The trial advocacy team has won numerous regional and national competitions throughout the years. Loyola currently has three law reviews edited by students.

Unlike many law schools which are comprised of just one or two centralized buildings, Loyola Law School's campus, as described on its website, is made up "of a series of contemporary buildings clustered around a central plaza." In this setting, "the campus is at once intimate and open. The classrooms, offices, study and social spaces provide Loyola students with an attractive and inviting environment for the study of law and for social and intellectual exchange." Its newly rennovated library is also "one of the largest private law libraries in the western United States," with "a collection of nearly 560,000 bound or microform volumes."

The Law School also offers a tax LL.M. program (ranked 8th in the nation by US News and World Report). The Law School offers other special programs and prides itself in its civic duties. Students are required to perform 40 hours of pro bono work. After Hurricane Katrina, Loyola was one of a handful of schools to open its doors and allow visiting student status to students of law schools in New Orleans who were forced to relocate for a period of time after the hurricane.

[edit] Fact Sheet

Loyola Law School opened its doors in 1920. Located in downtown Los Angeles-a legal, financial and media capital-Loyola Law School is home to prominent faculty, dedicated students and cutting-edge programs. Loyola Law is committed to legal ethics and the public interest, and has produced top attorneys for nearly a century.

Degrees Offered: Juris Doctor (JD); Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA); Masters of Law in Taxation (LLM); Masters of Law in American Law & International Legal Practice (International LLM)

ABA Accreditation: 1937

Awarded a Chapter in The Order of the Coif: 1990

Faculty: 67 full-time faculty members

Enrollment: 1360-Women: 50%; Minority: 37%--ranked 12th in the nation for minority enrollment

Acceptance rate: 23.4%; LSAT scores (25th-75th percentile): 160-163

Community Service: Loyola Law is the first ABA-accredited law school in California with a mandatory pro bono requirement. Loyola students donate over 40 hours of pro bono work per year to non-profit organizations.

Programs: International programs in China, Costa Rica & Italy; the Education Advocacy Project; the Cancer Legal Resource Center; the Disability Mediation Center; the Center for Conflict Resolution; the Western Law Center for Disability Rights; the Center for Juvenile Law & Policy; the Civil Justice Program; and the Entertainment Law Practicum

Graduate Employment Rate: 95%+ within nine months of graduation

Tuition: $31,454 full-time

Financial Aid: 85% of Loyola Law students receive some form of financial assistance.

[edit] Public Interest

The Law School houses various non-profit public interest law offices on its campus, including the Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC)[1], the Center for Conflict Resolution[2], the Cancer Legal Resource Center [3], and various others. The DRLC specializes in Americans With Disabilities Act litigation and is run by a mix of Loyola Law School professors, law student externs, and attorneys.

Additionally, the Law School is home to the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy[4], which serves as a holistic law firm representing youths in juvenile court. A small group of students each year are selected as participants in a year-long clinic run by the Center, receiving trial advocacy and procedure training from the Center's staff of seasoned attorneys and social workers.

The Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF)[5] is a student-run club focused on getting students involved in public interest causes as well as raising money for public interest grants. PILF is the largest and most active public interest club of its kind out of all the law schools in Southern California.

[edit] Notable Faculty

Loyola has several high-profile faculty members, many of whom often double as legal correspondents for news programs. Criminal law professor Stan Goldman doubles as a Fox News legal analyst, and professor Laurie Levenson is a frequent contributor to CNN and other media sources. This also includes Gary C. Williams, who also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, and Richard Hasen, William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor of Law Chair, who is an election law scholar and the writer of a widely read election law blog.

[edit] Notable Alumni

Other notable alumni currently in the judiciary include Justices Patti Kitching, Kathryn Doi Todd, Manuel A. Ramirez, and William F. Rylaarsdam of the California Court of Appeal, and Mark Gibbons of the Supreme Court of Nevada. Many graduates also serve in the California or federal courts, and more serve as partners or associates at law firms or public-interest groups throughout the country.

[edit] External links

  • Loyola Law School The School's website, offering information to current and prospective students
  • PILF Public Interest Law Foundation
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