University of Southern California - Law School

The University of Southern California's Gould School of Law is an interdisciplinary law school with a focus on public service and professionalism, providing students with access to one of the country's busiest legal markets and the associated externships, research opportunities, and clerkships that come with it. The nation's first modern legal aid program grew out of a USC Gould clinic established in 1929, and to this day the school offers “very relevant experiential opportunities and topical classes,” including a multitude of clinics, practicums and externships. Laying the groundwork are 15 dual degree options, and students can avail themselves of USC's range of professional schools, including the Marshall School of Business and the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. On top of that, “students benefit from all of the resources undergrads have on campus.” The school also has 6 legal clinics, including the International Human Rights Clinic and the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic. These are “the true gems of the USC Gould student experience” because they allow students to work real cases with actual clients. Another great resource available here is the Trojan Network, a resource of 10,000 alumni. This network yields “strong allies and [is] a great resource for finding internships or possibly post-graduation opportunities.” Another adds, “The USC alumni network and brand is really amazing and as long as you show some initiative on your own, you'll have no difficulties landing an internship inor out-of-market.” Capping it off is the campus location, which “makes it really easy to go to summer receptions, interviews, [and] casually meet with attorneys” at nearby major law firms.

The academics at USC are “challenging but doable,” and students “constantly [feel] supported by the environment built by students, faculty, and administration.” This applies even to first years; because core classes are “taught by fairly prominent members of the faculty, who [are] very keen to engage with students from the jump,” this means that everyone gets to utilize the “highly intelligent and experienced” and just plain “high caliber professors.” Students note, too, that this results in more active classes: professors “present their topics/lessons, but also press us to consider them from several angles” and “ask students questions and work with their thoughts to guide the discussions, not just expecting a certain answer.” The school is always improving too, and the law library has been recently updated—it is “large, beautiful, free of books, and full of study spaces”—and is a “very nice place to get work done.” As for informational events, the school sets up “formal seminars on law school test taking” and has “peer tutors share strategies to help first-year students succeed.” Finally, while Career Services tends to steer students “into traditional paths of big law or public interest, they are very good if you are OK with that path.”

The school's location in Los Angeles means there is “always so much to do,” which some admit “could be problematic if you are not disciplined.” However, those at USC find a good balance, knowing how to “take school very seriously … but also know how to get away from school and enjoy life.” Plus, USC Gould “has done an excellent job of fostering community among the students,” and people are “quick to share information and help one another” should they need it. “We want to do as well as we can, but we also embrace that we are all going to do better in the long run by being trustworthy and supportive classmates,” says a student. That helpful atmosphere means the school's size is a strength, as it is “large enough not to be claustrophobic, but small enough that you feel confident that a professor is going to remember your name after having you in class.” Overall, students “tend to be very social and collaborative,” and “most … find a tight knit friend group with whom they can socialize outside of an academic setting.”