Loyola Law School Forum

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Loyola Law School is located in Los Angles, CA. It appears on the Top Law Schools Rankings page and also has a Top Law Schools Profile written about it.

Please "post a reply" and add any comments you have about Loyola Law. Many generations of prospective law students will benefit by the information you share.

[lawgirl1]

Does ANYONE know... is this really such a bad area as everyone says? I have been told that to go here I would have to "carry a gun" and it is keeping me from being happy about the acceptance!

[Formerbruin]

During the day time you should be fine--just try to not walk around alone. At night I honestly wouldn't walk around with groups of less than five or so.

[AR75]

That's nice. You should always have other things to be worried about in addition to the rigors of 1L life. I guess after 1L when the workload is slightly less crazy, you could devote the extra hour or two a night you have to shooting or self-defense classes. I guess this would, by environment, make you a more diverse individual.

[kateu]

Drive onto campus, park in the garage, there are security guards...I don't think the neighborhood is much of an issue. You're not thinking of living in LA without a car, are you?

[Yohannes]

I was wondering about this too. Is it really any worse than parts of SE DC? I mean, there are parts of DC I wouldn't want to walk by myself in at 2 am, but during the day/early evening there's not much to be worried about unless you're being flagrant.

[lawgirl1]

I am to the point where I am thinking of choosing the lower ranked Pepperdine over Loyola LA simply because I don't want to feel unsafe. I get the impression that unless you're in the upper eschelon of schools, the rankings aren't really all that significant. Thoughts?

[Yohannes]

I think your point is valid about the rankings, but I'm not so sure you would feel unsafe at Loyola.

I could be wrong, which is why I'm trying to get people's thoughts on the area. But growing up in DC, all you hear is how unsafe parts of DC are. Then you grow up and a lot of it is unsubstantiated. Granted, DC isn't in the height of a crack epidemic any longer, either.

There are parts of DC that I wouldn't want to walk by myself at 2 am, but that's true for sections of most cities. For the most part, as long as you don't have diamonds around your neck and a sign that says "I have money!" while you needlessly stare at everyone you pass, you're fine.

Of course, I don't know what it feels like to walk alone as a woman either. There's probably a different level of intimidation.

But from everything I've heard, the Loyola campus itself is safe. It's gated and secure, so people don't have the "right" to walk through it as they please. It's the surrounding area people are concerned about....and that is what I'm trying to find out.....is it a warzone like people make it out to be or the sketchy section of every big city?

[Formerbruin]

I'd wager it's most likely the latter, though I don't normally go trolling through the sketchy parts of cities when I'm visiting I mean you have your gangs and your occasional shootings/muggings/drug busts, and quite a few homeless people, but nothing you wouldn't see in, say, the south side of Chicago. The main streets are well lit, though. And there's little reason to venture off of those anyway. I'd say check it out and see how safe you feel; it's a well-respected school if you plan on practicing in Los Angeles or southern California!

EDIT: And honestly, who in their right minds wouldn't want to practice in California?

[AR75]

I'm in my right mind, and I wouldn't want to practice in California.

[AR75]

Stupid jokes are one thing, but palindromes is where I draw the line.

[Formerbruin]

I think that's arguable, Andy.

[AR75]

I resemble that remark.

[lawgirl1]

So... everyone thinks they'd pick Loyola over Pepperdine? I literally base my opinion off of varying resources and this thread.

[Formerbruin]

Well in terms of location, Pepperdine cannot be beaten. You're literally a stone's throw from the ocean. It's also VERY suburban. Pepperdine also has a dispute resolution program that's second to none, and if you're interested, it might be something you should do some research on.

That said, I think you'll have more options upon graduation with a degree from Loyola. The campus itself is safe, and you're a short drive from some very vibrant parts of Los Angeles. Of course when I say "short drive," I mean in terms of mileage. Taking the 10 during rush hour is NOT a fun experience. Thats my 2 cents.

[lawgirl1]

Thanks ex-bruin! I appreciate any advice I can get... I feel like I am making a completely blind leap.

[Formerbruin]

Don't we all? Except for Andy. He's ACTUALLY making the leap blindfolded. With his hands tied behind his back. And a broken parachute.

[DrPepperRules]

I was thinking of applying to Loyola and was wondering:

1. What is the general reputation for graduates to land jobs upon graduation? (i saw on a site and it wasnt so great.. 65% or so...)

2. What is the avg starting salary for graduates?

thanks so much

[Oklahoma Mike]

According to the US news data (most of which is the ABA data):
Loyola has 97% of graduates employed within 9 months of graduation.
61% of those are in law firms, with the rest spread throughout public interest, government, and business.

Average starting pay in the private sector is 70K with 25/75 split being 60k/110k

So, it looks like if you graduate near the top of the class you can do quite well.

[lishi]

Also about safe neighborhoods, most city schools are in unsafe places. Would you not go to UPenn just because of the dangers around it?? Of course not!!

As a woman I try not to walk anywhere by myself. If its a block or two you'll be fine, but if you can drive to and from school then you're not really going to have much of a problem. Schools that are in abd areas of city usually always have a lot of security to protect the students.

Don't turn down Loyola solely based on the location!!

[Tin_Man]

Hi gang,

I've lived in LA my whole life and actually lived on Miracle Mile (just a few miles from LLS) when I was first out on my own. I'll be at Loyola in the Fall (evenings though) and I'm not the least bit worried. The campus is courtyard style and the parking is connected (800 space structure) so you will not have any problems on campus or leaving campus by car. You'll probably want to look for housing a little bit of distance away but not because of gangs or violence. The neighborhood is older and run down and anyplace you get right around Loyola will be in questionable shape. The last thing you want to be thinking about as a 1L is when the leaky pipes will be fixed.

The campus is right near Alvera street, a very popular hispanic cultural area that hosts open air markets on the weekends. The church has a lot of clout in the area and there is a sense of civil society, it's mostly just run down because it's low income. Lately though the entire downtown LA area has been going through a gentrification as have most inner cities in America. This may not make much of a difference in the next 3 years but it's noticeable over the last 10.

Pepperdine is a very nice campus but its 20 miles through very bad traffic to civilization so on the rare occasion you have free time, you will spend most of it in the care. In addition, Pepperdine is a very religious campus. They used to have applicants write a statement about how Christ was important to their life. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m just saying it’s more extreme and if you’re not into it could be a real drag. More importantly, it is ranked by US News in the 90’s against LLS which is typically in the mid 60’s. Big money is really only assured to the top 20 so this has much less importance to these schools. Prestige wise, Loyola is typically though of as a more intellectually rigorous institution than Pepperdine for the undergraduate programs but I’m sure that same feeling extends to the graduate program.

It would be cool to have Ken Star as your dean though.

[Don Zacatecas]

I would really appreciate feedback on how possible it is to transfer to Loyola or Pepperdine from Southwestern, which is where I will be attending this Fall.

[KrisiMCali]

Wow, no the area isn't that bad, haha. I'm from Los Angeles and I go to undergrad in DC...DC is much worse! Just use commonsense...you shouldn't be walking around alone at night. But during the day, you're fine.

[hiphoppopotamus]

bump.

and why is everyone talking about it being unsafe to walk around at night? news for anybody who has never lived in southern california: you don't walk around at night.
shit, it'd be fairly safe to say that you don't really walk around during the day.

i would really love to hear some actual feedback about Loyola Law itself; you know, the school part of it...academics, professors, quality of life, employment opportunities, law review...honestly, this information would be much appreciated.

i was recently accepted to loyola and am heavily considering it. i plan on calling the school today to 1). talk to somebody in admissions about some questions and concerns i have and 2). try to get in touch w/ a few of their students (preferably at least 1 1L, 1 2L, and 1 3L...i really want to find out if this Loyola2L thing is a general concensus on campus or a lone dissenter...will post after these convos!

[hiphoppopotamus]

loyola law school employment statistics; broken down quite well.

http://intranet.lls.edu/careerservices/ ... tstats.pdf