Loyola Law School (Los Angeles) 2L Taking Questions Forum

[LLS2L]

2L at LLS. Happy to answer any questions about the school, student life, career placement, my experience, experience of peers, etc. For obvious reasons I'm not going to give away identifying specifics, but I'll do my best.

Fire away.

[KM2016]

I'm already done with law school, but in LA and curious, so I'll bite.

How are your summer prospects looking? I'm guessing a lot of this depends on your class ranking, but if you don't mind giving a rough idea of where you stand in the class, it would be helpful.

Have you noticed any impact in terms of recruiting/job prospects from the drop in USNWR raking in the past 2 years (prior to Loyola's noticeable rankings rebound this year)?

[LLS2L]

I'm already done with law school, but in LA and curious, so I'll bite.

How are your summer prospects looking? I'm guessing a lot of this depends on your class ranking, but if you don't mind giving a rough idea of where you stand in the class, it would be helpful.

Have you noticed any impact in terms of recruiting/job prospects from the drop in USNWR raking in the past 2 years (prior to Loyola's noticeable rankings rebound this year)?

1) You're right that summer prospects are largely dependent on class ranking. Luckily for me, I am in the top 5-10% of my class (I'd rather not specify, since that's already a small group), so I had a lot of interviews at OCI. If you're outside of the top 15%-20% or so, you really won't have many interviews, if any. They are 100% pre-select at Loyola, so firms are actively screening for GPAs, and some have hard cutoffs. There were about 35-45 Biglaw firms at OCI as well as a number of mid-law firms (I don't really know how many because I didn't bid on any of them). I had about 30 interview offers, and had to narrow it down to the 20 I wanted.

Predictably, the screener to callback ratio at a school like Loyola is lower than at a T14, and I think this has a lot to do with the fact that firms know that they are only going to take 1-3 students from Loyola, depending on the office size. I had 5 callbacks, accepted all 5, and got 3 offers.

Of those who participated in OCI, I don't know of many people who struck out (but remember, only the top of the class actually does OCI). I'm pretty sure nearly all of the top 10% (with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 people) got Biglaw offers, and about 50% of those in between top 10% and top 15% also got Biglaw offers. Obviously, a few people at the top of the class forewent OCI because they are going for PI or Gov jobs. So moral of the story is, top 10-15% of the class fares very well at OCI. If you're outside of that, you likely won't even be at OCI.

Outside of OCI, I have a lot of peers that have great summer jobs lined up. Some are at very well-respected midlaw and small firms, in-house at fortune 500 companies (with the understanding it will not lead to full-time employment), at sports agencies, and at many of the major studios (NBC, Paramount, Sony, CBS, Fox, etc.). Many got them through Symplicty, many through networking and family connections, and some even from just applying on their own. The Career Development Office isn't too useful in my experience, but I think that's a problem with law schools in general.

I won't sugarcoat, I would say that probably ~30-40% of the 2L class doesn't know what they are doing this summer, but it's not too late in the semester where they are panicking. I know a lot of them are waiting to hear back from interviews, and others are still looking. But, it's not as grim a picture as TLS typically projects.

2) None whatsoever. Everyone knows rankings are bullshit, and while I'll admit I was kind of pissed off that we dropped, it didn't change the number of firms at OCI or the number of kids that were hired at Biglaw firms. It's frustrating that when you commit to a school it's ranked #51, and then two years later after they've taken all your money it's in free-fall to #87, but I can honestly say that I haven't noticed any impact in terms of our reputation in LA. Loyola is a very strong regional school; no one comes here with the hopes of landing NYC Biglaw...pretty much everyone stays in LA, or goes to SF or SD. We placed 3rd in the state behind Stanford and UCLA for bar passage rates, (beating Berkeley, USC, Pepperdine, Hasting, Davis, Irvine, etc.), our employment numbers have risen considerably in the past couple of years, and our ranking rebounded 12 spots this year, which is a positive sign.

[bnghle234]

wait a sec, boalt has the highest bar passage rate. how did loyola beat boalt?

[LLS2L]

wait a sec, boalt has the highest bar passage rate. how did loyola beat boalt?

My bad, I meant 2013. Loyola was #3 in 2013 (beating Boalt) and #5 in 2014.

[whitespider]

Thanks for doing this. I'm strongly considering Loyola, so this is quite useful...

Any thoughts on Loyola's reputation in DA/PD/PI hiring for LA and the surrounding areas? Their flyer claims "#1 law school represented in LA DA's Office - 101 Alumni hired from 2000-2012". Anecdotally, does this seem true to what you've seen and heard from other students?

[LLS2L]

Thanks for doing this. I'm strongly considering Loyola, so this is quite useful...

Any thoughts on Loyola's reputation in DA/PD/PI hiring for LA and the surrounding areas? Their flyer claims "#1 law school represented in LA DA's Office - 101 Alumni hired from 2000-2012". Anecdotally, does this seem true to what you've seen and heard from other students?

I'll admit I'm not too well-versed with the DA/PD/PI route because I'm corporate/business-focused. However, I have a lot of friends who are on those tracks. Loyola, being a mostly-regional school, has a very strong reputation in LA and Orange County. There are alums everywhere, which makes networking a lot easier and less intimidating.

As far as PI, Loyola's PI concentration, clinics, and overall department is really strong. There are public interest scholars (full scholarship), the Public Interest Law Foundation is really visible on campus, and people work in all sorts of places like the VA, Legal Aid, ACLU, etc. The Project for the Innocent is also really present on campus.

And in terms of the DA/PD route, I know 10-15 people who worked in the DA's office 1L summer, and I know of many more working there 2L summer. The criminal law professors at Loyola are nationally recognized (especially Laurie Levenson; she's all over the news every week). Most of the professors are very well connected with the DA's office (and other government offices) and are more than willing to put you in touch with their contacts, which is how a lot of people get their foot in the door.

Many people who go the PI/DA route compete on the trial advocacy teams at Loyola, most (maybe all?) of which are nationally ranked (Byrne, Hobbs, Scott Moot Court, etc.).

Hope this was helpful, but like I said, I'm not overly familiar with the PI/DA route. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have, and hopefully I can be more helpful.

[Louis1127]

Any thoughts/wisdom on how to do as well as you did in law school? Did you simply outwork your classmates? Do you think that you worked smarter than them?

[LLS2L]

Any thoughts/wisdom on how to do as well as you did in law school? Did you simply outwork your classmates? Do you think that you worked smarter than them?

Tough Question, but I'll do my best.

1) Managing Expectations: The trick to succeeding in your 1L year is to transition quickly. Law school is NOTHING like undergrad, and I think a lot of people don't realize that, take a while to adjust, and their grades suffer because of it. Come in without expectations, and just go with it. You will live and die by the curve, and you need to realize it. Everything is relative.

2) Time management: 1L is really overwhelming, especially at first. This is amplified if you are trying to finish top 10% for Biglaw. You need to plan ahead. So many people first semester waited to start outlining during reading week. Worst. Idea. Ever. I had all of my outlines done BEFORE reading week, so that way once reading week started, I could actually study. This paid dividends, and I can't stress how important it is. Also in regards to time management, during finals sometimes you only have a day or two between finals. If you have a behemoth of a final two days after a more simple one, use some of the days before the simple one to also study for the behemoth. I usually make a study plan with a calendar and assign an exam to study for each day, and it's worked very well for me. Finally, when it comes to studying, a lot of people took the time to actually sit down, take the exams, and time themselves. I found this to be a massive waste of time because taking 4 practice exams per class at 4 hours a piece x 5 classes is a lot of time. Rather, I read the essays, jot down bullet points on things I'd address, and then compare to the model answer (if there is one). Then go back to your notes if you missed anything.

3) Selective Notetaking: So many people spend every lecture trying to write down every single word that comes out of the professor's mouth. Terrible idea. You spend the whole class typing but absorb nothing. Listen to the professor, evaluate what is important and what is not, and take good notes. Quality > quantity, and it makes it much easier to outline. A lot of professors make it very clear what the want/expect you to know, and they aren't lying when they tell you that you don't need to know something.

4) Moderation: Everything is in moderation in law school. Know when to stop studying. Know when you're burnt out and need to take a personal day. Know how much going out is too much; if you are hungover every Saturday and Sunday and get no work done, you're screwed. Know how when you've joined too many student clubs and drop those that aren't important to you; firms don't care how many student associations you have on your resume.

5) Supplements: In my experience, class supplements are magical things. E&E, Siegel's, Acing Law School, etc. are all great series, but definitely have their strength and weaknesses. Do some research about which ones are best for each subject, buy them, and USE them. So many people bought them and didn't even look at them. You'd be surprised how many questions come from supplements word-for-word (especially the ones that Loyola professors wrote).

6) Breathe: The year will go by quickly, you need to be on your shit, and keep your eye on the prize.

[Louis1127]

Any thoughts/wisdom on how to do as well as you did in law school? Did you simply outwork your classmates? Do you think that you worked smarter than them?

Tough Question, but I'll do my best.

1) Managing Expectations: The trick to succeeding in your 1L year is to transition quickly. Law school is NOTHING like undergrad, and I think a lot of people don't realize that, take a while to adjust, and their grades suffer because of it. Come in without expectations, and just go with it. You will live and die by the curve, and you need to realize it. Everything is relative.

2) Time management: 1L is really overwhelming, especially at first. This is amplified if you are trying to finish top 10% for Biglaw. You need to plan ahead. So many people first semester waited to start outlining during reading week. Worst. Idea. Ever. I had all of my outlines done BEFORE reading week, so that way once reading week started, I could actually study. This paid dividends, and I can't stress how important it is. Also in regards to time management, during finals sometimes you only have a day or two between finals. If you have a behemoth of a final two days after a more simple one, use some of the days before the simple one to also study for the behemoth. I usually make a study plan with a calendar and assign an exam to study for each day, and it's worked very well for me. Finally, when it comes to studying, a lot of people took the time to actually sit down, take the exams, and time themselves. I found this to be a massive waste of time because taking 4 practice exams per class at 4 hours a piece x 5 classes is a lot of time. Rather, I read the essays, jot down bullet points on things I'd address, and then compare to the model answer (if there is one). Then go back to your notes if you missed anything.

3) Selective Notetaking: So many people spend every lecture trying to write down every single word that comes out of the professor's mouth. Terrible idea. You spend the whole class typing but absorb nothing. Listen to the professor, evaluate what is important and what is not, and take good notes. Quality > quantity, and it makes it much easier to outline. A lot of professors make it very clear what the want/expect you to know, and they aren't lying when they tell you that you don't need to know something.

4) Moderation: Everything is in moderation in law school. Know when to stop studying. Know when you're burnt out and need to take a personal day. Know how much going out is too much; if you are hungover every Saturday and Sunday and get no work done, you're screwed. Know how when you've joined too many student clubs and drop those that aren't important to you; firms don't care how many student associations you have on your resume.

5) Supplements: In my experience, class supplements are magical things. E&E, Siegel's, Acing Law School, etc. are all great series, but definitely have their strength and weaknesses. Do some research about which ones are best for each subject, buy them, and USE them. So many people bought them and didn't even look at them. You'd be surprised how many questions come from supplements word-for-word (especially the ones that Loyola professors wrote).

6) Breathe: The year will go by quickly, you need to be on your shit, and keep your eye on the prize.

Helpful tips- thanks!

[BigZuck]

All things considered (cost, job prospects, etc.) would you say the school is worth it for your average classmate? Obviously you've done well so it sounds like it has been worth it for you, just wondering if you think it has been worth it for most people.

Related to that, you said the picture is not as grim as TLS paints. What exactly is the picture TLS paints and what is TLS getting wrong?

Thanks for doing this and congrats on the summer gig

[LLS2L]

All things considered (cost, job prospects, etc.) would you say the school is worth it for your average classmate? Obviously you've done well so it sounds like it has been worth it for you, just wondering if you think it has been worth it for most people.

Related to that, you said the picture is not as grim as TLS paints. What exactly is the picture TLS paints and what is TLS getting wrong?

Thanks for doing this and congrats on the summer gig

For the average student (read: around median), I think Loyola is worth it if they have some sort of scholarship money. The heavy majority of Loyola students receive entering scholarships, obviously some bigger than others. I would say that if you can swing $10,000/year, it's probably worth it. Another thing to consider is that a lot of the students here are from the LA/OC area and commute from home, so they save the ~$26,000 COL expenses that out-of-towners, like myself, have to borrow. So if you commute and have say, $10,000/year in scholarships, you're looking at <$100,000 in total debt, which while a lot, is mangeable. (On a side note, there is A LOT of independent wealth at Loyola, and A LOT of people's families pick up the tab so they have no debt...so for them it's worth it pretty much regardless).

The difficult part for someone putting themselves through law school is that often they don't know if it's worth it until after they've completed 1L and see where they rank in the class. I think a lot of people come in with the mentality that they will be top of the class, but in reality the heavy majority of people won't be.

The reason that I say it's worth it for the average student is because, unlike TLS conventional wisdom, it's not Biglaw or bust. I have tons of classmates that work at major Hollywood studios, BigGov, well-regarded small and mid-sized firms that pay well, etc. The majority of people here don't get Biglaw, but I would also say that the majority of graduates have very successful careers. Perhaps Loyola is a bit different than other Tier 2 schools in that we are LA, because a ton of people end up working in the well-paying entertainment industry, whether it be through personal connections or networking.

When I say the picture isn't as grim as TLS projects, I mean it in the sense that TLS basically says go to a T14 or don't go to law school at all unless it's on a full ride. I think TLS is ridiculously risk averse, and I also think that the majority of TLS users are T14 grads so their opinions tend to run the conversation. Going to a tier 2 law school without a full ride is worth it in a lot of cases, and plenty of people that don't land Biglaw gigs do quite well. No doubt there are people who go to law school on a whim and shouldn't really be there, but to make a generalization and tell people that they shouldn't be going to a non-T14 school without $$$ is too black and white.

[Drowninmyowntears]

Wow thanks for doing this! Loyola is one of my top choices and I'm just trying to narrow it down. Can you talk a little bit about how the concentrations and clinics work at Loyola? I'm particularly interested in the civil justice/youth justice/immigration justice/project for the innocent, basically any social justice type stuff if you know any specifics about those!

Also, how important do you feel that the specific programs/clinics/concentrations are versus the money a school offers you? I got offered a lot of money at Loyola, but other schools I got accepted to offered me no money and have programs closer to the things I'm interested in. Not sure how to weight programs versus cost!

Also, just in general, what are your thoughts about transferring to a different school after the first year? I'm on the waitlist for my top choice and I believe their program in a particular concentration is unparalleled and was considering transferring after the first year if I don't get off the waitlist. Having completed a few years already, what are your thoughts about that?

[LLS2L]

Wow thanks for doing this! Loyola is one of my top choices and I'm just trying to narrow it down. Can you talk a little bit about how the concentrations and clinics work at Loyola? I'm particularly interested in the civil justice/youth justice/immigration justice/project for the innocent, basically any social justice type stuff if you know any specifics about those!

Also, how important do you feel that the specific programs/clinics/concentrations are versus the money a school offers you? I got offered a lot of money at Loyola, but other schools I got accepted to offered me no money and have programs closer to the things I'm interested in. Not sure how to weight programs versus cost!

Also, just in general, what are your thoughts about transferring to a different school after the first year? I'm on the waitlist for my top choice and I believe their program in a particular concentration is unparalleled and was considering transferring after the first year if I don't get off the waitlist. Having completed a few years already, what are your thoughts about that?

A couple loaded questions here, so I'll try to break them down.

The clinics and concentrations at Loyola are very strong, but this is particularly true with the clinics. The clinics are awesome and a lot of students do them. Loyola requires all students to do 40 hours of pro bono work, and the clinics are a great way to complete those hours. That being said, many people do them just because they love them. I would say the two most well-known ones are the immigration clinic and the Project for the Innocent. Being in LA, immigration issues are all over the place, and the clinic does a lot of work with local immigrants and their families, both legal and illegal. They work closely with legal aid organizations and do a ton of substantive work. I know a lot of times students get certified and take cases all on their own. The Project for the Innocent is very, very popular and well-known. Professor Levenson, whom is nationally known as one of the leading scholars in criminal law, takes on very high profile cases and does fantastic work. Just last year they were successful in exhonerating a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for decades for a murder he didn't commit (His name was Kash Register [no, I'm not joking]). Long story short, the clinics are great, and a lot of students, especially those interested in PI take advantage of them. Be sure to also check out the Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) too, they do tons of great work and are an incredible networking resource if that's your cup of tea.

To be honest, I think 0Ls get too caught up in specific programs/concentrations. Yes, some schools have reputations for being "the best" at X, Y, or Z. However, the large majority of schools are known for a couple specialities, and more importantly their overall reputation. Loyola is very well known for producing great litigators (private practice & DA/PD/Gov) and PI lawyers. I'm not saying you should disregard specific programs at different schools, but I think you are placing WAY too much emphasis on it. I can honestly only name like 3 or 4 people in my class of ~300 who have a concentration at Loyola. Rather than do a concentration, which locks you into taking certain required courses (and subsequently doesn't allow you to take many bar classes and other that you are interested in), most students select their courses based on their relevant interests. To supplement, they also join clubs/organizations, such as clinics, Project for the Innocent, PILF, etc. that will enable them to network and market themselves as a certain type of lawyer. At the end of the day all that matters is the school's reputation as a whole. Luckily, Loyola has a great reputation in the PI/Civil Justice/Social Justice spheres, and I have tons of friends that have been very successful going down that road.

Money should be the MOST IMPORTANT factor, especially since you are aiming for PI and not well-paying private practice. It's not fun to have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and only make $40k/year. Yes, there are programs to help with repayment and sometimes loan forgiveness, but those put you in a box and prohibit you from doing something else if you aren't happy in PI.

Biggest piece of advice I can give you is don't go into law school with the intent to transfer. There are so many people who go to law school thinking they'll easily be top 10% or better, transfer up the ladder, and beat the system. Fact of the matter is, not everyone can finish at the top of the class. Only go to a school if at the end of the day, you'd be happy staying there. If you're set on the school you are referring to and don't get in off the wait list, then I'd suggest taking a year off, retaking the LSAT, and applying next year. That being said, chances are you won't get a lot of money to that higher ranked school even if you do get in, and money should be your deciding factor, especially if PI is your goal.

[Drowninmyowntears]

Wow thanks for doing this! Loyola is one of my top choices and I'm just trying to narrow it down. Can you talk a little bit about how the concentrations and clinics work at Loyola? I'm particularly interested in the civil justice/youth justice/immigration justice/project for the innocent, basically any social justice type stuff if you know any specifics about those!

Also, how important do you feel that the specific programs/clinics/concentrations are versus the money a school offers you? I got offered a lot of money at Loyola, but other schools I got accepted to offered me no money and have programs closer to the things I'm interested in. Not sure how to weight programs versus cost!

Also, just in general, what are your thoughts about transferring to a different school after the first year? I'm on the waitlist for my top choice and I believe their program in a particular concentration is unparalleled and was considering transferring after the first year if I don't get off the waitlist. Having completed a few years already, what are your thoughts about that?

A couple loaded questions here, so I'll try to break them down.

The clinics and concentrations at Loyola are very strong, but this is particularly true with the clinics. The clinics are awesome and a lot of students do them. Loyola requires all students to do 40 hours of pro bono work, and the clinics are a great way to complete those hours. That being said, many people do them just because they love them. I would say the two most well-known ones are the immigration clinic and the Project for the Innocent. Being in LA, immigration issues are all over the place, and the clinic does a lot of work with local immigrants and their families, both legal and illegal. They work closely with legal aid organizations and do a ton of substantive work. I know a lot of times students get certified and take cases all on their own. The Project for the Innocent is very, very popular and well-known. Professor Levenson, whom is nationally known as one of the leading scholars in criminal law, takes on very high profile cases and does fantastic work. Just last year they were successful in exhonerating a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for decades for a murder he didn't commit (His name was Kash Register [no, I'm not joking]). Long story short, the clinics are great, and a lot of students, especially those interested in PI take advantage of them. Be sure to also check out the Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) too, they do tons of great work and are an incredible networking resource if that's your cup of tea.

To be honest, I think 0Ls get too caught up in specific programs/concentrations. Yes, some schools have reputations for being "the best" at X, Y, or Z. However, the large majority of schools are known for a couple specialities, and more importantly their overall reputation. Loyola is very well known for producing great litigators (private practice & DA/PD/Gov) and PI lawyers. I'm not saying you should disregard specific programs at different schools, but I think you are placing WAY too much emphasis on it. I can honestly only name like 3 or 4 people in my class of ~300 who have a concentration at Loyola. Rather than do a concentration, which locks you into taking certain required courses (and subsequently doesn't allow you to take many bar classes and other that you are interested in), most students select their courses based on their relevant interests. To supplement, they also join clubs/organizations, such as clinics, Project for the Innocent, PILF, etc. that will enable them to network and market themselves as a certain type of lawyer. At the end of the day all that matters is the school's reputation as a whole. Luckily, Loyola has a great reputation in the PI/Civil Justice/Social Justice spheres, and I have tons of friends that have been very successful going down that road.

Money should be the MOST IMPORTANT factor, especially since you are aiming for PI and not well-paying private practice. It's not fun to have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and only make $40k/year. Yes, there are programs to help with repayment and sometimes loan forgiveness, but those put you in a box and prohibit you from doing something else if you aren't happy in PI.

Biggest piece of advice I can give you is don't go into law school with the intent to transfer. There are so many people who go to law school thinking they'll easily be top 10% or better, transfer up the ladder, and beat the system. Fact of the matter is, not everyone can finish at the top of the class. Only go to a school if at the end of the day, you'd be happy staying there. If you're set on the school you are referring to and don't get in off the wait list, then I'd suggest taking a year off, retaking the LSAT, and applying next year. That being said, chances are you won't get a lot of money to that higher ranked school even if you do get in, and money should be your deciding factor, especially if PI is your goal.

Incredible response, thank you SO much! Gave me a lot of great things to think about!!!

[KM2016]

Incredible response, thank you SO much! Gave me a lot of great things to think about!!!

Glad I could be helpful. Fire away if you have any other questions.

[whitespider]

Incredible response, thank you SO much! Gave me a lot of great things to think about!!!

Glad I could be helpful. Fire away if you have any other questions.

So confused. Is LLS2L a KM2016 alt and he/she/they logged into the wrong account to post that?

[Drowninmyowntears]

Incredible response, thank you SO much! Gave me a lot of great things to think about!!!

Glad I could be helpful. Fire away if you have any other questions.

So confused. Is LLS2L a KM2016 alt and he/she/they logged into the wrong account to post that?

Lol! good point!

[LLS2L]

Lol sorry about that. My brother (KM2016), who is a 2nd year associate, is visiting me in LA and must have used his account on my desktop. I didn't notice so it must have been still logged in on his account.

[nci7]

Your answers so far have been so helpful! Thank you!

Of the people you know that started at Loyola with a scholarship, about how many were able to renew their scholarship for the following years? The stipulation is a 2.85 GPA (top 75%) but I have read countless times that it is impossible to predict if you will be able to meet the GPA requirement and could possibly pay full tuition second and third year.

Also, how often do students that were offered the opportunity to have an alumni mentor get to meet with their mentors? Have students deemed this as an invaluable opportunity or can the benefits of having a mentor be obtained by networking and being socially active at school events?

[LLS2L]

Your answers so far have been so helpful! Thank you!

Of the people you know that started at Loyola with a scholarship, about how many were able to renew their scholarship for the following years? The stipulation is a 2.85 GPA (top 75%) but I have read countless times that it is impossible to predict if you will be able to meet the GPA requirement and could possibly pay full tuition second and third year.

Also, how often do students that were offered the opportunity to have an alumni mentor get to meet with their mentors? Have students deemed this as an invaluable opportunity or can the benefits of having a mentor be obtained by networking and being socially active at school events?

1) I only know of 3 people that haven't kept their scholarships, and 2 of them have left law school for other careers. There may be other people I know that lost them, but they didn't advertise it. But honestly, with the curve, it's difficult to not maintain a 2.85, especially if yo have a scholarship. If you have a scholarship, you already know you're "smarter" than a lot of students who don't have them. That's not to say your performance in law school is determined by your undergrad GPA and LSAT score, but they typically give you a good indication of your abilities. If you have below a 2.85, law school probably wasn't the right place for you. I don't mean that to sound condescending, but the fact remains that the legal market is tough, and you have to succeed in law school to do well. If you're willing to work even remotely hard and care at all about your grades, you will have no problem maintaining a 2.85. If you're bottom 25% after 1L at a school like Loyola, it would behoove you to consider other careers, unless you have people in high places hooking you up.

2) The alumni mentor program is great. One thing I've noticed about Loyola is people that go here/have gone here, love it. There are tons of eager alumni who love to give back and help students in any way they can. I know some people who have even gotten jobs through their mentors. As far as the relationship with the mentor goes, the ball is in your court. When you first get assigned an alumni mentor, they usually reach out first and set up a lunch or coffee, etc. After that, it's your call how often you want to see them. My mentor was great and in the field of law that I wanted to enter, so we've had lunch once or twice each semester. He's given me very helpful insight in regards to doing well in law school and he's answered many career-related questions that I have. That being said, your mentor won't beg you to talk to them or meet up with them. They are a resource, and it's up to you to utilize it. So to answer your question, it's invaluable if you make it invaluable; but if you never reach out to them or never try to talk to them, it'll likely do nothing for you. And as you suggest, anything you can get from a formal alumni mentor you can also get from networking. Most people at Loyola have 2 or 3 unofficial mentors, meaning people they've met at various events that they've reached out to and developed relationships with. Again, these unofficial mentors are a great resource and can help a lot in terms of jobs/connections, but it remains a very "get what you give" type of relationship.

Hope that helps.

[Brixtontls]

One thing holding me back from choosing Loyola is its location. The area is pretty unsafe and I wouldn't feel to comfortable studying until 1 or 2am in the library...are there many/any problems you've noticed on campus as a result of the surrounding neighborhood?

Also, do you find it hard to find parking in the parking structure on campus? If you don't find parking in there have you had to park on the street?

[LLS2L]

While I understand that this may concern you, it is a huge non-issue. First of all, Loyola's campus isn't in as bad as an area as people say. Second of all, the campus is 100% gated and there are only 3 entry points. 2 of them require you to swipe you student ID, and the other is the garage entrance which is guarded by 24/7 security and requires a parking ID to attain access. Although I'm a guy and probably feel safer than the average woman, I will tell you that I have never met a single Loyola student, male of female, that has felt even remotely unsafe on campus. It is literally impossible to access our campus unless you are a student, staff, faculty, or registered guest (meaning you've checked in with security).

During finals, when the library is open 24/7, there are hundreds of students on campus all through the night studying, ordering delivery, sitting outside on the phone, etc. (There is also a 24/7 section of the library that is open throughout the semester, not just during finals). The campus is inaccessible to people that don't belong there. I can't stress this enough because I think it's incredibly important to know. If you don't believe me, visit the campus on a Sunday evening/night when the only people you'll see on campus are guys and girls in sweatpants and hoodies studying their asses off.

In regards to parking, the school has over 1,500 parking spaces in the garage and there are only ~900 students, ~80 faculty, and ~200 staff. And remember, there are a lot of students and staff that take public transportation to school. I have never not been able to find, nor have I ever met anyone else who has not been able to find, a space in the garage. There are usually hundreds of spots left open every day, no matter what time. Some students opt to park off-campus to save money on the parking fee, and they usually have no problem finding spots within a couple of blocks. Personally I don't recommend this because I am always running late for class, especially with LA traffic; it's nice to know there's an open spot for you in the garage and not have to look for one on the street. As it pertains to safety, no one has ever been mugged/robbed/anything negative when walking to their car off campus. The area is actually full of families with a lot of younger children and there is a VERY active church/school across the street, so it's far safer than people give it credit for.

[Brixtontls]

Thanks for the helpful answer! Makes me feel more comfortable now. And yeah, I'm a female...which added to my concern.

One more question. I looked up the Medici Apartments. Is this a popular place for Loyola students to stay? It looked really nice, but I did find an article that mentioned it often has burglaries and car break-ins because people in the area know it is a luxury apartment and thus a suitable target.

[LLS2L]

Thanks for the helpful answer! Makes me feel more comfortable now. And yeah, I'm a female...which added to my concern.

One more question. I looked up the Medici Apartments. Is this a popular place for Loyola students to stay? It looked really nice, but I did find an article that mentioned it often has burglaries and car break-ins because people in the area know it is a luxury apartment and thus a suitable target.

Medici is popular for 1Ls, especially those from out of town and don't know any better, but DO NOT LIVE THERE. I have so many friends that have had horror stories there. The management is terrible and doesn't fix anything, they've kept people's security deposits for no reason, and done all sorts of other ridiculous things. The building is nice, but it's a shit show living there.

The best way to find an apartment in LA is to go to the neighborhood that you want to live in, drive around, and call the numbers on the buildings. It's tedious, but many of the best deals on apartments aren't advertised and you have to pound the pavement to find them.

K-Town, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, DTLA, Miracle Mile, etc. are all popular areas for Loyola students.