Top Law Schools

This San Diego story says UC San Diego now wants a piece of the lucrative law school action, by way of partnership with Cal Western:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... aw-school/

UCInfo wrote:This San Diego story says UC San Diego now wants a piece of the lucrative law school action, by way of partnership with Cal Western:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... aw-school/

I like this idea better than starting a new school like UCI. The branding of UCSD might just push it up higher than USD. Also, name confusion FTW may help it out. San Diego needs a T1 law school.

the uc regents won't let this happen, especially with the way funding for the uc system is going. they aren't going to want to have any more uc competition for UCI than there already is, and i think part of the reason they put a law school in orange county is due to the fact that it's half-way between LA and SD, making it able to service both markets, as well as the orange county market.

I really think that UCSD should have gotten the law school rather than UCI, but I could be a native SD'er being biased...

The Brainalist wrote:

UCInfo wrote:This San Diego story says UC San Diego now wants a piece of the lucrative law school action, by way of partnership with Cal Western:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... aw-school/

I like this idea better than starting a new school like UCI. The branding of UCSD might just push it up higher than USD. Also, name confusion FTW may help it out. San Diego needs a T1 law school.

Merging with a more well-known school won't produce a miracle like pulling up a T4 school into T1. If anything, UCI's model is exactly what you need to build a top law school from the ground up. After merging with UCSD, California Western might gain some recognition and attract slightly stronger students, but would still retain the same lackluster faculty, reputation, and job placement, so any upward mobility would be a difficult climb.

Well, that sucks. That means I graduated from UCSD too early!!


But on a more serious note, it's nice to see it won't take away from public funding for its undergrad/grad departments:

UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox has not taken a position on the partnership, but said the project would only move forward if it enhances legal research while not undermining other university investments. She said it’s important that no public funds be spent on the school, at least for the first several years.

“I wouldn’t approve anything in these tight economic times that were not completely self-supporting for the foreseeable future,” Fox said.

I can't read it. Like the internet restrictions make me more productive when I have access to sites like this! lol. But seriously, when are they talking about this possibly happening?

"The project has no timeline, but Smith said he hopes the joint committee will issue its recommendation by late spring.

It could take years for a school to be established. It would need approval by both institutions’ faculties, UC’s systemwide faculty senate, the UCSD chancellor, UC president and governing boards of UC and California Western."

ugh....I wish this was instead of UCI (but I still <3 UCI)

La Jolla > Irvine!

just fyi,

several of the UCSD Law and Society minor-classes are taught by Cal Western Professors
in fact, 50% of the students in one of my classes (on campus) are Cal Western students (who show up in suits...)


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I'll be far away from CA before anything official takes shape.. but sure, let's do it

saltoftheearth wrote:just fyi,

several of the UCSD Law and Society minor-classes are taught by Cal Western Professors
in fact, 50% of the students in one of my classes (on campus) are Cal Western students (who show up in suits...)


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I'll be far away from CA before anything official takes shape.. but sure, let's do it

I believe that Cal Western's joint degree programs are offered through UCSD as well. It sounds like an interesting idea though.

I believe this idea was originally proposed in the 70's, when my parents were at Cal Western!

im_blue wrote:

The Brainalist wrote:

UCInfo wrote:This San Diego story says UC San Diego now wants a piece of the lucrative law school action, by way of partnership with Cal Western:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... aw-school/

I like this idea better than starting a new school like UCI. The branding of UCSD might just push it up higher than USD. Also, name confusion FTW may help it out. San Diego needs a T1 law school.

Merging with a more well-known school won't produce a miracle like pulling up a T4 school into T1. If anything, UCI's model is exactly what you need to build a top law school from the ground up. After merging with UCSD, California Western might gain some recognition and attract slightly stronger students, but would still retain the same lackluster faculty, reputation, and job placement, so any upward mobility would be a difficult climb.

I thought Cal-Western was at least T3. I think name-recognition and location can count for a lot. San Diego NEEDS and DESERVES a T1 school. Hard to say why USD can't fill in the spot, but I think branding has a lot to do with it. UCSD is in the top 40 or so UG because of location and UC affiliation, and that is basically all it needed to move up in the ranks. I don't expect it to happen overnight, but I do think the UC affiliation would be enough to put it almost immediately into the T2 and then eventually into striking distance of T1. Just speaking for myself, I'd prefer to go to the re-branded UCSD over USD just because I think the UC name will mean more in the long run, and it isn't as if USD is some kind of powerhouse. I'd never attend Cal-Western over USD, though, much for the same reason-branding.

The Brainalist wrote:

im_blue wrote:

The Brainalist wrote:

UCInfo wrote:This San Diego story says UC San Diego now wants a piece of the lucrative law school action, by way of partnership with Cal Western:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010 ... aw-school/

I like this idea better than starting a new school like UCI. The branding of UCSD might just push it up higher than USD. Also, name confusion FTW may help it out. San Diego needs a T1 law school.

Merging with a more well-known school won't produce a miracle like pulling up a T4 school into T1. If anything, UCI's model is exactly what you need to build a top law school from the ground up. After merging with UCSD, California Western might gain some recognition and attract slightly stronger students, but would still retain the same lackluster faculty, reputation, and job placement, so any upward mobility would be a difficult climb.

I thought Cal-Western was at least T3. I think name-recognition and location can count for a lot. San Diego NEEDS and DESERVES a T1 school. Hard to say why USD can't fill in the spot, but I think branding has a lot to do with it. UCSD is in the top 40 or so UG because of location and UC affiliation, and that is basically all it needed to move up in the ranks. I don't expect it to happen overnight, but I do think the UC affiliation would be enough to put it almost immediately into the T2 and then eventually into striking distance of T1. Just speaking for myself, I'd prefer to go to the re-branded UCSD over USD just because I think the UC name will mean more in the long run, and it isn't as if USD is some kind of powerhouse. I'd never attend Cal-Western over USD, though, much for the same reason-branding.

Law school reputation doesn't work like that. It takes decades for any reputation boost and alumni network to take hold, which does you no good for 2L OCI. See: Michigan State and Penn State as examples of horrible law schools that are now merely mediocre with the better brand name.

im_blue wrote: Law school reputation doesn't work like that. It takes decades for any reputation boost and alumni network to take hold, which does you no good for 2L OCI. See: Michigan State and Penn State as examples of horrible law schools that are now merely mediocre with the better brand name.

MSU and PSU are not the same branding as UCSD. UCSD is ranked 35 UG, ahead of Davis and UCI, and UIUC and Madison. More importantly, neither of those schools are in San Diego, which is a place not only attractive to students and faculty, but is also a metropolitan area of nearly 3 million people. There is a gaping hole that needs to be filled with a good law school, and USD drops the ball big time.

You may be right as to the legal reputation scores. I'm thinking more of student quality. I think people who are choosing between UCSD and USD would still rather go to UCSD for the long term potential, since maybe only 10% of USD students get big firm jobs from OCI anyway. It is also possible that UCSD's state affiliation and UG rep, as well as it's superior location, could draw in a lot better faculty than USD has, or convince them to move over. Short term, student quality and faculty quality could easily surpass USD's, which would affect bar pass rate in turn, and then employment rates (not quality, but rates).

I actually think this is a good idea. CA has a ton of people who want to go to law school, and as it stands all 5 state law schools are at least fairly hard to get into. As far as jobs, I don't know enough about SoCal to say.

UCSD is a party school. Horrible idea.

UC Santa Cruz needs a law school.

irishman86 wrote:UCSD is a party school. Horrible idea.

Is this a joke?

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irishman86 wrote:UCSD is a party school. Horrible idea.

hahahaa, I wish that UCSD were a party school

UCSD doesn't really have a reputation as a party school. It's known as a good school with a relatively laid back student body. That being said, I'm skeptical of this plan ever been implementing and won't people still see this as Cal Western, but with a different name?

I don't really get the point of a UCSD law school (aside from UCSD wanting the prestige and/or $$$). San Diego already has USD, and UCLA, USC, and UCI are already established (or becoming established) in SoCal.

OK serious, UCSD as a party school? It's comparable to BYU in that regard!

And as a USD student, I would be so infuriated if that degree mill downtown merges with UCSD. I certainly hope, and don't foresee UCSD surpassing USD, but if they do, it's going to be a riot.

If Cal Western is to move up, they are going to have to expel everyone there.

USD is on the way up, last year from 82-61! 61-40, this year! We should be T14 in no time!

Ok I am a little confused...I took away from the article that they are thinking of joining forces with Cal Western and not creating an additional CA law school, but hoping to increase the caliber of the existing school...therefore, NOT increasing the amount of law students/lawyers, etc in CA. Is this correct, or did I miss something here?