UC Santa Cruz graduates have been accepted by the nation’s top law schools. It is a popular misconception that students must major in prelaw or politics in order to get into law school. This simply is not the case. Law schools accept students from a variety of majors: biology, anthropology, physics, economics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, sociology, literature, philosophy, and psychology, for example. Almost any major offered at UC Santa Cruz can provide adequate preparation for law school.

The time to enter law school is not necessarily immediately after graduation. Some law schools prefer students fresh out of college, but many do not. Each year, priests, surgeons, homemakers, professors, scientists, engineers, pilots, stockbrokers, welfare workers, and foresters are accepted into law schools across the nation. The ages of first-year law students range from 21 to 50 years, with the median around 26. This diversity in backgrounds and training enriches the legal experience of all the students.

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Advising
UC Santa Cruz’s Career Center provides information and counseling for students considering a career in law. LSAT/LSDAS Registration and information books are available there, along with a well-stocked library of law school catalogs. The office also provides information about private firms offering preparatory courses for the LSAT. Workshops on applying to law school, information meetings with law school officials, and free practice LSATs are offered during the academic year. If you would like to be on the prelaw list serve and receive information on these events, please contact the prelaw advisor at the UCSC Career Center.

Preparation for Law School
Students from diverse educational backgrounds do equally well in both law school and law practice. Although the choice of major is not important, courses in fields such as mathematics, logic, history, philosophy, economics, computer science, and the physical and social sciences may be helpful. Courses should be demanding, requiring analytical and critical thought and deductive and abstract reasoning. Development of the following skills is recommended for potential law students:

An advanced level of reading comprehension

Writing competence such as is gained by taking courses in which work is rigorously edited

Intellectual discipline, with experience derived from intensive work for a substantial period in a selected field of study.

When reviewing an applicant’s record, most law schools rely on the individual’s grades, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). A high score on the LSAT does not ensure admission, just as a low score does not mean rejection. Students who do not score well on the LSAT, but who have done well in school and have been active in the community, also have a chance of acceptance.

UC Santa Cruz’s grading system provides law school admissions committees with an in-depth view of each student. Many law schools appreciate the detailed and reliable appraisal of students that performance evaluations provide.

Alum Focus
Ken Alex (B.A., politics, ’79) is the senior assistant attorney general heading the environment section of t he California Attorney General’s Office. He is also the co-head of the office’s global warming unit. California Lawyer named him Attorney of the Year in 2004 for his work in energy law, and he received the ABA award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy in 2007. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Trent Crable (B.A., philosophy and politics, ’99) is Of Counsel to the Law Offices of Kyme A.M. McGaw P.L.L.C. in Seattle, a firm that provides legal representation for Indian tribes and tribally owned businesses. He is also an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Kelvin Filer (B.A., politics, ’77) is a highly regarded superior court judge in the Compton district of Los Angeles, the community where he grew up. As a lawyer at the age of 27, Judge Filer argued a landmark case before the California Supreme Court that established the right of all defendants to wear their own clothes in court.

Allan Goodman (B.A., politics, ’67) is former Deputy Attorney General of California and is now a municipal court judge in Los Angeles. He has argued cases before the Federal Supreme Court.

Joseph W. Guzzetta (B.A., legal studies and economics, ’01) is a litigation associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, where he focuses on securities litigation and other business disputes. Gibson, Dunn is a major international law firm headquartered in Los Angeles that provides a wide range of legal services to major companies.

Bonnie Hough (B.A., American studies, ’83) is founder and former executive director of the Family Law Center in San Rafael and now works as the supervising attorney for the Center for Families, Children, and the Courts.

Steven A. Jung (B.A., politics, ’78) is senior counsel with Hatch & Parent in Santa Barbara, where he is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law.

Steve Martini (B.A., politics, ’68) is an attorney and best-selling author of the novels Undue Influence, Prime Witness, and others.

Roberto Nájera (B.A., sociology, ’79) graduated from Harvard Law School in 1982 and is now a deputy alternate defender in Contra Costa County.

Michelle Ouellette (B.A., environmental studies and sociology, ’85) is an environmental lawyer with Best Best & Krieger in Riverside. The Daily Journal, California’s legal publication, recently named her one of California’s top female litigators of the year.

Regan A. Parker (B.A., anthropology and literature, ’01) is associate corporate counsel for LiveOps, Inc., a technology company in Santa Clara, where she provides legal services as in-house counsel.

Stefan R. Spich (B.A., history and politics, ’00) graduated from UC Davis Law School in 2006 and is now an associate attorney in the Corporate Group at Baker & McKenzie, LLP in San Diego. His firm works primarily in the fields of private equity, securities, and mergers and acquisitions.