A Law School for the 21st Century: A Portrait of the Inaugural Class at the University of California, Irvine School of Law

UC Irvine Law Review Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 49, 2011

UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2011-30

24 Pages Posted: 24 May 2011 Last revised: 16 Aug 2011

See all articles by Carroll Seron

Carroll Seron

University of California, Irvine School of Law; Department of Criminology, Law & Society

Date Written: March 1, 2011

Abstract

It is a truism among students of the legal profession that 1Ls enter law school hoping to change the world through careers as public interest lawyers and by the end of their first year most expect to begin their careers as corporate lawyers. The role of debt is a contested factor in explaining this change in students’ aspirations. One of the goals of the School of Law at the University of California, Irvine is to design a curriculum that encourages students to think broadly about the multiple sites for meaningful careers in law; reflecting this commitment, the inaugural class at UCI received scholarships to cover their tuition for each year of law school. Part 1 of this article summarizes the literature on professionalization focusing on how and why students’ expectations change during the first, critical year of legal education. Part 2 describes key features of the innovative approach to education at UCI School of Law. In Part 3 I present findings from a survey to the inaugural 1L class at UCI School of Law that describes their backgrounds, commitments and aspirations. I conclude by speculating about whether the career paths of the inaugural class at UCI will take a different career path from their counterparts at schools in the elite tier of legal education.

Suggested Citation

Seron, Carroll, A Law School for the 21st Century: A Portrait of the Inaugural Class at the University of California, Irvine School of Law (March 1, 2011). UC Irvine Law Review Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 49, 2011, UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2011-30, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1845943

Carroll Seron (Contact Author)

University of California, Irvine School of Law; Department of Criminology, Law & Society ( email )

401 E. Peltason Dr.
Ste. 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-1000
United States

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