Cracking the law books
UC Irvine School of Law opens to inaugural class of 61 students who will help develop innovative curriculum.
Class is in session for 61 law students who looked at the faculty and philosophy behind UC Irvine School of Law and decided, “That’s for me.”
The first new public law school in California in 40 years opened its doors early Monday, Aug. 24, with a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Acrivi Coromelas, the first law student to commit to UCI, did the honors.
The previous week, students prepared for an arduous year of study with orientation classes that introduced them to lawyering skills and to each other.
Victoria Ortiz, assistant dean of student services for the law school, calls the inaugural class “pathmakers” for their eagerness to help build a school with an innovative curriculum emphasizing hands-on clinical experience and public service as well as the theory and substance of law.
Here’s a by-the-numbers look at these trailblazers:
- 34 females (56 percent)
- 27 males (44 percent)
- 15 out-of-state residents (25 percent)
- Three international students (British, Canadian and Chinese)
- Median LSAT 167
- Median GPA 3.61
- Median age 25
- Age range 20 to 38
- 12 advanced degrees (20 percent): 10 master’s, a Ph.D. and an M.D.
- Most popular undergraduate majors: philosophy (7 students), political science (6), psychology (5) and economics (5)
- Top feeder schools: UC Berkeley (7), UCI (5), USC (4), Georgetown University (3), New York University (2), Princeton University (2), University of Pennsylvania (2), UCLA (2), UC Santa Barbara (2) and UC San Diego (2)