Loyola vs. Pepperdine Forum

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Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Loyola (sticker)
44
59%
Pepperdine (sticker)
30
41%
 
Total votes: 74

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arhmcpo

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by arhmcpo » Thu May 13, 2010 1:33 pm

^ Correct - LMU law campus not located on main campus whereas Pepperdine Law Campus is in the same hills as the undergrad.

I'm finishing my 1L at pepperdine now, first day of freakin school a power line went down on the 1 - adding like an hr and a half to my commute but since then no problems. Commute is actually short and easy from calabasas where most students are. From santa monica or marina del rey also not bad traffic but your talking at least a 30 minute commute. Commutting from LA, now that can get towards the 1 hr mark unless you go at non-bad traffic times.

Also agree the school's rankings are so close as to be inconsequential although Pepperdine is on an upward swing and Loyola is back where its always been btw 55-65.

Anyways, --LinkRemoved--
Law School Quality of Life [aka Law School Party Rankings]
Pepperdine = #19
Loyola = #83

/thread :D

CAHopeful

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by CAHopeful » Thu May 13, 2010 1:59 pm

I spent the first portion of my undergraduate career at Pepperdine before transferring elsewhere due to its highly conservative culture. Pepperdine has a good law school, but I urge you to seriously consider just how conservative it is on campus. It is affiliated with the Church of Christ, a denomination that fits the "religious right" descriptor perfectly. I am a Christian and take my faith seriously, but am also a progressive-minded person who values equality, open-mindedness and diversity. These are not values of the Pepperdine community at large. I'm not sure if this applies to graduate students, but I know that undergrads are required to sign and abide by a contract stating that they will adhere to Church of Christ values while attending Pepperdine. This includes abstinence until marriage, not being under the influence of alcohol while on campus (much less storing it in on-campus housing), etc. They also kicked an "anti-homophobia" student-run organization off campus while I was there because the administration felt it conflicted with Biblical teachings. To that end, last year a Pepperdine Law School professor was featured in a commercial blasting marriage equality and encouraging the passage of Prop. 8 in CA. To Pepperdine's credit, they did ask that the portion of the commercial with the professor in it be taken off air so as to not associate the Law School with "Yes on 8" officially, but nonetheless this is very indicitive of the culture on campus.

I tell this to people when they ask me if, based on my experience, should they attend Pepperdine (whether for undergrad or grad programs): Ask yourself if you would truly be happy surrounded by people who identify with the religious right and are not afraid to be openly judgmental of others whose beliefs differ from their own. If you fit into this group of people, I do think you'd be happy at Pepperdine. But if you're looking for a law school that values diversity and equality, my personal opinion is that you should go to Loyola. It's a wonderful school and is Jesuit, which although is a Catholic sect, is highly progressive and prioritizes social justice, equality, etc.

Just my two cents. Good luck!

LSdeshou

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by LSdeshou » Thu May 13, 2010 3:18 pm

CAHopeful wrote:I'm not sure if this applies to graduate students...
Let me stop you right there. Nope, it doesn't. The law school is NOTHING like the undergrad. The law school faculty is pretty evenly split(bout 50/50) between liberals/conservatives despite what many on this forum believe. If anything, the faculty is more diverse in terms of political leanings compared to any other school. Loyola definitely doesn't have that type of neutrality. People on this forum hate on Pepperdine because of its religious affiliation or political affiliation without any basis for doing so. Why is this? TLS and most law students in general tend to be liberal leaning. As you move up the list of t1 schools, the number of "conservative" schools are slim.

Haters gonna hate.

CAHopeful

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by CAHopeful » Fri May 14, 2010 2:25 pm

LSdeshou wrote:
CAHopeful wrote:I'm not sure if this applies to graduate students...
Let me stop you right there. Nope, it doesn't. The law school is NOTHING like the undergrad. The law school faculty is pretty evenly split(bout 50/50) between liberals/conservatives despite what many on this forum believe. If anything, the faculty is more diverse in terms of political leanings compared to any other school. Loyola definitely doesn't have that type of neutrality. People on this forum hate on Pepperdine because of its religious affiliation or political affiliation without any basis for doing so. Why is this? TLS and most law students in general tend to be liberal leaning. As you move up the list of t1 schools, the number of "conservative" schools are slim.

Haters gonna hate.
This is a direct quote from Pepperdine Law's website: "Pepperdine draws no separations between the "sacred and the secular" in daily life and conduct."

I completely understand what you're saying about the distinction between Seaver College and the graduate programs, however, people need to understand that a statement like the one above is extremely serious. "No separations between the sacred and secular" means that if you aren't 100% on board with Church of Christ teachings, there is a good chance you're going to have a problem with at least some of the ways the law school operates or teaches. You won't find a statement this bold anywhere on Loyola's website. While I understand this doesn't indicate that Pepperdine is anywhere near the most conservative law school in the country, it is important to keep this information in mind if you're considering it as an option. Plenty of people would be happy in this kind of environment, and others would not. It's just more information to digest.

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1ferret!

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by 1ferret! » Fri May 14, 2010 7:33 pm

CAHopeful wrote:
LSdeshou wrote:
CAHopeful wrote:I'm not sure if this applies to graduate students...
Let me stop you right there. Nope, it doesn't. The law school is NOTHING like the undergrad. The law school faculty is pretty evenly split(bout 50/50) between liberals/conservatives despite what many on this forum believe. If anything, the faculty is more diverse in terms of political leanings compared to any other school. Loyola definitely doesn't have that type of neutrality. People on this forum hate on Pepperdine because of its religious affiliation or political affiliation without any basis for doing so. Why is this? TLS and most law students in general tend to be liberal leaning. As you move up the list of t1 schools, the number of "conservative" schools are slim.

Haters gonna hate.
This is a direct quote from Pepperdine Law's website: "Pepperdine draws no separations between the "sacred and the secular" in daily life and conduct."

I completely understand what you're saying about the distinction between Seaver College and the graduate programs, however, people need to understand that a statement like the one above is extremely serious. "No separations between the sacred and secular" means that if you aren't 100% on board with Church of Christ teachings, there is a good chance you're going to have a problem with at least some of the ways the law school operates or teaches. You won't find a statement this bold anywhere on Loyola's website. While I understand this doesn't indicate that Pepperdine is anywhere near the most conservative law school in the country, it is important to keep this information in mind if you're considering it as an option. Plenty of people would be happy in this kind of environment, and others would not. It's just more information to digest.
The majority of this post is just bs.
#1 PEPPERDINE IS A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL!
I don't think anyone who applied to the school is under any misconceptions about that. However, your comment about having problems with the way the school operates or teaches if you are not onboard with the Church of Christ just doesn't follow. The law school isn't even remotely like the undergraduate institution in this regard. Do the faculty believe that they have a purpose in teaching and helping students learn? Absolutely. However the majority of people falsely seem to equate the experience of attending a Christian school with the idea that someone is going to be teaching you what the Christian view of such-and-such a law is, or that the halls will be filled with students yammering about how god tells them to interpret the law, and that is where they would be wrong.
Do the faculty and students feel that there is purpose in their work? Most of the faculty and some of the students, yes. But what that translates into in practice is that the teachers want to help you achieve your goals, some emphasizing service to the community, and students who are interested in making a difference in the world through the practice of law. NOT an atmosphere where some ideology is being shoved down your throat. I really don't see how those features would bother a student or make them unhappy in their environment.
Like a lot of people I come from an undergraduate school that was secular and left-leaning, but it doesn't bother me to attend a school where more people have different ideas. It's not forced on me, I am not alienated because of it, and its really hard to say that I could or should be annoyed that a relatively greater number of students around me are pursuing the law with the idea that they will use it not to get rich, but rather to help people in their communities and around the world.
If thats the kind of thing that makes you uncomfortable then I think you are either absurdly over-sensitive, or else too used to having your own feelings constantly confirmed by those around you.
Bottom line is this: while Pepperdine is a Christian school, that fact does not manifest itself in ways that should be offensive or even uncomfortable for most well-adjusted students.

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youikky

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by youikky » Sat May 15, 2010 7:02 am

ok, let me stop everyone dragging this thread into religious/Christianity/secular/conservatives/liberal discussion.

I opened up this thread because I want to get little advice on which LAW SCHOOL to attend, not to know where to subscribe my religious/political belief. :(

Thx for everyone's comment. I really appreciate all of them(even the rather serious off the topic debate..)
but sadly, i'm not even close to decide which damn school to go for this Fall. and the time is ticking...

I guess I am unconsciously leaning toward to Loyola as I called them asking up any upcoming event for admitted students. hm,,

maybe i was expecting some kinda landscape winner so that I can just laugh at myself and go to whatever the winner school, that's not the case for these 2 though.

Still tough.
1ferret! wrote:
CAHopeful wrote:
LSdeshou wrote:
CAHopeful wrote:I'm not sure if this applies to graduate students...
Let me stop you right there. Nope, it doesn't. The law school is NOTHING like the undergrad. The law school faculty is pretty evenly split(bout 50/50) between liberals/conservatives despite what many on this forum believe. If anything, the faculty is more diverse in terms of political leanings compared to any other school. Loyola definitely doesn't have that type of neutrality. People on this forum hate on Pepperdine because of its religious affiliation or political affiliation without any basis for doing so. Why is this? TLS and most law students in general tend to be liberal leaning. As you move up the list of t1 schools, the number of "conservative" schools are slim.

Haters gonna hate.
This is a direct quote from Pepperdine Law's website: "Pepperdine draws no separations between the "sacred and the secular" in daily life and conduct."

I completely understand what you're saying about the distinction between Seaver College and the graduate programs, however, people need to understand that a statement like the one above is extremely serious. "No separations between the sacred and secular" means that if you aren't 100% on board with Church of Christ teachings, there is a good chance you're going to have a problem with at least some of the ways the law school operates or teaches. You won't find a statement this bold anywhere on Loyola's website. While I understand this doesn't indicate that Pepperdine is anywhere near the most conservative law school in the country, it is important to keep this information in mind if you're considering it as an option. Plenty of people would be happy in this kind of environment, and others would not. It's just more information to digest.
The majority of this post is just bs.
#1 PEPPERDINE IS A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL!
I don't think anyone who applied to the school is under any misconceptions about that. However, your comment about having problems with the way the school operates or teaches if you are not onboard with the Church of Christ just doesn't follow. The law school isn't even remotely like the undergraduate institution in this regard. Do the faculty believe that they have a purpose in teaching and helping students learn? Absolutely. However the majority of people falsely seem to equate the experience of attending a Christian school with the idea that someone is going to be teaching you what the Christian view of such-and-such a law is, or that the halls will be filled with students yammering about how god tells them to interpret the law, and that is where they would be wrong.
Do the faculty and students feel that there is purpose in their work? Most of the faculty and some of the students, yes. But what that translates into in practice is that the teachers want to help you achieve your goals, some emphasizing service to the community, and students who are interested in making a difference in the world through the practice of law. NOT an atmosphere where some ideology is being shoved down your throat. I really don't see how those features would bother a student or make them unhappy in their environment.
Like a lot of people I come from an undergraduate school that was secular and left-leaning, but it doesn't bother me to attend a school where more people have different ideas. It's not forced on me, I am not alienated because of it, and its really hard to say that I could or should be annoyed that a relatively greater number of students around me are pursuing the law with the idea that they will use it not to get rich, but rather to help people in their communities and around the world.
If thats the kind of thing that makes you uncomfortable then I think you are either absurdly over-sensitive, or else too used to having your own feelings constantly confirmed by those around you.
Bottom line is this: while Pepperdine is a Christian school, that fact does not manifest itself in ways that should be offensive or even uncomfortable for most well-adjusted students.

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1ferret!

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by 1ferret! » Sat May 15, 2010 4:13 pm

If you have a preference on where in los angeles you want to live, then go with that, and the closest of the two schools to that location.
If you prefer a smaller class size to to Pepperdine.
Negligible difference in tuition cost.
Might be slightly cheaper cost of living nearer to Loyola.
Currently, Big Law prospects are fairly equal by percentage, although Loyola traditionally had an advantage in this area.
If you want to be part of a larger alumni base, go to Loyola.
If you want to do something with dispute resolution, go to Pepperdine.
If you have a preference for working with a particular journal, choose accordingly.
If you want to extern in entertainment, they are probably similar, although I know Pepperdine's program is great.
If you are interested in the night life, schools probably comparable, Pepperdine kids spend most of their time in Santa Monica or Hollywood.
If you care about the view or have safety concerns go to Pepperdine.
If you want to work in a specific school clinical program choose accordingly.
And please visit both schools.

youikky

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by youikky » Mon May 17, 2010 10:06 pm

1ferret! wrote:If you have a preference on where in los angeles you want to live, then go with that, and the closest of the two schools to that location.
If you prefer a smaller class size to to Pepperdine.
Negligible difference in tuition cost.
Might be slightly cheaper cost of living nearer to Loyola.
Currently, Big Law prospects are fairly equal by percentage, although Loyola traditionally had an advantage in this area.
If you want to be part of a larger alumni base, go to Loyola.
If you want to do something with dispute resolution, go to Pepperdine.
If you have a preference for working with a particular journal, choose accordingly.
If you want to extern in entertainment, they are probably similar, although I know Pepperdine's program is great.
If you are interested in the night life, schools probably comparable, Pepperdine kids spend most of their time in Santa Monica or Hollywood.
If you care about the view or have safety concerns go to Pepperdine.
If you want to work in a specific school clinical program choose accordingly.
And please visit both schools.
thx this is very clear non-biased post which I was expecting from the start..

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1ferret!

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by 1ferret! » Tue May 18, 2010 2:24 am

My pleasure. Let me know if you need any more info, but the status quo between these schools is fairly well known (but for the characterization of the faculty/students previously argued about). A lot of people I know were in at both and visited both before deciding and they also frequent these boards...

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youikky

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by youikky » Sat May 22, 2010 8:07 am

i guess Loyola it is then.. :)

thx for all the replies.. really helped a lot!

maybe it already had an answer when i started this poll as i voted for loyola myself..
human beings always like to get approved by others by nature and I got what i need eventually.

good luck to all!

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1ferret!

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Re: Loyola vs. Pepperdine

Post by 1ferret! » Sat May 22, 2010 3:06 pm

Good luck, enjoy it, work hard.

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