el firsto again.

So wait, the school now freely admits that it's not preparing students for the workforce?

wtf?

sure, that LLM will be useful. yet another way to take money away from students. nice job.

Of course law schools will be happy to offer this type of program. Nothing liking bilking another years' worth of tuition out of students.

Does this "help" cost $45k per year?

Thanks school! You're right, the $135k I paid for my degree wasn't enough!

Oh, boy! Now we can do another year of first year legal writing, "simulations," and pro bono clinics while paying tuition!

Is UCLA charging tuition for this?

What babies. Would it be SO TERRIBLE to find a non-biglaw job for a year? Or would the taint be permanent?

Law schools capitalize on their student's misfortunes (deferral) and aim to collect another year of tuition at 30-40K, and then they claim it's for the STUDENT's benefit? HAHAHAHA.

Because UCLA is a TTT, I doubt that any of its 3L's were offered positions at any of the firms that are deferring first year associates.

Thanks for "Helping out" by requiring us to go through another year of law school courses with the practical applications you clearly haven't Taught us while increasing our debt load another $45K. This is really being billed as a real option? wow.

this is bullshit.
i hate you all.

Students should ask themselves: Would you be embarrassed to put this on your resume?

I would be.

Can anyone help me out? I'll be in Coso Junction, CA this weekend for doc review (really.) I'm looking for a good bar/restaurant in the area -- preferably one which serves seafood, as I am allergic to most other animal meats.

Thanks in advance!

LMFAO. Another fun year of law school!

This sounds like a good idea, but instead of being an LLM it should just replace the third year of law school.

10: UCLA is a "top tier law school"!!!

All these TTT schools (e.g., NU, UCLA) are having to actually equip their "grads" with actual marketable skills. What a farce--turd law schools.

This is absurd. This would be after passing the bar and all? When does it stop being a clinic, and start being students paying to give legal advice they should be getting paid to give?

This is a joke, right?

"What babies. Would it be SO TERRIBLE to find a non-biglaw job for a year? Or would the taint be permanent?"

To be fair, the "taint" in all likelihood would be permanent.

I went to UCLA Law. Essentially no one on that faculty knows how to practice law at all; this is a great way for them to steal another $41,500 (LL.M. tuition for 2008/2009) from a bunch of students that they've already failed to the tune of $130,000 for three years' worth of useless JD education in bullshit like "Critical Race Studies" and "Sexual Orientation Law" that is all the rage at UCLA.

Fuck that school, no you can't have any of my alumni money!

13--Hell, let's be honest, I'd be embarassed to put: "J.D., UCLA" on my diploma.

AU has offered 50% off LLMs for graduating students, among other things. I am surprised that the memo hasn't been sent to ATL yet.

A UCLASS LOBSTER says what?

Ok, I just read the UCLA website, this is crazy. People will be better off volunteering their services to shadow a private practitioner rather than spending another $40,000+.

I admit, at first I thought this was a really cool idea, but after reading the comments, it does seem a little opportunistic to charge an additional year of tuition, putting these kids further into debt.

Additionally, the practical issues that the LLM will supposedly help these students with that are listed in the press release arent really the things that will help them "hit the ground running."

The best thing I did as a law student was work in my school's clinic. If you want to hit the ground running, you learn how to do client and witness interviews, write affidavits, write motions and answers and complaints and petitions, and stumble your way through a hearing or two. Get the hang of making contacts and phone calls and follow ups to get what you need. Simulations and classes just dont cut it. I took all the "practical" classes too, and not only is it not the same experience, its just not as impressive to a potential employer as saying you've already had REAL clients.

What schools need to do is expand their clinics for these grads during this extra year, take on more cases from Legal Aid, and let them try REAL cases. I bet Legal Aid is swamped these days. Schools should then lower the tuition to just cover the supervising attorneys salary and other operating expenses, instead of paying overpriced professors that have never actually practiced. Hellloooo practical skills??

UCLA should also incorporate a class on fashion etiquette. Every year I see summer associates committing fashion faux paus such as: 1) wearing suspenders with belts; 2) wearing light colored socks with dark suits; 3) wearing belts with pleated pants; 4) wearing wingtip shoes (not in style); 5) wearing lime or pink shirts (I don't need to know your fruity or flaming liberal side); 6) wearing political buttons (your rose tinted frames are enough to tell me you voted for Obama); 7) wearing designer shirts (Armani, Hugo Boss, Oscar delaRenta, Dolce & Gabanna) with Brooks Brothers suits (either wear brooks shirts with brooks suits but don't mix); 8)wearing a hankerchief that matches tie (distasteful); 9) wearing striped shirts with striped ties or jackets (does your mother need to dress you?); 10) wearing cuffs a quarter to half an inch beyond your jacket sleeve (I don't want clients to see your dirty cuffs); and, 11) wearing the belt your father/step-father/neighbor beat you with ($80 will buy you a decent leather belt at Nordstrom). These are just starter tips. For women, do not wear skirts that show your knees, sandals or lugz shoes/boots. Also, do not wear a white blouse if you have a tattoo just above your posterior (I don't need to know your loose sexual tendencies). Thank you.

This is absurd. This would be after passing the bar and all? When does it stop being a clinic, and start being students paying to give legal advice they should be getting paid to give?

Elie, the typos are getting out of hand. You called UCLA a "top tier" school when you meant to write "Third Tier Toilet".

UCLA has a law school? I thought Pepperdine was the school in LA.

Is it free? I think this is really a racket in disguise if its at normal tuition rates. Wait to capitalize on the economy UCLA and try to sell this useless program for your own profit. Now, what Northwestern did is actually a great thing.

These students will graduate with more debt, and law schools will have reason to convince students to pay (and pay) for four years rather than three. Is this really a good idea?

UCLA is a joke!

18: I am not sure what school you went to, but no law school actual prepares you for practice. The ABA made law schooling (as opposed to apprenticeship) mandatory to make the profession more elite. Law Schools are also the biggest money makers for many universities. Besides that, the system is a joke. If a school actually makes you marketable, it is only because of its name recognition.

We should have one or two years of schooling or even go back to the apprentice system. There are career paralegals that understand the law better than a stuck up 2nd year in Big Law.

28,
I love the last sentence.

This is not "help." UCLA Law is launching a product targeted at a growing market segment. It might be a good product that helps make its customers more marketable at the time the legal market turns around. Or it may be sucking another $40K out of desperate J.D.'s with no job prospects. But it sure does have the feel of encouraging 3L's to double down on a bad bet.

One final note - If it is successful and L.A. Big Law views UCLA LLM grads as better prepared to be associates, it could also have the unintended effect of making UCLA 3L's less competitive in the L.A. market. In the curriculum turns out to be useful, it should be an option for UCLA 3Ls instead of an LLM offering. In fact, isn't this the Washington and Lee revised third year curriculum being offered to law school graduates?

This is a good idea if it is free. If it is full cost, then not so much.

Finally, an omission that law schools don't actually teach you anything useful.

UCLA, 2010, LLM in I Couldn't Find A Job

"Finally, an omission that law schools don't actually teach you anything useful."

I don't know why I think this is so funny, but I do.

28 - hilarious.

16 is right on

Partner Emeritus, I may be one of the few people who actually appreciates your comments (it's nice to see the bad side of things, even when the news itself is bad) but fashion talk is a little too Hollywood for you.

UCLA gets more than $45K in tuition out of the deal.

They get to hide 20 unemployed bottom-half graduates as "seeking advanced degree" on their USNWR surveys and game the rankings.

What a totally moronic plan.

Promissory Estoppel could easily be used here.

Munger

"[Just give us another $35,000 and your career will be back on track]"
Unbelievable

This exploitation of students is among the many reasons why I'm never, ever giving the school a cent of my money. Schill won't even fund a decent LRAP and OCS is purely decorative. My friends w/of jobs are getting no useful help.

Half the class will be from Southwestern.

39,
We have them now. Where is section 90?

I was amazed when Elie tried to spin the Northwestern garbage as something positive, now I have reached a point where I can't even think of a word that goes beyond amazed to express my reaction. Who in his right mind would ever sign on for this if they are charging full tuition? You'd be better off borrowing $40k on credit cards and using it to buy lottery tickets. At least you would have a chance of winning. You'd CERTAINLY be better off just sitting in your parents' basement and smoking weed for a year. If law schools really wanted to help they would reduce tuition and forgive loans.

And how does Elie post an article like this and not even raise the question of what it would cost the students for this "help"?

USC would never stoop to this kind of shady program

So the solution to new graduate's panic about paying back student loans is . . . more student loans? Interesting. Very interesting.

This situation has asslobster written all over it.

Cardinal Eagan

BFD

Also, at least the credit card debt would be dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Subsidized student loans remain available. Short SLM?

I just discharged something onto the back of my secretary's sweater.

OH NO, IS GM STOCK LOW? I SHOULD BUY TWICE AS MUCH.

OH NO, DID I JUST LOSE ON 00? I SHOULD BET ON 00 AGAIN.

OH NO, DID I JUST BLOW $150K ON A USELESS DEGREE? I SHOULD SPEND ANOTHER YEAR AND $50K ON ANOTHER USELESS DEGREE.

No doubt 23, when you are applying for that deep fryer job at Mickey Ds. And yes, I would like fries with that. And 52, it's hard to stoop when you're face down in the gutter.

I bet Dean Schill voted for Obama too. Time to start redistributing some of that wealth, Dean! From your law school to the poor saps who already paid $100k plus to go there, not the other way around.

Is this free? If not--are you out of your mind????

What a waste. I hope no one without a job takes them up on this. If you can't find a job look harder and get a job *somewhere* at a small firm or prosecutors office, hence you can earn money AND get practical experience.

Partner E: bad call on the sleeve lengths, and I doubt you actually caught someone doing the suspender/belt thing. Otherwise, not to shabby.

Lime green = no; but pale green/pink are acceptable for casual friday, where casual friday = dress slacks, sports coat and tie. However, its only on Friday and when you are feeling particularly festive and when there is no chance that you will see a client (yours or anyone else's).

For a peer firm, I am sure you subscribe to the rotation of white and light blue shirts, with an occasional french blue thrown in -- on special occasions.

This is better than nothing--at least some schools are acknowledging that some of their students are deferred and in unchartered territory. Law schools who have yet to actually address the situation or show any compassion for their students (shout out to UGA Law), shame on you.

hey seriously, can we change the title of this post?
change "help" to "swindle"

you're in 150k of debt and have questionable job prospects? here, take on another 45k of debt for a completely useless degree!

Djibouti?

Ray - pick a different avatar if you're gonna talk about shirt colors and "seeing clients."

UCLA is about as prestigious as Kirkland.

N. Wacker Stud

The "idea" sounds legit, but the execution is terrible. Paying another 40+ K in tuition in this economy for additional "skills" is a joke. Shame on UCLA!!!

65, paying full tuition for a 4th year of law school is worse than nothing. If you are one of the 4 UGA that had a biglaw offer differed, get a bartender job or just chill out and relax if you cant find a short-term gig with a government org.

65, no, it's worse than nothing. Nothing means you don't lose $50K. Nothing means you can take a job if an opening arises in October, or December, or February. Nothing is much better.

Of course, from UCLA's perspective, they'd prefer to pocket $50K in bullshit clinicals, and they'd prefer to hide unemployed grads in their LLM program.

This is not about the students. This about bolstering UCLA's own image.

Do I get a free bowl of soup with this LLM?

It looks good on you though.

65: acknowledge what? what can law schools possibly do now?

helping to defer loans is better than offering to give you 45k more.

68, just because I can't see doesn't mean others can't see me . . . I have my shirts labled so I know the colors and I can match them to my suits.

Its gonna do what it do. . . .

Ray - Labeled? lol

In order to help UCLA law students out of the kindness of my heart, I am officially offering to allow any recent graduates to do my work for me for a year and I will only charge you $35,000. Please send all inquiries to youareanidiot@gmail.com.

I have a better idea. UCLA & Co. should use this crisis to precipitate a real move to a non-intensive two-year program (and not jack up tuition to make up the difference). Truncate the hidebound Torts-CivPro-CrimLaw-ConLaw-Property curriculum and focus more on real-world drafting/research skills, internships for academic credit, and not pretentious fluff like Dog Law and Law of Ancient Babylon. This way, students aren't burdened with $200K+ of debt which essentially necessitates $160K salaries and come out with more practical skills. Of course, schools will never disturb the money train and have no stake in how well their students perform after graduation, so this will never happen.

Can't figure out which is sillier; this LLM program or Ray Charles giving advice on fashion and color combos.

To all the UCLA Haters

1: you are going to school at USC, Pepperdine or Loyola because you didn't get in to UCLA . . . get over it

2: just be content that none of you have BigLaw offers so you don't have to worry about deferrals and layoffs

3: if history is any guide, you should get off ATL and start studying for the bar

4: 75% of the UCLA LLM class will be you and your classmates

5: I agree that this program is a joke

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR URGENT EDUCATION RELATIONSHIP

DEAR UCLA 3L:

I NEED TO ASK YOU TO SUPPORT AN URGENT SECRET EDUCATION RELATIONSHIP WITH A CONFERRAL OF A GRADUATE DEGREE OF GREAT MAGNITUDE.

I AM THE DEAN OF THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. OUR SCHOOL HAS HAD CRISIS THAT HAS CAUSED THE NEED FOR LARGE TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO US. IF YOU WOULD ASSIST ME IN THIS TRANSFER, IT WOULD BE MOST PROFITABLE TO YOU.

I AM WORKING WITH MR. JAMES BARRALL, AN ATTORNEY WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS VAULT-10 LAW FIRM OF LATTHAM AND WATTKINS, WHO WILL BE ASSISTING US IN THIS TRANSFER. AS A LAW STUDENT, YOU MAY KNOW HIM AS THE LEADER OF ONE OF THE GREATEST LAW FIRMS IN THE COUNTRY. THIS TRANSACTIN IS 100% SAFE.

THIS IS A MATTER OF GREAT URGENCY. WE NEED A CHECK FROM YOU IN THE SUM TOTAL OF 45,000 AMERICAN US DOLLARS. WE NEED THE FUNDS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE CANNOT DIRECTLY TRANSFER THESE FUNDS IN THE NAMES OF OUR CLOSE FRIENDS BECAUSE WE ARE CONSTANTLY UNDER SURVEILLANCE. MY FAMILY LAWYER ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR A RELIABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY CULA STUDENT WHO WILL APPRECIATE WHAT AN ADVANCED DEGREE HAS TO OFFER SO THE FUNDS CAN BE TRANSFERRED.

PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR BANK ACCOUNT TO DEANSCHILLLOSANGELES@UCLA.EDU SO THAT WE MAY TRANSFER YOUR PRESTIGIOUS ADVANCED LAW DEGREE FOR THIS TRANSACTION. AFTER I RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION, I WILL RESPOND WITH DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT SAFEGUARDS THAT WILL BE USED TO PROTECT THE DEGREE.

YOURS FAITHFULLY DEAN MICHAEL SCHILL

14, I'm afraid the crispy fish tacos at Del Taco are the best you're going to get. Good luck.

81: brilliant, but you forgot an extra T in both Lattham and Wattkins

STUDENTS AT UCLA SHOULD NOT PAY TUITION NEXT YEAR IF THEY ARE FIRST OR SECOND YEARS...YOU ARE WASTING YOU RMONEY LEAVE NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...GET OUT OR SUFFER A MORTGAGE FOR A USELSS DEGREE AND A WORTHLESS JOB...EVEN IF YOU GET A BIGLAW JOB YOU ARE GOING TO WANT TO GIVE YOURSELF A LABOTOMY MOST DAYS...GO WAITER AND TAKE SOME TIME...THE EUROPEANS GOT ONE THING RIGHT AND ONLY ONE THING...THEY TREAVEL AROUND EUROPE UNTIL THIRTY THEN THEY GET SERIOUS BAOUT LIFE..

Retired partner here: This is a stupid idea. The longer a student stays in school studying how to be an attorney, the less likely they'll ever become a real attorney. Three years is more than enough. The real world comes next, and that's when the real learning starts.

Absolutely worthless degree. No firm would take it seriously? Absurd.

76 - not exactly like I can see a typo, if the voice software tell me its ok, I go with it. Thanks for pointing out that which makes us different.

Now, Hit the Road Jack.

/s/ the worst avatar of all-time

76 - not exactly like I can see a typo, if the voice software tell me its ok, I go with it. Thanks for pointing out that which makes us different.

Now, Hit the Road Jack.

/s/ the worst avatar / shtick of all-time

Excellent work, 81.

screw this, we BigLaw Associates don't care about law students. We only care about ourselves...

www.StuffBigLawAssociatesLike.wordpress.com

Getting spectacularly ripped off may be a marketable skill in this economy. However, I have a feeling that that after three years of tuition I will have mastered that particular marketable skill. And if not, I'll always have the option of shelling out for another year of rent in Westwood on top of the tuition. Is being gullible also a marketable skill?

I can't believe that Elie didn't call this out for the garbage that it is in the article. "Stepping up to the plate," indeed. Pleasantly surprised at the intelligence ot the ATL commentators and that more were not hoodwinked.

"The longer a student stays in school studying how to be an attorney, the less likely they'll ever become a real attorney."

are you really a "retired partner"??
were you a partner before they invented grammar?

Suck me, beautiful.

81: very funny
James Barrall seems like a good guy, I wonder why he's associating himself with this garbage program.

LOL 81 - lucky I had this call on mute!

80. If you are going to UCLA because you couldn't get into Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, Boalt, Chicago, Penn, Northwestern, Michigan, UVA, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown or Vanderbilt, get over yourself.

I cannot resist commenting. This program is bullshit, and the UCLA Law Administration sucks at helping their students find jobs.

That being said, any UCLA Law student who has done remotely well and knows how to interview can get a decent BigLaw job. The school is by far the most prestigious in Southern California (No one who gets into UCLA Law goes to USC Law).

Those who have called the school TTT probably go to one of the following schools: USC, Pepperdine, Loyola, GULC, Cornell, Michigan, Northwestern, Penn, Duke, Virginia, NYU.

USC Law will always be second place in LA. Pepperdine and Loyola probably have a total of ten attorneys in BigLaw firms (places like Cooley).

The other schools listed are a couple spots ahead of UCLA in U.S. News and World Report. Nevertheless, they are far from prestigious. Who wants to work in Ithaca, North Carolina, or Virginia? I've heard the Detroit legal market is booming --- go Michigan! W/ regard to GULC, you are in a prime location yet your school continues to be stagnant --- why? (maybe b/c all you need to do is get a 170 and be a douche to go to the school).

Yale, Harvard, and Stanford students are the only ones who can legitimately call UCLA TTT, yet even many of these students suck and will work at firms that are inferior to the firms where UCLA grads. work. (I have seen plenty of HLS students not get jobs at peer firms and end up being happy to work at TTTs).

This LLM program sucks b/c it's a stupid idea and will do nothing to help students get a job. It does not suck b/c UCLA Law is TTT.

For the UCLA Law students who bitch about the school and say they won't give money to it, maybe you should have worked a little harder during your first year (no excuse to get under a 3.2 --- seriously). About 80% of your colleagues did, and they are doing just fine.

81 = Post of the Year

98,
goes to UCLA

97 --- No reasonable human being would go to Vanderbilt over UCLA ---- you can't be serious?

You are all idiots.

Skadden Secure

98: you certainly have thought a lot about prestige. is that how you pass the time when you're busy stuffing your resume and cover letter in envelopes?

100 --- You probably go to a TTT

98 is a not so subtle USC troll

103 --- I assure you that I am working at a firm that is far more prestigious than the TTT at which you work

98

103 --- I assure you that the firm at which I work is far more prestigious than the TTT where you are employed

98

I have an idea. Turn the useless 3rd year into a year dedicated to practical training, and charge half price for that year since none of the professors' precious time would be wasted on teaching and grading. I wonder if that idea entered Mr. Schill's head.

Law schools are not admitting that they have been on the financial bubble gravy train too and that they too must deal with the derailment. Instead, they are blaming their students and shifting the financial costs to them. This UCLA plan is the most egregious example I've seen.

81's sharp send up of the plan encapsulates the sad irony of the whole thing.

98 -- thanks for the laugh . . . who wants to work in ithaca or virginia or north carolina . . . ha ha ha

Wait, what do you mean I can move out of the town/state that I went to school in ? Fuck out of here, you can't do that, can you?

Trust, the gap between UCLA and Duke, UVa or UM is much bigger than the gap between UCLA and USC or even Hastings.

- Blatant 7-10 troll.

98 may be one of the biggest trolls in the history of these forums. You have to be brain damaged to compare UCLA to Penn and Michigan. UCLA is fine. But if you have good grades at Penn or Michigan and you aren't a complete moron at interviews, you can write your own ticket. I'm on the recruiting committee at my V10, and in my practice, I work very closely with our hiring Partner. I assure you that we don't consider UCLA to even be in the same ballpark as Penn and Michigan.

Seriously, 110. There's not even an argument. Just look at the breakdown of what firms Penn and Michigan students end up at as compared to UCLA.

81 is comment of the year, hands down.

98: you missed Columbia and Chicago. Can they or can they not call UCLA a TTT?! *waiting in breathless anticipation*

98 - #1 job location for Cornell and UVA grads: New York City. Don't assume everyone is stuck working where they went to school just because you are.

Who decided that only 14 schools make up the top tier of law schools? Why is it T14 and not T15 or T16? Is UCLA that much different from Georgetown.

(And yes, I went to UCLA Law, so no need for the "_X_ went to UCLA Law" flames.)

Because GULC has never dipped below 14 while UCLA has fluctuated all over the place.
And because GULC has a national reputation and UCLA does not.

Those are the arguments, not sure if they're actually true or not.

115, I think it's because that while the places rotate at 15 and 16, those in the T14 haven't moved in quite some time.

116 -- UCLA is pretty much consistently #15 --- for some unknown reason, Vanderbilt was one spot ahead of it this past year

114 - Cornell is still TTT

It's T14 because those are the schools that tradtionally do very well in recruiting.

81 - solid post. comment of the year category.

Also, why is this not UCLA's third year curriculum? Or all law school's for that matter?

98:

Great comment:

"Yale, Harvard, and Stanford students are the only ones who can legitimately call UCLA TTT, yet even many of these students suck and will work at firms that are inferior to the firms where UCLA grads. work. (I have seen plenty of HLS students not get jobs at peer firms and end up being happy to work at TTTs)."

I know several former HLS students who have been laid off and can't get jobs. The only people who are TTT are the people who wind up being deferred or who can't get a job after they have been laid off. Everyone else who gets a job and keeps it in this market is V10 in my book!

81 is indeed, the comment of the year. Hands down.

121, we're not talking about people. We're talking about schools. There are always going to be anomalies. But the vast majority of HLS and Stanford grads have better jobs and more job security than UCLA grads. That was true before the recession. It's true during the recession. And it will be true after the recession. Sorry, but those are the facts. Not to bash UCLA. It's a fine school. But let's be realistic here.

Aren't USC and UCLA ranked nearly the same?

dear 98,

maybe you should take the money you saved from paying instate tuition and buy yourself a clue. i went to UCLA b/c it's in LA and my fellow admittees were not pasty, socially-awkward, hideous d-bags who think a JD makes up for pre-mature balding and a humorless demeanor. but let's not kid ourselves about it not being a TTT.

-"sooo LA" and would like the fat free salad dressing on the side please

Washington and Lee is talking about offering adjunct teaching positions in the fall to deferred 3Ls.

ATL really attracts a disgusting and low class group of people, doesn't it? The good news is that everybody here is better than everybody else here and elsewhere, which I guess means that we are all great.

UNC is talking about offering janitorial positions in the fall to deferred 3Ls.

All 1Ls and 2Ls better hope that this isn't free because if it is, guess who UCLA is going to raise tuition on again. For a "state school" their tuition has skyrocketed over the last decade.

81 - The Lexis guy probably wondered why I didn't talk to him for a few minutes since I was LMFAO on mute at that post-of-the-year.

All 1Ls and 2Ls better hope that this isn't free because if it is, guess who UCLA is going to raise tuition on again. For a "state school" their tuition has skyrocketed over the last decade.

"an alumni." Sigh.

UCLA is trying to capitalize on the notion that graduate schools in general are a good place to "hide out" while the economy is sour. However, most of us who've been through law school know that whatever we need to know shouldn't, in the first place, take more (or cost more) than 1 or 1.5 years of practical education. I'd rather be hiding out in Juarez that paying for the privilege of 4L.

And the fact that they are marketing this as "practical education" enrages me. So what is the first 125k we spent for?

125 - premature balding? So UCLA screens for Norwood scales?

Elie, did you not pay for HLS? How could you think this is "stepping up to the plate?"

Ray - you truly made me lol with 87-88. Thank you.

What are you doing later tonight?

- 68 & 76.

28- Partner Emeritus, usually I respect your insightful and witty comments/humor. However, your mixture of good advice and bad on proper fashion attire is worrisome. It is truly cruel and will lead people astray. Some of your advice on 'nots' is the proper thing to do; ask any proper haberdasher.

I'm constantly wondering why the women have a blog on proper dress when so many men have no clue. True, they do have a harder time in selecting what to wear, but even men need a column every once in a while. Lat, pull some strings and get Fashionista to write something for those SAs who have no clue?

128 - UNC has indeed been known to offer up job 'positions' for unemployable turds who couldnt find real work after law school. The keep recycling them up through the ranks, too. Today's 3L is tomorrow's Janitor (known as Dean of Grassclippings at UNC) is next week's Dean of Students!

Elie, you need to put quotation marks on the word "Help" in the title.

UCLA is great because a lot of their students go to the prestigious firm of Latham & Watkins. Or wait, that was last year. Now they suck cause a lot of their students go to shitty law firm called Latham and something.

"The school is by far the most prestigious in Southern California (No one who gets into UCLA Law goes to USC Law)"

I went to a top 10, so I have no horse in this race. That being said, I know plenty of people who chose USC over UCLA. Can you say Trojan family? I know know even more UCLA law grads working (or previously working) for toilet insurance defense firms. Roughly the top half of both UCLA and USC make it into a big firm.

The ship be sinking...

and you gots to pay to drown, bitch!!!

81~

That is the funniest post I've seen on this blog in a very long time. Hopefully no morons try to copy it and turn it into a lame schtick.

142~

I usually get annoyed at your schtick because you don't actually add anything but this one was pretty f-ing funny.

last time i checked USC always gives MORE money to its top students than state school UCLA. it's a fact, and in effect why top students head to USC. the price comparison is no longer true as it was with the old UCLA law grads from the 90s.

oh, and yeah, this LLM is pretty lame. tax is only LLM worth getting in this country and only if you head to the east coast for it. i would hate to be a UCLA grad with this LLM in a few years. more debt with a letter on your head telling employers you were laid off and couldn't even find a public interest job. yuck.

144 --- "top students head to USC"

Hahahahahaha --- who are you kidding?

Here's an idea UCLA. Why don't you offer this program to 3Ls BEFORE they graduate without a job, without any practical skills, and with $180k in debt?

It would also free up class space for the non-corporate types on the waitlist for Law and Sexuality and Law, Race, and Literature.

145 - enjoy your loans at ucla. i'd rather go to usc and not pay a dime. but hey, that's just me. oh, and enjoy this llm too. it's totally worth it.

FUCLA

Those in the bottom half of UCLA do not get good jobs.

79 -- watch it, I'm watching you. Wait, what?

136 - Well, the Night Time is the Right Time to be with the one I love, but I may do a bit of the Mess Around . . . or a few hits of black tar.

Latham NY laid off more than half the first year class

sounds like a great way for UCLA to make a bunch of money off of usc, pepperdine, loyola, and southwestern grads

Latham LA laid off a third of the first year class?

Ouch. Go to Gibson.

81--FUCKING AWESOME.

This rankings obsession is really pretty silly. UCLA is, what, #15 and it's supposedly garbage? Whatever school is #14 is a goldmine?

That makes lots of sense.

81 - EPIC

If I wasn't somewhat libertarian in my views, I would say all third and fourth-tier law schools should be shut down. Lending to students at these schools is predatory lending. It may be legal, but it is dishonest and immoral. You should be ashamed of yourselves - deans, professors, student loan lenders and administrators at such institutions. You are parasites feeding on the hopes and dreams of uninformed young people. Even at top schools, it's not much better - NWU lies and distorts their employment statistics - I know. Your day of reckoning will come you parasites!

Worst idea ever

USC = University of Second Choice (well-known to everyone)

I knew a stripper who got into UCLA. Surprise, surprise, she dropped out without getting a JD.

I would love to be in the interview room when an applicant tries explaining what the hell an LL.M in Transition to Practice is.

81 should consider proofreading before posting. Wow. Also, not funny at all. Tried way too hard.

An endorsement by a Latham partner automatically gives this offer from UCLA an extra kiss of death, beyond the opportunistic bullshit that it is without Latham. Latham just laid off 190 associates, many of whom were first year. Latham and UCLA are asking students to get fucked in the ass twice without any lube when it would already hurt too much the first time. I will be surprised if anyone actually signs up for this offer or whether Latham actually hires any of these idiots.

163 = unemployed UCLA 3L anxious to get an LLM

Chances those involved in this scheme read the comments in this thread = 100%

Chances they make changes to the program = 0%

Chances they find 25-50 unemployed idiots to take out loans to pay them $40,000 for a worthless degree: 100%

This is how the legal profession works.

(I write unemployed and not deferred, because presumably if the kid was smart enough to get a firm job they he or she would be smart enough to avoid this scam like the plague)

165 - I actually go to UVA, but thanks for trying.

Two weeks ago NYU did the same in an Email to students:

Dear Alan,

Attached please find an announcement for the new NYU Law Academic Careers Research Fellowship program.

The Academic Careers Research Fellowships were created in response to the recent announcement of deferred start dates for members of the class of 2009 and mandatory furloughs of practicing associates by some area law firms. The intent of the program is to give NYU Law graduates who find themselves deferred or furloughed, and who are committed to law teaching, an opportunity to focus on their scholarly writing while they are unable to practice at their law firm. Fellows will also receive mentoring and will be able to participate in the intellectual life of the law school.

For details, please see the attached announcement. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at crystal.glynn@nyu.edu.

My regards, Crystal

Crystal Olsen Glynn

Coordinator, Academic Careers Program

New York University School of Law