UC Davis School of Law Welcomes Class of 2015
UC Davis School of Law welcomed the incoming Class of 2015 with a barbecue in the UC Davis Arboretum on August 12. Roughly 200 King Hall faculty, alumni, students, and staff gathered for the event to meet the new students and hear remarks by Dean Kevin R. Johnson, Kara Ueda '00, Chair of the King Hall Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Law Students Association President Nima Rahimi '13 on the eve of an orientation week before their regular courses commence.
The Law School enrolled 191 members of the Class of 2015. The new students have a median GPA of 3.60, median LSAT of 163, and hail from 84 different undergraduate institutions--the highest number of any incoming King Hall class in recent history. Forty-seven percent of the new class are women, and students of color comprise nearly 50 percent of the class.
Dean Johnson welcomed the new students and congratulated them on being chosen from among more than 3,500 applicants. He noted the entering class would be the first to experience the full advantages of the newly renovated King Hall building, where construction work is expected to be completed before the end of the calendar year. He also mentioned that the Law School is expanding financial aid for students and the King Hall Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) for recent graduates, as well as launching the new California Supreme Court Clinic.
"I think you'll realize soon, if you haven't already, how dedicated the UC Davis faculty is to teaching as well as being scholars, and how supportive the students, staff, and alumni are," Dean Johnson said.
"King Hall is truly a special place," said Ueda, echoing the dean's sentiments. "You are now part of a community of fellow law students, professors, administrators, and alums, who all genuinely care about each other and this institution."
The presentation closed with remarks from Rahimi, encouraging the new students to attend King Hall events and become involved in student organizations. "Don't lose sight of why you came to law school and why you chose a law school that carries Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s name," he said. "We have some of the most forward-thinking, trailblazing academics in the world at King Hall. Ask your professors what projects they're working on, see if you can get involved, and become part of the discourse."
Many other law faculty members as well as members of the Law School's Alumni Board welcomed the Class of 2015 at the barbecue.