UC Irvine 2013 Forum

[DoctorNick189]

.

[lt0826]

With full tuition I can see how it would be compelling, but the fact is when they are offering half tuition, that's a $39K scholarship. Still very generous, but people with T20 numbers may be able to get something comparable at a school with an alumni base, employment stats, and a law review. Not to mention the risk that you'd be turning down a T20 for an estimated T30.

That being said, I'm really attracted to the quality of life in irvine and sincere efforts of famous faculty to get me to go. The personal call from Chemerinsky almost caused me to crash my car.

Regarding law review, from what I understand they are starting a law review - this year's class will help to create the law review. And if my memory is correct, Dean Ortiz said there has been interest expressed in launching and Environmental Law review as well.

Regarding employment, there is an awful lot of support from local firms. When I go visit the campus I will try and find out potential for PI, clerkships, etc for those of us not interested in biglaw. But even if Irvine were to end up with regional reach rather than national reach, So Cal is an awfully nice place to be.

The lack of an alumni base is my only real concern. But if there is enough support from the local community, that can counter the lack of alumni. Also, the classes are small, so we won't be competing with a lot of other graduates. They did have more employers than students at the first OCI. Where else does that happen???

The student/faculty ratio alone is a HUGE opportunity - and this isn't any old faculty - this is the cream of the crop!!

I will be withdrawing some of my apps, but even of those I don't withdraw, it's going to be tough. I am going to be really really torn if I have to choose between Berkeley and Irvine since I also <3 Berkeley. NU, VA, Chicago and MI would all also be very tough choices if it came down to it. But first those schools have to show me some love. It is very unlikely any of those schools give me $$ and given I don't want biglaw, $$ matters to me as well. H/Y/S - OK - my chances at those schools are so small I am not even thinking about it right now, but realistically I doubt I could say no to those 3 - who am I kidding?

[lt0826]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Um, wow. She read your post?? *waves* Hi Dean Ortiz! Can't wait to talk to you.

I'm really pulling for you calgal!! Hope she waves back in the form of a phone call.

[1800calturk]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Dean Ortiz is awesome. She was shockingly pleasant during our phone call even though I was blabbering nonsense like a stunned idiot. Her call made Irvine a really difficult offer to ignore, even in the face of higher ranked schools. I'm also really attracted to the opportunity of actually being involved in getting the school up into the air. The success of the first 3 classes are absolutely crucial to the success of the school over all, and I'm sure the faculty understands this and will pour whatever resources it has into seeing every student do well.

Thanks Lobstar for the article! It was enlightening, and yes, outside expectations are a big hindrance in choosing Irvine over a higher ranked school. Unfortunately, perception really matters for employment so the perception of the school (i.e. its ranking) can be more important than actual quality of education. I feel that the 100% scholarship makes the decision a little easier since it negates a lot of the risk of choosing. I wonder if the author, given the financial risk of actually paying even half tuition, would choose UCI over Boalt or Columbia. I feel like in a perfect world, UCI would have been able to offer full scholarships for the first three years.

lt0826 you bring up a lot of excellent points. Especially in my case, I would LOVE to live in Southern California and even OC specifically. But unlike you I am interested in biglaw, and with no alumni network, I wonder if firms even down in SoCal (teeming with Bruins and Trojans) would hire UCI over their own grads.

[calgal17]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Um, wow. She read your post?? *waves* Hi Dean Ortiz! Can't wait to talk to you.

I'm really pulling for you calgal!! Hope she waves back in the form of a phone call.

Thanks! That's really sweet. I hope so too!

[lobstar]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Dean Ortiz is awesome. She was shockingly pleasant during our phone call even though I was blabbering nonsense like a stunned idiot. Her call made Irvine a really difficult offer to ignore, even in the face of higher ranked schools. I'm also really attracted to the opportunity of actually being involved in getting the school up into the air. The success of the first 3 classes are absolutely crucial to the success of the school over all, and I'm sure the faculty understands this and will pour whatever resources it has into seeing every student do well.

Thanks Lobstar for the article! It was enlightening, and yes, outside expectations are a big hindrance in choosing Irvine over a higher ranked school. Unfortunately, perception really matters for employment so the perception of the school (i.e. its ranking) can be more important than actual quality of education. I feel that the 100% scholarship makes the decision a little easier since it negates a lot of the risk of choosing. I wonder if the author, given the financial risk of actually paying even half tuition, would choose UCI over Boalt or Columbia. I feel like in a perfect world, UCI would have been able to offer full scholarships for the first three years.

lt0826 you bring up a lot of excellent points. Especially in my case, I would LOVE to live in Southern California and even OC specifically. But unlike you I am interested in biglaw, and with no alumni network, I wonder if firms even down in SoCal (teeming with Bruins and Trojans) would hire UCI over their own grads.

I believe UCI was founded with public interest law in mind, which is why I was so interested in it. That said, Dean Chemerinsky did not seem concerned about the possibility of doing whatever kind of law suits your fancy.

Of course, he's not the one whose employment prospects are on the line - yours are. In addition to attracting public interest people, UCI further selects for risk takers (according to the TLS interview, and it makes sense). These first few classes are going to have to make up the slack with their own pioneering spirit.

So you gotta ask yourself - do I feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?

I feel pretty lucky

[ucilawzot!]

Hi Everyone,

UCI 1L here. I wanted to reply to a few questions/comments from this board.

First, yes there are clinics in the works! Next year we'll be launching an environmental law clinic. I know there are others planned, but they are still TBD. We've been in the process of recruiting a director for the enviro. law clinic and the candidates are great! UCI values experiential learning and a big part of this process will be required clinical work. With that said, we won't all have to do environmental law. There will be other options too.

With regard to student housing, most of us live on campus in either Palo Verde, Verano or Vista del Campo. VDC is privately managed, and is slightly more spendy, but comes with amenities like washer/dryer and a pool. Many students (like yours truly) live in PV or Verano because it is less costly. These latter two options are also about an 8 minute walk from class. VDC is a bit further, and most student residents drive over. Speaking of driving, yes, you can live in OC without a car -- especially if you have a zipcar membership. There are zipcars parked in both the PV and Verano parking lots. Maybe VDC, too, but I'm not sure since I don't live there. There are students here without cars. While it could feel like a limit on your mobility, you can easily live without one since the grocery stores, class and home are all so close. You're also in walking distance to a whole little mall complex of restaurants, shops and a movie theater -- and a Saturday Farmer's Market.

As for clerkships, jobs, etc. While we obviously can't give any concrete information on jobs since none of us are working yet, I can report that nearly all of us have summer jobs lined up in a wide-array of fields, including judicial externships in the State Court of Appeals, District Courts, 9th Circuit Ct. of Appeals, Bankruptcy Court, etc.; public interest positions with groups like the ACLU (locally and nationally), Public Counsel, etc.; public defender offices, prosecutor offices, and other government positions. Students even have summer internships with big law firms here in OC.

Lastly, as PANY said, we're all very excited to meet you at the ASD on April 1st. Stay tuned for invites from your (hopefully) future school-mates on evening events we'll be hosting to welcome you!

If anyone else has questions, feel free to ask.

[Veritas]

I keep going over my UCI app (in my head) realizing where I could have made it stronger. I really hope to have a shot.

[msch0i]

I keep going over my UCI app (in my head) realizing where I could have made it stronger. I really hope to have a shot.

+1. I had so much I wanted to say in the why uci statement...and kept thinking of more after I submitted

[ctaylor21]

I visited UCI today, sat in on a couple classes and met with some current students. I am a recent admit and although I have some decent acceptances already and though I have yet to hear from some attractive schools like USC, Vandy, UCLA and Georgetown, I am pretty impressed and heavily leaning towards Irvine.

After sitting on Dean Cherminsky's conlaw class I managed to chat with him about some of the future plans for the law school facilities, prospective faculty hires and the solid LSAT and GPA median of those admitted so far (both being higher than last year apparently). He was really friendly and made me feel that I would not be just another student if I were to attend in the fall. And thats the sense I get in general...UCI offers students the chance to play a significant role in leadership and the building of the institution.


There are few things I took away from the day:
1. The faculty is top notch (and students have unparalleled access to them).
2. The students are smart and genuinely nice people who I'd like to be around.
3. The school will be working tirelessly to place students in desirably externships, clerkships and jobs upon graduation since the success of the first few classes will set the pace for the school. I would go as far as saying that job prospects may be better than peer schools due to this.
4. There is a unique sense of community and pioneering spirit that is palpable. I'm sure this exists elsewhere, but after today I feel ready to jump right in and take part in what could be the birth of an exceptional law school and community.
5. The newness factor, although a bit scary, may be much more positive then negative.

At this point I am trying to come up with scenarios in which I won't attend Irvine but Im having trouble.

[im_blue]

I visited UCI today, sat in on a couple classes and met with some current students. I am a recent admit and although I have some decent acceptances already and though I have yet to hear from some attractive schools like USC, Vandy, UCLA and Georgetown, I am pretty impressed and heavily leaning towards Irvine.

After sitting on Dean Cherminsky's conlaw class I managed to chat with him about some of the future plans for the law school facilities, prospective faculty hires and the solid LSAT and GPA median of those admitted so far (both being higher than last year apparently). He was really friendly and made me feel that I would not be just another student if I were to attend in the fall. And thats the sense I get in general...UCI offers students the chance to play a significant role in leadership and the building of the institution.

There are few things I took away from the day:
1. The faculty is top notch (and students have unparalleled access to them).
2. The students are smart and genuinely nice people who I'd like to be around.
3. The school will be working tirelessly to place students in desirably externships, clerkships and jobs upon graduation since the success of the first few classes will set the pace for the school. I would go as far as saying that job prospects may be better than peer schools due to this.
4. There is a unique sense of community and pioneering spirit that is palpable. I'm sure this exists elsewhere, but after today I feel ready to jump right in and take part in what could be the birth of an exceptional law school and community.
5. The newness factor, although a bit scary, may be much more positive then negative.

At this point I am trying to come up with scenarios in which I won't attend Irvine but Im having trouble.

To play devil's advocate:
1, 2, and 4 have nothing to do with getting jobs, which ought to be the primary consideration for law school.
3) I'm not sure which schools you consider to be their peers (T14? T25? T50?), but every school has experienced career services offices that work tirelessly as well. The bottom line is that good law schools will place well if the economy is doing well, not because of their CSO's efforts.
5) Given that law school placement is almost entirely based on reputation, being a new school is usually a huge negative. If UCI debuts in the T50 as its first ranking, it will be the first school to do so.

[SandyC877]

Hi guys,

I hope you all had a great day. I just came by real quick before bed time to say "I LOVE UCI LAW!!!!!" That is all. Carry on~

[Tofu]

5) Given that law school placement is almost entirely based on reputation, being a new school is usually a huge negative. If UCI debuts in the T50 as its first ranking, it will be the first school to do so.

When does its first ranking come out?

[mbv]

I'm really excited about UCI, and half scholarship is really great, but there is one thing that's been burdening my mind--am I the only one playing the comparison game?

I feel like last year's applicants got FULL scholarships, and this years applicants all get half (is that right?) -- yet both classes will take on the same risks and face the same challenges (that come with a budding school).

Has anyone else weighed this in their minds, or am I just being (really) immature? Because half tuition really is still an fantastically generous scholarship and UCI really promising school...

[SandyC877]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Is this for reals? Dean Ortiz is lurking TLS! Hi Dean Ortiz!! Hope to see you soon in person~

[ctaylor21]

I visited UCI today, sat in on a couple classes and met with some current students. I am a recent admit and although I have some decent acceptances already and though I have yet to hear from some attractive schools like USC, Vandy, UCLA and Georgetown, I am pretty impressed and heavily leaning towards Irvine.

After sitting on Dean Cherminsky's conlaw class I managed to chat with him about some of the future plans for the law school facilities, prospective faculty hires and the solid LSAT and GPA median of those admitted so far (both being higher than last year apparently). He was really friendly and made me feel that I would not be just another student if I were to attend in the fall. And thats the sense I get in general...UCI offers students the chance to play a significant role in leadership and the building of the institution.

There are few things I took away from the day:
1. The faculty is top notch (and students have unparalleled access to them).
2. The students are smart and genuinely nice people who I'd like to be around.
3. The school will be working tirelessly to place students in desirably externships, clerkships and jobs upon graduation since the success of the first few classes will set the pace for the school. I would go as far as saying that job prospects may be better than peer schools due to this.
4. There is a unique sense of community and pioneering spirit that is palpable. I'm sure this exists elsewhere, but after today I feel ready to jump right in and take part in what could be the birth of an exceptional law school and community.
5. The newness factor, although a bit scary, may be much more positive then negative.

At this point I am trying to come up with scenarios in which I won't attend Irvine but Im having trouble.

To play devil's advocate:
1, 2, and 4 have nothing to do with getting jobs, which ought to be the primary consideration for law school.
3) I'm not sure which schools you consider to be their peers (T14? T25? T50?), but every school has experienced career services offices that work tirelessly as well. The bottom line is that good law schools will place well if the economy is doing well, not because of their CSO's efforts.
5) Given that law school placement is almost entirely based on reputation, being a new school is usually a huge negative. If UCI debuts in the T50 as its first ranking, it will be the first school to do so.

Your points are noted. Thanks for the input.
Although I am going to law school to get a job upon graduation, 1, 2 and 4 will play a part in my decision. i'd like to enjoy my next three years.
3) I guess I would look at schools 30-40 as there peers to be cautious. But my point is that UCI has an incredible incentive to ensure that their students secure employment (not that others don't). And I get the sense that if UCI students struggle to get the jobs they want, it will be as you say, due to the economy, as it would be elsewhere.
4) I would agree on reputation playing a huge role, but it seems to me (and others in the legal profession I've spoken with) that UCI has a significant reputation already, due in large part to being a part of the UC system and having such a highly regarded faculty with Cherminsky at the helm.

Call me crazy, but UCI still seems like a nice option.

[lifeaway1985]

WAVING

Hi, Dean Ortiz, does UCI Law seriously consider international applications???

[lt0826]

lt0826 you bring up a lot of excellent points. Especially in my case, I would LOVE to live in Southern California and even OC specifically. But unlike you I am interested in biglaw, and with no alumni network, I wonder if firms even down in SoCal (teeming with Bruins and Trojans) would hire UCI over their own grads.

Here is a list of the firms and organizations already committed to OCI:
http://www.law.uci.edu/career_dev/parti ... oyers.html

Hope it helps.

[poslhs]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Is this for reals? Dean Ortiz is lurking TLS! Hi Dean Ortiz!! Hope to see you soon in person~

Yes. That’s exactly what happened. I was so nervous when I sent her email. I think I even made few grammatical errors and typos because my hands were shaking. But she replied within five minutes, and she was really nice. I’m still so excited.

[finalaspects]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Is this for reals? Dean Ortiz is lurking TLS! Hi Dean Ortiz!! Hope to see you soon in person~

Yes. That’s exactly what happened. I was so nervous when I sent her email. I think I even made few grammatical errors and typos because my hands were shaking. But she replied within five minutes, and she was really nice. I’m still so excited.

hmm i wonder if she tries to figure out who everyone is...

[ucilawzot!]

I visited UCI today, sat in on a couple classes and met with some current students. I am a recent admit and although I have some decent acceptances already and though I have yet to hear from some attractive schools like USC, Vandy, UCLA and Georgetown, I am pretty impressed and heavily leaning towards Irvine.

After sitting on Dean Cherminsky's conlaw class I managed to chat with him about some of the future plans for the law school facilities, prospective faculty hires and the solid LSAT and GPA median of those admitted so far (both being higher than last year apparently). He was really friendly and made me feel that I would not be just another student if I were to attend in the fall. And thats the sense I get in general...UCI offers students the chance to play a significant role in leadership and the building of the institution.

There are few things I took away from the day:
1. The faculty is top notch (and students have unparalleled access to them).
2. The students are smart and genuinely nice people who I'd like to be around.
3. The school will be working tirelessly to place students in desirably externships, clerkships and jobs upon graduation since the success of the first few classes will set the pace for the school. I would go as far as saying that job prospects may be better than peer schools due to this.
4. There is a unique sense of community and pioneering spirit that is palpable. I'm sure this exists elsewhere, but after today I feel ready to jump right in and take part in what could be the birth of an exceptional law school and community.
5. The newness factor, although a bit scary, may be much more positive then negative.

At this point I am trying to come up with scenarios in which I won't attend Irvine but Im having trouble.

To play devil's advocate:
1, 2, and 4 have nothing to do with getting jobs, which ought to be the primary consideration for law school.
3) I'm not sure which schools you consider to be their peers (T14? T25? T50?), but every school has experienced career services offices that work tirelessly as well. The bottom line is that good law schools will place well if the economy is doing well, not because of their CSO's efforts.
5) Given that law school placement is almost entirely based on reputation, being a new school is usually a huge negative. If UCI debuts in the T50 as its first ranking, it will be the first school to do so.

I wanted to reply to this because I actually think #s 1, 2 and 4 have a lot to do with getting jobs -- especially in this economy. 1) Our faculty, including Dean Chemerinsky and our first-semester professors, have been working hard to identify summer positions for us among their contacts. I have also heard from attorneys (read: potential future employers) that they are impressed by the caliber of faculty we have here. Our reputation, and thus employers' interest in hiring our students, depends on the quality of our education. 2) Smart, nice students are your future alumni base. We care about each other and want to help our classmates succeed -- this includes helping them (and you) find jobs. 3) This also goes to #2 in terms of how we genuinely want to help each other out, but it also helps that when you're building a new law school there are fantastic opportunities to launch organizations and take leadership roles in developing institutions -- and this looks good on a resume!

Also, in response to #5, above, I don't think in this case that being a new school is altogether a negative. Personally, I don't see negatives here (and if you'd asked my friends they'd classify me as a pessimist ). As others have already said, there is a lot of buzz about UCI. Rankings depend on a lot of factors, some of which we have control over and others that we don't. For those we can control, we will work tirelessly to ensure that we exceed expectations. I think everyone will be surprised when we debut in the rankings in a few years

[ucilawzot!]

Dean Ortiz just replied my email and assured me that I'm in. (According to her, she read my post and was trying to figure out who I am. It was so funny.) Now my super panicky time is over and I can stop checking my email every ten minutes.

Irvine was my top choice and it still is. I can't wait to see you all!

Is this for reals? Dean Ortiz is lurking TLS! Hi Dean Ortiz!! Hope to see you soon in person~

Yes. That’s exactly what happened. I was so nervous when I sent her email. I think I even made few grammatical errors and typos because my hands were shaking. But she replied within five minutes, and she was really nice. I’m still so excited.

hmm i wonder if she tries to figure out who everyone is...

Yes, she does.

[finalaspects]

Yes, she does.

for what purpose?

[ucilawzot!]

Yes, she does.

for what purpose?

I would assume part if it is natural curiosity. Unless you do something obviously rude or inappropriate (and assuming she can identify you, which is a pretty big "if") I don't think it impacts your admissions prospects -- was this what you were hinting at?

I think she just scans the blogs occasionally to see what people are saying about UCI (like I do...)

[finalaspects]

Yes, she does.

for what purpose?

I would assume part if it is natural curiosity. Unless you do something obviously rude or inappropriate (and assuming she can identify you, which is a pretty big "if") I don't think it impacts your admissions prospects -- was this what you were hinting at?

I think she just scans the blogs occasionally to see what people are saying about UCI (like I do...)

i was hinting at the opposite. people saying something obviously positive or good (assuming she can identify us) and how that would impact admissions prospects.

but yea i can definitely understand the natural curiosity to check out the forums and blogs to see people's impressions about UCI Law.