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Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Situated in the bustling heart of Los Angeles, Loyola Law School offers its students an exciting and stimulating location to study law. Besides its excellent location, the school also offers a superb education, and is proud of its title as the first ABA-approved law school in California to have a pro bono requirement for graduation. Some prospective students may be concerned about the school being located in a saturated legal market; Loyola graduates have to compete with students from Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, Hastings, etc. for job opportunities. However, Associate Dean of Admissions Jannell Roberts reassures applicants in her exclusive interview with Top-Law-Schools.com:
We have always existed in a very crowded southern California market with other excellent law schools. But we affirm the quality of the legal education students receive, our top-notch faculty and a campus environment that allows our students to thrive. We anticipate that the face of the legal market is changing and we will continue to provide services to our students to place them in the best possible position when they begin their job search. Prospective students should think carefully about the realities of the legal market in the upcoming years. But I am confident that our graduates will continue to distinguish themselves as excellent practitioners and passionate advocates.
Thus, applicants interested in staying in California should feel right at home at Loyola. If you're not sure about applying to law school or just beginning the application process, then please take the time to read some of the excellent pre-law articles found here.
Contents
History
Loyola Marymount University is a Jesuit university in Los Angeles with a long history of providing quality Catholic education. It was founded in 1948 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and Saint Ignatius Loyola, and it continues to provide excellent learning opportunities for students from all backgrounds. LMU offers rigorous coursework and a supportive community that helps students reach their full potential.
The present University is the successor to the pioneer Catholic college and the first institution of higher learning in Southern California. In 1865, the Vincentian Fathers inaugurated St. Vincent's College for boys in Los Angeles. When this school closed in 1911, members of the Society of Jesus opened the high school division of their newly founded Los Angeles College. Rapid growth prompted the Jesuits to seek a new campus in 1917 and incorporate it as Loyola College of Los Angeles in 1918. Relocating to the present Westchester campus in 1929, the school achieved university status one year later. Graduate instruction began in 1920 with the foundation of a separate law school. The graduate division was formed in June 1950, although the graduate work had formed an integral part of the Teacher Education Program during the preceding two years.
Loyola Marymount University is a Catholic university formed in 1973 by the merger of Marymount College and Loyola University. The Board of Trustees turned to the history of the Jesuit educational philosophy and the history and traditions of the RSHMs and CSJs to create a vision for this unique collegiate enterprise. The university maintains its century-old mission of Catholic higher education in Los Angeles.
Admissions
At LMU Loyola Law School, they pride themselves on their people. Their students are the heart of their campus, and this selfie tour shows how diverse and impressive they are. This year, they scored top marks in the 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers list and dominated the “Top 100 Lawyers” list with 19 alumni, more than any other school. They also rank No. 1 in the “Top 50 Women” category with 13 alumnae recognized, the only school to reach double digits on this list. The law school also claims eight alumni in the Orange County "Top 50" list. They are a school that is as much about its people as it is about their place and nothing illustrates that better than its students.
Statistics
| Admissions Stats | ||
| Class of: | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile LSAT | 157 - 160 - 161 | 158 - 161 - 163 |
| 25th - 50th - 75th percentile GPA | 3.38 - 3.59 - 3.73 | 3.43 - 3.64 - 3.78 |
| Acceptance rate | 35.7% | 29.4% |
| Applications received | 3484 | 4145 |
| Acceptances | 1245 | 1217 |
| Matriculants | 403 | 375 |
Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles has a 1L class size of 350 and a yield of 28.43%. Out of the 1,217 people who applied, 346 were offered admission, and 346 were accepted, meaning that 28.43% of those offered admission ended up attending the school. The median LSAT at Loyola Marymount is 161, with the 25th percentile at 158 and the 75th percentile at 163. The median GPA is 3.64, with the 25th percentile at 3.43 and the 75th percentile at 3.78.
Eligibility
To apply for admission as a first-year student to the JD program, you must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. You must submit final transcripts confirming the conferral of all undergraduate and advanced degrees to be admitted.
Application Requirements
Application requirements include the JD electronic application, the application fee, the CAS report, LSAT scores, and letters of recommendation. To apply, you must have an LSAT score or a GRE score. You must also submit a personal statement, letters of recommendation, and a resume (although it is optional, it is strongly recommended). Finally, you must agree to the 2023 Early Decision Agreement.
Application Timeline
The application timeline for the JD program is as follows: the application became available on LSAC.org on September 12, 2022; the Early Decision Agreement & Application Deadline is December 1, 2022; the JD Day Program Priority Deadline is February 1, 2023; and the JD Evening Program Priority Deadline is April 15, 2023. The Standard Review Timeline is 6-8 weeks, which may vary depending on the applicant.
Application Process
The electronic application process begins when you visit the Law School Admission Council website. Register for the Law School Admission Test and complete and submit an electronic application to Loyola. LSAC is also responsible for collecting your statement, transcripts, and recommendation letters.
Application Fee
The application fee will be waived for all applicants until December 31, 2022. The fee will be $65 beginning on January 1, 2023. The fee will remain waived for alums and current students of Loyola Marymount University if requested before applying.
Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Report
The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is a service offered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) that helps to process and submit your application materials. This service is required for all applicants with only a GRE score to ensure your application is processed on time. It's essential to contact LSAC to ensure that all of your materials and fees have been received to avoid any delays in the admissions process. For more information on the CAS Report, visit LSAC's website.
LSAT or GRE
The LSAT is the standardized test required for admission to law school, while the GRE is the standardized test required for admission to graduate school. Applicants who take the LSAT and the GRE must submit their LSAT scores but can choose whether to submit their scores. In this case, the LSAT will determine an admissions decision. The last LSAT score they will accept for admission to the Full-Time Day program is March 2023, while the last LSAT score they will accept for admission to the JD Evening Program is June 2023. The final GRE score they will accept for admission to the JD Day program is February 24, 2023, and the final GRE score they will accept for admission to the JD Evening Program is June 8, 2023. They strongly encourage prospective students to sit for either exam by January 2023 to be considered for admission under their rolling admission policy. If they choose to take a later exam, their application will be reviewed once this score is released. Students who sit for these exams later in the cycle may not receive priority consideration for scholarship awards.
Personal Statement
A personal statement is required to get into law school. This statement helps the admissions committee assess the applicant's written English skills and determine whether the person is a good fit for the school. The statement should be about 2-3 pages long, use a font size of 10 or higher, and be double-spaced. It's essential to make sure that this statement is your original work.
Finally, if you're interested in improving your personal statement or even just looking for ideas to write about, Ken DeLeon, the creator of Top-Law-Schools.com, wrote a fantastic guide to personal statements, which can be foundhere for free.
Letter(s) of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation offer insight into a prospective student's potential for law school success and provide information about the candidate not reflected in other parts of the application. Letters can comment on the applicant's intellectual capacity, analytic and communication skills, and character traits. Although academic letters are preferred, letters submitted by the candidate's employer or supervisor are accepted. Letters from family members or family friends are strongly discouraged. For additional advice on obtaining letters of recommendation, click here.
Résumé
Résumés should be concise and include essential information such as education, work experience, and achievements. Applicants are encouraged to submit a résumé, although it is not required.
That being said, there's more to your application than your numbers. The school has "one to three members of the Admissions Committee" read over your application, considering your personal statement, letters of recommendation, and resume. Dean Roberts emphasizes that these factors are critical in your admission:
The qualitative aspects of a candidate's file (i.e., personal statement, letters or recommendation, resume) are extremely critical in our evaluation. The GPA and LSAT score merely sets the context, these other factors help the committee 'flesh' out the candidate and get a sense of who this student is as a person. Substantive community service (like Teach for America), military service and/or professional experience can be important indicators of a candidate's interests, maturity, goals and direction. Other good non-numerical attributes are substantive community service and/or campus involvement.
So, even if your numbers are strong, make sure you don't "phone in" your application. A sloppy personal statement or weak letters of recommendation could doom you to the waitlist or reject pile. Although a resume is optional, it is "strongly encouraged" and is a good way of sharing those factors that make you different in a concise and accessible way. The school requests that your resume be two pages or less and may include "education information (including honors and awards), employment history, extracurricular or community activities, military service, publications, special achievements, etc." To read some advice about creating a professional law school resume, click here.
Students who know Loyola is their number one choice can apply using the Early Decision (ED) option. If accepted, students must withdraw all other applications, so it's definitely not a choice to be taken lightly. However, if you're sure that you want to attend Loyola, applying ED might just give your application the boost it needs. Applicants must submit all their materials by December 1st to meet the ED deadline, and they will receive a decision by December 31st. To read a TLS article about making the decision between ED and RD (or Regular Decision), click here.
Addenda
Generally, Loyola will take the average of multiple LSAT scores for applicants. However, Dean Roberts says, "if an applicant scores more than three points above or below the previous score, he/she is encouraged to submit an addendum to explain the score difference." The dean also suggests that you explain any academic problems (a low GPA / low LSAT) if you have a legitimate reason for their being low. The school does not want to hear a "litany of excuses." For more information about writing addenda, click here.
Waitlisted
Getting off the waitlist at Loyola can be difficult - to maximize your chances, make sure you send in any new information that might strengthen your application. For instance, one could submit "recent grades, statement of interest, and [an] additional letter of recommendation." Candidates that submit new information are looked at most closely by the admissions committee, and a "candidate who has supplemented their file with information not available at the time of the initial review is given careful reconsideration."
Tuition and Financial Aid
The financial aid office prepares a yearly student expense budget that defines the estimated standard allowances for education costs for graduate and professional students. This includes average amounts for everyday expenses such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, board, and other living expenses. The cost of attendance differs by the program of study, and your actual costs may differ depending on unit enrollment and other program fees.
Cost of Attendance
|
JURIS DOCTOR | DAY PROGRAM | EVENING PROGRAM |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $62,390 | $41,690 |
| Fees | $1,022 | $746 |
| Room & Board (off-campus not with relatives) | $21,993 | $21,993 |
| Books & Supplies | $1,784 | $1,784 |
| Personal & Miscellaneous | $7,481 | $7,481 |
| Parking & Transportation | $3,238 | $3,238 |
| Loan Fees | $1,822 | $1,822 |
| Estimated Total Cost | $99,730 | $78,754 |
Scholarships
The JD program offers a variety of scholarships, which can range from partial to full tuition. The scholarship requirements vary depending on the type of award but typically include meeting a specific GPA requirement. If a student does not meet the renewal criteria, the scholarship will not be renewed in any subsequent year, even if the GPA requirement is met.
Loyola-specific program scholarships
- Fritz. B. Burns Scholarships:
The Fritz B. Burns Foundation has generously funded scholarships for high-achieving, potential leaders in the legal community. These scholarships are awarded to the most outstanding students entering the Day or Evening Division and include tuition, all fees, and a book stipend. The scholarship can be renewed.
- The Public Interest Scholars Program (PISP):
Designed for law students committed to practicing in the field of public interest law. The scholarship amount varies and is renewable annually. To be considered for this award, applicants must submit an additional one-page addendum with their application materials. The PISP includes specialized externships and paid summer jobs in public interest law.
- Dean's Scholarships:
The Dean's Scholarship is a prestigious annual award given to several new students. It includes tuition, mandatory fees, and a stipend that can be renewed.
- Loyola Scholarships:
Loyola scholarships are awarded to students based on academic achievement and various backgrounds and experiences. These scholarships are partial, and some may be renewable.
- Law School Graduate and Other Degree Scholarships:
The Office of Admissions automatically considers applicants for merit-based scholarships during the evaluation process for the LLM in FTA, Tax LLM, MLS, MT, and JSD programs. No separate application is required. The Office of Admissions will notify students who are selected for a scholarship.
- Graduate Tax Scholars:
Loyola Law School offers up to three full-tuition scholarships for the Tax LLM degree program each year. These scholarships are awarded based on merit to applicants with outstanding academic records and exceptional promise. In addition to other required courses, Graduate Tax Scholars are expected to complete the Program’s course in Tax Policy and prepare and present an Honors Tax Research paper with a view to possible submission to the Tannenwald Tax Writing Competition. Graduate Tax Scholarships are limited to applicants who have earned a J.D. degree at an ABA-AALS-approved law school in the United States and who enroll as full-time, 24-unit students.
Transfer
To apply as a transfer student to Loyola's JD program, you must complete one year of full or part-time study at an ABA-accredited law school. The application deadline is May 15, 2022 - July 31, 2022. To apply, you must complete an electronic application and pay a $65 application fee. The application requires submitting a CAS report, personal statement, official law school transcript, letter of good standing and class rank, disclosures, and résumé (optional).
Dean Roberts explains the transfer process for Loyola:
We receive more than 200 transfer applications. Our transfer class enrollment can vary, depending on the space availability in our upper-division classes. (In recent years, we have enrolled about 40 transfer students.) The most important factors for these applicants are first-year law school grades and class rank. Transfer applicants in the top third of their class or better are considered the most competitive.
It is also important to emphasize why Loyola is the choice for you - learn about the school's programs and faculty, and speak about what interests you at Loyola in an intelligent way. To read a fantastic article about transferring, click here.
Urms (or Underrepresented Minorities)
Because of their disadvantaged histories in the United States, certain minorities enjoy a significant boost in the application process. To read more about this boost and to see whether you classify as an URM, click here. In addition, there are many pre-law programs specifically created to help URM applicants get accepted to top schools. To read more about some of these programs, click here.
Law School Culture
Being located in downtown Los Angeles has its perks! Students can enjoy all of the amenities that a major city like Los Angeles offers; there are many different museums, eateries, and other attractions that students can go to and participate in. The school's location also offers a great deal in terms of employment opportunities. Loyola's website explains that "This proximity to the downtown area is extremely advantageous for Loyola students because of the convenient access to federal and state courts and to the central offices of many major law firms." Dean Roberts emphasizes that the atmosphere at Loyola is "collegial," and a strong network of alumni are waiting to help graduates find jobs. She writes:
Students enjoy being part of a community dedicated to their legal education and the support they receive from deans, faculty, [and] administrators… Our community is collegial, committed, and diverse. Students benefit from the tremendous resources available to them as part of the LLS' network and this network is invaluable to them as a student and alum.
One current student was actually surprised at the degree to which Loyola "took the time to take care of its students." She writes:
The admissions office, particularly the Financial Aid Department, really bends over backward for the students. The Deans generally walk the grounds, interact with students, and are always extremely friendly. Also, during finals week this year, the cafeteria's hours were extended and the alumni association made sure that we had free coffee, tea, and even snacks at all times. I am definitely satisfied with the quality of education thus far.
The Student Body
Loyola is dedicated to maintaining a diverse student body. In the school's 2022 entering class, it is reported that the student body is divided evenly between males and females (48% and 52%, respectively). The school reports that 43.4% of the student body is comprised of minorities - making Loyola a top-ranked school in the nation in minority enrollment. One current student raves about Loyola's diversity, writing:
As far as diversity, Loyola prides itself in being one of the more diverse law schools in the country. As a result, clubs such as the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, La Raza de Loyola, and the Black Law Students Association are very active on campus.
Prospective students were very impressed overall with Loyola's atmosphere. One applicant remarked, "I noticed that everyone was very collegial to one another, lots of joking, etc." and another said, "The enclosed campus and the courtyard encourage 'community' and I saw a lot of that. More than any other school, students were engaging and talking to one another in between classes." A current student confirms this perspective, but notes that her classmates are quite competitive:
I think other students (particularly the 2Ls and 3Ls) are generally helpful and friendly. You will always find somebody who is willing to tell you about a particular professor or even share their outline(s) with you. Having said that, I think students within my section were much more competitive with each other than I ever expected, but I'm sure that's true for most first-year sections.
Some applicants might be concerned with how the school's reputation as a Jesuit institution affects the student body / the focus on teaching / etc. A prospective student reassures other prospective students that the school's Jesuit influence is minimal:
One professor also made a point of mentioning that even though it is a Jesuit institution and therefore affiliated with the Catholic Church, there is no religions focus in the classroom. There are, however, opportunities for religion (non-catholic included) if one is looking for that, but nothing is forced or mandatory. Loyola seems to have a diverse student body in terms of religious faiths, background, race, sexual orientation, etc.
It is important to note that Loyola's student body is quite large; in the school's most recent ABA data, it was reported that the total JD enrollment was 1,132. One student remarked that this was the school's "biggest negative," but this is more of an opinion than anything else.
Housing
There are plenty of housing options available for Loyola students. Students can live in neighborhoods like Beverly Hills, Burbank, Glendale, and Santa Monica, or move down to the famous Californian beaches (Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, etc.). If you want to be as close as possible to the law school, then the Pico-Union area is probably your best bet. As expected, housing in California is not cheap; students will most likely spend around $2000 a month in rent. The housing guide given in this thread goes over all of these housing options (and more!) very thoroughly, so if you're interested in finding out more information about convenient housing for Loyola, click the link above.
One current student was "surprised to discover" that "most people in [her] section travel long distances, sometimes more than an hour or two, just to get to class." However, she also reaffirms that "there are also a good number of students who reside in nearby housing, particularly the newly established lofts in downtown LA."
Facilities
In terms of facilities, students seem impressed with Loyola's campus. One prospective student remarked that "I was first impressed with the aesthetics of the campus; the layout is inviting, and it feels larger than it is." Another student noted, "Beautiful, beautiful immediate campus that is separate from all the other Loyola Marymount Schools. It was designed by Frank Gehry and it looks as gorgeous as it does online on its website (if you look at the architectural tour)."
Those concerned about safety should be reassured that Loyola protects its students. One prospective student noted that, although the surrounding area "is not the nicest," the school offers a regular shuttle service until 10 P.M., and students can call the security office at the school to get rides after that. Security offers also patrol the campus and make sure that everything is safe. Finally, there is a "security booth in the parking garage and the garage is patrolled." In other words, students shouldn't worry too much about the surrounding area at Loyola - the school takes its students' safety very seriously. For those interested in parking, the central parking garage has plenty of room for Loyola's students. One prospective student writes:
There is one central parking garage which is apparently a lot larger than it looks. 1Ls have to park in the basement, but my guide said there is never any trouble finding parking, and that if the basement levels are full, 1Ls can park on the upper levels. A permit costs around $350 per year, but if you carpool, you can get a discount, and they even have special carpool parking spots. The school also heavily subsidizes public transportation.
So, if you have to drive to campus, parking should be affordable and easy to secure. The one major complaint about facilities that students have is that there is no campus gym. Dean Roberts remarks:
We often hear from students that our campus is missing only one thing…a gym! Although we do not have these facilities on campus, our Student Bar Association works with neighborhood gyms to provide discounts to our students. And our law students may participate in the facilities available at the undergraduate campus (in Westchester).
As Dean Roberts mentions, students can join Gold's Gym and other neighboring gyms for discounted rates. Although this isn't as good as a free campus gym, it's a decent compromise and students shouldn't discount Loyola because of it. One current student further elaborates:
It is a bit annoying that if we want to use the gym for free, we have to go to the Westchester campus, but I know plenty of students who have no problem with the hefty discount offered by the nearby Gold's Gym. One fun fact is that Loyola actually has an annual 3-on-3 basketball competition held on campus in our basketball court; the winners of which, I've been told, have bragging rights all year long. Surprisingly, a lot of people actually participate in this event. In addition, there are plenty of other recreational opportunities on campus. One prospective student remarks, "There is a large student lounge area and a privately run cafeteria on campus which provides a variety of food choices. It looked to be reasonably priced, and my guide said it was decent food, nothing amazing. There are also Foosball tables, ping pong, and a basketball court on campus."
The library on campus made a great impression on one prospective student; he remarked, "The law library is huge and is supposed to be one of the biggest private libraries in the west coast. It has a good number of study rooms, which are supposed to be reserved but can be used by anyone when it's not a busy time (basically finals time)." In other words, unless it's the busiest time of the year, students should be able to find a spot in the library to study at their leisure. The quality of the classrooms was also raved about by prospective students. One writes:
The classrooms themselves are very nice as well. All have outlets to plug in your computer and the chairs are comfortable enough. It seems like they were renovated recently because all the classrooms I saw had huge flat screens behind the professor where the professor could write on his or her PowerPoint presentations. The professor that I saw did this, and it added a cool little touch to the class. From what I could tell by people accessing their email beforehand, the wireless works fine.
Overall, Loyola offers its students a superb campus in nearly all aspects. The only minor problems are its lack of a gym and the subpar surrounding area, but Loyola works hard to give its students reduced prices on neighboring gyms, and security initiatives on campus help students feel safe.
Extracurriculars
Students interested in extracurricular activities can choose from many different clubs to participate in at Loyola. For instance, students can join the Criminal Law Society, the Loyola Law School Democrats, OutLaw - Loyola's Gay/Straight Alliance, etc. One current student remarked, "Since Loyola is one of the bigger schools, I think students really have to seek involvement in clubs, journals, etc. There are plenty of opportunities to do so." For a more thorough listing of student organizations at Loyola, click here.
Journals
There are three different legal journals that students can join at Loyola. They include the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review, and the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review. The school's website continues that, "Staff members are selected on the basis of academic performance and a writing competition." Day and evening students are both eligible, and in order to be accepted to the Board of Editors (as opposed to regular staff members) for the different journals, one must show "superior contributions, legal research and writing skills, leadership, and demonstrated editorial ability."
The Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review is the school's flagship journal and its longest-standing publication. Currently, on its 43rd volume, the journal publishes four different issues per year: in the fall, in the winter, in the spring, and in the summer. Recent issues have included analysis of "First Amendment commercial speech protections, developments in complex litigation, California's 'Three Strikes Law, and the Class Action Fairness Act." In addition, the journal has hosted a number of symposia, it's most recent being the "Injuries without Remedies Symposium as part of Loyola Law School's Civil Justice Program." The journal also recently hosted a symposium on the home mortgage crisis; to find out more about these programs as well as see pictures and materials from recent events, click here.
Another longstanding journal at Loyola Law School is the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review. Currently, on its 32nd volume, the journal publishes three different issues each year. Recently issues have tackled problems like military occupation, European identity, and drug trafficking. The journal also hosted a symposium in 2010 entitled "The Significance of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," where three different panels and 11 different speakers discussed how to "ensure widespread ratification implementation" of the United States Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities "at the national level."
In busy Los Angeles, entertainment law is a driving force of the legal climate. Thus, the school's third journal, the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review, is an important factor in Loyola's academic mission. Currently, on its 30th volume, the journal addresses issues in "Entertainment, Sports, and Communications law." Recent articles have focused on fantasy sports leagues, the fair use policy, and how it applies to the case Lenz v. Universal, and virtual child pornography.
As mentioned above, gaining entry into any of these journals requires a combination of academic excellence and a positive result on the annual writing competition. For the latter, students must write an "essay of approximately ten pages based on a packet of supplied research materials." One submits the essay with a packet of application materials, and the current law review editors judge your submission. You can choose to apply from anywhere from one to all three journals, but the school recommends that you apply to all three in order to better your chances of being accepted. In addition, staff members and editors are given "academic credit on a 'Pass/Fail' basis for satisfactory completion of assignments and other responsibilities." The case note or comment that you write as a staff member could also qualify to satisfy the school's upper-division writing requirement.
Academics
The majority of Loyola's students are enrolled in the full-time day program, where they have to take eight required courses in their first year. These courses include staples like Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Torts, etc. In the second and third years, students mostly pick from different elective courses depending on their field of interest. The part-time evening program is similar: students take a number of required courses and choose from a list of electives for their remaining classes. Evening students usually take four years to complete their degree, including two summer sessions.
Loyola is also proud to be the first ABA-approved law school in California to have a pro bono requirement for graduation. Students must complete at least 40 hours of "uncompensated, legally related public service." The dean emphasizes the importance of this requirement, writing:
Loyola was one of the first schools in California to require its students to complete 40 hours of pro bono work. Social justice just isn't a phrase on our website, we care about training our students to be positive members of the bar and hopefully, go on to have a positive impact on our community, whether in the public interest or business or politics.
An extensive explanation of Loyola's grading system can be found here. The school uses a fixed mean of 81 for first-year classes, and most upper-level classes use a fixed mean of 82. The school ranks according to different tiers, placing the "top five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five, forty and fifty percent of each class" into groups. Students that manage to place into the top five percent are ranked numerically. To read more about Loyola's ranking system and to view some data, click here.
The school offers a JD / MBA for students who are more business-oriented in their legal interests. Students who want to pursue this dual degree first need to be accepted to the JD program at Loyola. Soon after putting down your deposit, you can turn in your JD/MBA application. To read more about why one might pursue a JD / MBA, click here. The school also has many other graduate programs, including a graduate tax program (LLM), an international LLM program in Bologna, and a 3-year JD/Tax LLM program. To find out more about these programs, click here.
Professors
Prospective students were impressed by the quality of the professors that they saw. One prospective student writes:
The teacher that I was able to see and talk to really briefly (just thanking him for letting me sit in) was funny, nice, and generally just an awesome guy. That seems to coincide with what the Princeton Review noted in its review of Loyola, saying that the teachers are very engaging, friendly, and enjoyable. Loyola also has an open-door policy for its teachers and I have generally heard that most teachers are willing to sit and talk to you about the class, even go over previous exams (that they've given in other classes) with them.
Loyola emphasizes its professors' friendliness and openness to students, as one prospective student remarked:
[The school] also mentioned that it's Loyola's policy to have the professors available, that the focus is on teaching, and not on publishing articles or writing books. I tried to take everything with a grain of salt - obviously, they are selling Loyola to us and want us to feel comfortable in going there, but at the same time I felt that they were being candid and honest.
A current student confirmed that these perceptions were indeed accurate, and described the professors at Loyola as the school's "biggest positive":
All of my professors so far, with the exception of one, in particular, have been amazing! A few of them even wrote the case books that we used in class. Needless to say, all of them were extremely knowledgeable about their subject areas and definitely knew the cases like the back of their hands. I think one of the things that set Loyola apart is that the university really prides itself on the fact that most of the professors have had some experience practicing law before becoming professors. This makes such a huge difference in classes such as Criminal Law where it is so important for professors to share their real-world experiences with students.
Public Interest
As mentioned earlier, Loyola was the first ABA-approved law school in California to have a mandatory pro bono requirement for graduation. Loyola has always had a strong focus on public interest law, and opened its Public Interest Department in 1988. Since then, the school has dedicated a great deal of time and resources to help its students secure public interest jobs. For instance, the school offers funding for 70 summer employment positions in "local legal service organizations" (60 public services, 10 government). The school is proud to report that "Loyola students donate well over 20,000 hours of student legal services each year to non-profit organizations throughout the community."
One important way that the school supports its public interest program is through the Public Interest Law Foundation (or PILF). This "non-partisan, student-run organization" gives out summer public interest grants and public interest bar stipends, and also hosts an auction each year to help raise money. One current student writes about public interest at Loyola:
The pro bono requirement is definitely something that the school prides itself in, and they make sure that the students know that from day one. I think because of that, students do take this requirement very seriously. PILF is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) organizations on campus, and their fundraising events throughout the year are definitely well attended. There will always be those students who are at Loyola to get their degree and leave, but I'd definitely say that a majority of the students do not fall into this category.
In addition, Loyola has a Loan Forgiveness program available for "students, beginning with the graduating class of 1988, who are employed, at a salary of less than $54,000, by a qualified public interest program." So long as students remain eligible, they can continue to receive money (up to $12,000 annually) for up to five years. Priority is given first to those students who have educational debt from their law school education; next in line are students who have no law school debt, but educational debt in general; finally, students who have no educational debt but have an annual salary of less than $54,000 are third in line. The committee also considers factors such as "the applicant's salary, the applicant's loan indebtedness, and the amount of assistance the applicant has previously received from PILAP." The school is more inclined to give assistance to those who are applying to the program for the first time, to "enable Loyola graduates to undertake careers in public interest law, and to provide substantial assistance in the first few years of employment."
There is also a Public Interest Scholars Program that provides "six full-tuition scholarships for incoming students" and several other partial tuition scholarships. Students are chosen for these scholarships "based on a combination of academic merit and public interest background and commitment." In 2009, there were 13 scholars chosen, and in 2008, there were only 8 scholars chosen. This program is competitive, so students should feel lucky and seriously consider the offer if they are chosen to be public interest scholars.
The school offers three Post Graduate Fellowships in Public Interest. These positions were created to do the following:
- To provide legal services to underrepresented groups that have traditionally lacked full access to legal services. Social justice, human rights, civil rights, and environmental groups are among those included.
- To create new public interest law positions to assist our students in getting their first public interest job and to have these positions then funded by the agencies, in effect creating additional resources.
- To encourage and develop a diverse and qualified group of future public interest lawyers and leaders to ensure the future of public interest law.
The school also has many different externships for public interest students to participate in. Students can obtain "an off-campus placement for one semester in judicial chambers, a government agency, or a public interest law firm." If you complete your externship in a public interest setting, you can even obtain pro bono credit for your work.
In addition to its externship programs, the school has many different public interest centers where "Loyola students, faculty and staff provide invaluable resources and services to the greater Los Angeles community." Some of these include the Cancer Legal Resource Center, the Disability Rights Legal Center, and the Center for Conflict Resolution. The clinics associated with these centers are a big deal at Loyola and help students get hands-on experience before they enter the real world. One student explains:
The clinics at Loyola are very competitive to get into, or so I've heard. I actually applied for the Juvenile Justice Clinic as well as the Civil Rights Clinic this past year and decided to take the latter after getting into both. I've heard that for those students who have gotten into any of the clinics, their experiences have been extremely rewarding. Therefore, I think that it's definitely a big part of education at the school.
In summary, Loyola is proud of teaching its students to be good, practicing lawyers. Dean Roberts explains:
Loyola is also distinguished by our track record to produce outstanding attorneys who have the ability to 'hit the ground running.' Our externship program, clinics, and centers provide excellent practical training. Our students learn legal theory in the classroom and then have an opportunity to see that theory at work in real settings.
Employment Prospects
Graduates from Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles earn a median salary of $90,000 if they work in the private sector. If they go into the private sector, a grad can expect to make $65,000. 73.2% of law graduates from Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles go directly to work for law firms, while 2.4% clerk for a judge. 3.8% of graduates go into public interest. 88.2% of Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles graduates pass the bar on their first try.
The strongest element of Loyola's prospects is its huge alumni base. Since being founded in 1920, the school has graduated over 13,000 lawyers, most practicing in southern California. This large number of alumni will look favorably upon Loyola graduates and help them find jobs in the area. Most graduates practice in Los Angeles, San Diego, or Orange County. The school's most recent employment data confirm this: out of 367 graduates that reported their region, 356 respondents found jobs in California, 10 respondents found jobs out of state (AZ, DC, LA, MD, NV, NY, WA), and one respondent found a job in a foreign country. As quoted at the beginning of this article, Dean Roberts is confident that Loyola students will continue to have a place in the law market.
However, finding employment after graduation will be very difficult if you're near the bottom of your class. One prospective student remarked, "The school doesn't have a mandatory attrition rate (they don't weed out the bottom of the class), but, as the student guide said, there might be practical reasons to leave if you are that low in your class." In other words, make sure to work hard in law school! Placing near the bottom of your class will leave you with a mountain of debt and few opportunities. One current student confirms that job prospects are not great:
I think the job prospects anywhere in California are bleak, to say the least. I think at Loyola, you need to be at the top half of your class to have any chance to land a job before or after graduation. As you can imagine, this makes the students much more insane and competitive. Having said that, I think Loyola has a great reputation in Southern California, and our supportive alums will help recent grads in the job market. To be honest, outside of Los Angeles, I'm not sure Loyola has any real pull. Students, for the most part, are aware of that fact.
She further elaborated:
Job prospects are pretty much just as I expected. I know some recent grads who still don't have offers, but several students landed jobs fairly quickly. As far as job prospects this summer, I am externing for a judge this summer, so I didn't have that much difficulty finding something substantial to do after my 1L year. In fact, I've run into several Loyola students working at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles this summer. I do, however, know that a lot of students in my section still don't have anything to do this summer and will most likely be taking classes instead.
Synopsis
Loyola (Los Angeles) maintains a strong regional reputation in a market saturated with great schools. As the largest law school in California, the school has a network of alumni that will help recent graduates find jobs. There are plenty of extracurriculars to take part in as a student, and the campus and facilities (besides the nonexistent gym) are almost unanimously praised. Students interested in public interest work will find plenty of opportunities at Loyola to satisfy their passion for public work, including externships, clinics, and post-graduate fellowships. Those interested in staying in the southern California market should consider Loyola as one of their top choices, so long as they receive significant financial aid.
Contact Information
Loyola Marymount University
Admissions Office
919 Albany Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213.736.1074
http://www.lls.edu/admissions/
admissions@lls.edu
Summary
| Established | 1920 |
| Location | Los Angeles, CA |
| Dean | Dean Melanie Jacobs |
| 2022 US News Ranking | 67th |
| LSAT Median Score | 161 |
| GPA Median Score | 3.64 |
| Bar Passage Rate | 88% (2022) |
| Employment Rate | 48% (2022) |
| Cost | $45,000 |
| Average Debt | $156,962 |
| Application Deadline | November 1, 2022: Early Decision (binding) Admission for Fall November 1, 2022: Early Action (non-binding) Admission for Fall |
Forum and Discussion
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles Discussions
Law School Admissions Forums
Law Student Forums
Law School Class Forums
Reference
Loyola Law School Named in the Top Ten by the Princeton Review.
https://www.lmu.edu/
Rank #67
LSD Law
LSAC Guide
How to Learn to Do Well on a Law School Exam
Success in Law School - A Unique Perspective
The Guide to Law School Loans
Guide to Fee Waivers
Interviews: with Jannell Roberts, Former Associate Dean of Admissions at Loyola Law School of Los Angeles
Forums: https://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=4
