UC Irvine School of Law

Some of you probably already know, but I just got hold of wind that UCI got the "okay" to found its anticipated law school. The school is scheduled to open its doors in 2009.

Although Southern California has several notable law schools (i.e. UCLA, USC, Loyola, Southwestern, etc.), I'm eager to see how UCI's addition will affect pre-law students, employers and law schools. Typically, new law schools don't fair too well. But UCI is likely to be different. Unlike Loyola or Southwestern, UCI's law school has the benefit of being connected to the wider UC system. It will also benefit from its access to the university's other undergraduate and graduate programs. Arguably, prospective law students may prefer this diversity/diversion over stand-alone law schools, like Loyola and Southwestern.

UCLA Law is quite young, and yet within fifty-years it stands amongst the ranks of our nation's top law schools. I presume that the nice living condition and weather had a role in recruiting and retaining some of the top legal minds. UCI is in Orange County, which ain't as crowded and dirty as Los Angeles proper. Moreover, Orange County ain't that far from Downtown L.A. (Southern California's legal hub). In the footsteps of UCLA, I suspect UCI will have no problem recruiting and retaining top law professors, and thus soon after, top students.