Open House for Prospective Students draws large crowd

  • by Kevin R. Johnson
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UC Davis School of Law had a huge turnout for our Fall Admissions Open House, which brought students from far and wide to Martin Luther King Jr. Hall.  Prospective students were able to hear from faculty, students, and staff about our law school.  It was a sunny and cool fall day and a great opportunity to talk about King Hall.

I had the honor of welcoming the students to the event.  We are proud that the School of Law finishes high in every ranking.  We judge ourselves by academic excellence, inclusion, and community.  We are proud of our unprecedented “majority-minority” faculty, which ranks in the top 25 nationally for scholarly impact. We take great pride in our accomplished, diverse student body.  And, no doubt about it, students make King Hall. Fifty years ago, students pushed to name this building after Martin Luther King Jr., a great honor and responsibility.  New students immediately become part of our uniquely supportive community.  This community spirit extends to our devoted alumni, who remember their time here with fondness and want to pass it on to today’s students.  Our community focus has led to extraordinary achievements. 

I pointed out some recent highlights:

  1. Three faculty members, Afra Afsharipour, Elizabeth Joh and Lisa Pruitt, were elected into the American Law Institute, the country’s premier law reform organization.
  2. U.S. News & World Report ranked UC Davis Law No. 4 among the nation’s public law schools in generosity of financial aid. National Jurist magazine ranked UC Davis Law the No. 2 “Most Diverse Law School.”  The Class of 2022 is our most diverse ever; with 57% students of color; 59% women; 17% identify as LGBTQ; about 40% receive need-based aid.  Through the efforts of our Career Services office, more than 200 employers visited the law school last year. 
  3. Our Immigration Law Clinic, which allows students to help immigrants in need, received $1.2 million to add two staff attorneys. Two alums pledged another $2 million for scholarships and other support.
  4. Our students thrive. Be sure to look at the Black Law Students Association’s new mural of Dr. King in our courtyard.  The Law Review soon will hold a symposium on Proposition 187, California’s 1994 anti-immigrant milestone.  A few weeks ago, the King Hall Legal Foundation hosted a golf tournament and raised thousands of dollars for student public interest fellowships. 

I could have gone on.  The students next heard from Law Student Association President Paige Tucker '20, who talked about the special community at King Hall.

I hope that we convinced students to apply to UC Davis School of Law!