UC Irvine's unorthodox 1L curriculum Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hey everyone,

I know 0L's are not supposed to be asking questions around here but I'm not looking for odds or anything, just an answer to what I think is a unique transfer possibility. I am getting ready to apply for next cycle and given my numbers and softs I should be in the range that the T14 will be slightly out of my reach. I really like what UC Irvine has to offer and while I could totally see myself graduating from there I was wondering what transfer prospects are like coming out of there since they don't have the normal 1L curriculum like almost every other than top school. How do transfers make up for that? Or do they? Do other schools care that they don't take all the normal core classes during 1L? I've seen people say that top UCI performers can somewhat easily get UCLA or Berkeley, but I'm wondering how exactly the dynamic works.

I'm not heading into law school with the intent of transferring, but I also wanted to do my due diligence to keep my options open and not close any doors unnecessarily. Does anyone have any experience with this or know anyone that does? Thanks very much for any help y'all can offer.

[BigZuck]

I'd put the transfer thing out of your mind 100%. Seriously. You say you're not planning on it but just want to do due diligence. Stop that. Forget about it. Assume you won't be able to transfer. 100%. Full stop. Don't even think about it. Only go to a school that you would 100% be happy to graduate from.

UCI is going to have a bunch of kids with good LSATs and GPAs competing for top spots and your LSAT and GPA will be very close to their's and you can't predict that you'll be at the top of the class (which is what you would need to transfer to Berkeley. UCLA would probably be at least top 3rd or so and that'll be enough of an uphill climb). Also, transfers generally pay sticker which is generally not worth it.

Either get better numbers or realign expectations or don't go, IMO.

I don't know what their 1L curriculum is but if they don't take, say, Con Law and you transfer and have to take that class at your new school to graduate then the new school will just make you take it during 2L or 3L.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Their curriculum isn't especially different. A lot of schools have statutory analysis as a 1L course (often called something like Legislation/Regulation or the like), and it's basically criminal law. And they just call their Civ Pro class Procedural Analysis. I don't think you'd have a problem transferring anything - it's just UCI selling themselves as different, it's not actually different.

Also what Zuck said about transferring.

[tomwatts]

Their curriculum isn't especially different. A lot of schools have statutory analysis as a 1L course (often called something like Legislation/Regulation or the like), and it's basically criminal law. And they just call their Civ Pro class Procedural Analysis. I don't think you'd have a problem transferring anything - it's just UCI selling themselves as different, it's not actually different.

Also what Zuck said about transferring.

I don't think the bolded is entirely accurate. As far as I can tell from this list, UCI's class is the only Crim class in the guise of a statutory interpretation class. HLS, NYU, and most other schools that have Leg Reg have both Leg Reg and Crim in the first year, and they're not redundant. Leg Reg is more like Admin than like Crim.

But yeah, at UCI, the classes look like they're renamed but they're basically just regular 1L classes (and the one that pretends to be a statutory interpretation class looks like just a Crim class).

[zot1]

Nony, UCI has never claimed to be different because they have a specific 1L curriculum.

The real difference is that we have International Law instead of Property. There's also a lot more emphasis in research and writing skills.

Like someone else said, don't go there to transfer.

That said, some students do transfer up every year.

If that's you, you would just take whatever class you're missing at the next school.

[A. Nony Mouse]

All schools try to sell themselves as different and innovative about something. I promise it wasn't meant as a slam on UCI.

(though I did misspeak about leg-reg and crim law and statutory analysis, sorry.)

[zot1]

Yeah, they are all special snowflakes. Ugh.