As the only public law school in southern California, the UCLA
School of Law grapples with a tough decision: spending its time and
effort specializing in one specific area or dividing its resources
into various fields.
The top law schools around the country are ordinarily set up to
specialize in a particular field, said Jack Heinz, a professor at
Northwestern University School of Law.
Some law schools funnel students primarily toward corporate law,
while others feed students into smaller firms or government work,
according to Heinz.
“The first thing you have to recognize is that there are
different markets for lawyers, and different law schools that serve
different markets,” Heinz said.
UCLA’s law school breaks this mold, since it caters to a
large diverse population.
“I don’t think you can characterize the law school
… and I would hate to pigeonhole it,” said Liz Cheadle,
assistant dean for students.
Law students going into private and public practice at UCLA have
a variety of concentrations and programs to choose from, all of
which are geared toward preparing students for their jobs after
graduation.
Programs at the law school, such as the Program in Public
Interest Law and Policy and the concentration in critical race
studies, are geared toward helping law students prepare for careers
that aim to alleviate deep-rooted societal inequities.
Conversely, the law school offers concentrations and courses
meant to steer students toward positions in large corporate
firms.
Among law schools, UCLA maintains one of the highest percentages
of students entering public interest and government positions when
they graduate.
Yet the majority of students enter private practice, which
offers higher salaries and the chance to pursue a better
understanding of areas within the corporate world.