UCI Law Launches Next Phase of Excellence
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 31, 2022 — The University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law) welcomed new J.D., LL.M. and Graduate Tax Program classes, totaling 211 new students from 34 states and 22 countries. The classes are the most highly credentialed and diverse in the Law School’s history.
It was a busy week as classes began the week of August 22, on the Irvine campus. In addition to new students, the Law School also welcomed UCI Law’s third dean, Austen Parrish, and new full-time faculty member Courtney Cahill – a leading scholar and teacher in constitutional law, anti-discrimination law, reproductive rights, sex equality and LGBTQ equality. It will be an important year, and all in the law school community are looking forward to celebrating UCI Law’s inaugural class of 2012 at their 10-year reunion and the class of 2017 at their five-year reunion this October.
“I am honored to lead UCI Law as dean as we welcome our new students," said Dean Parrish. "The Law School’s faculty and staff have created an extraordinary law school that fosters innovation and promotes excellence in legal education. This is a great time to be here and the energy on campus is palpable. If one of the goals of UCI Law is to bring and keep the best and brightest in Orange County, the school did it this year in spades. I was immensely impressed with our new class.”
The J.D. Class of 2025
UCI Law welcomes its 14th class of 173 first-year J.D. students. It is the most highly credentialed class in the law school’s history, measured by the class’s median LSAT and UPGA scores.
The Class of 2025 is also one of the most diverse in the school’s history with students of different backgrounds, talents, and interests. Reaching new highs, 58 percent are students of color, 31 percent first-generation students, and 29 percent who identify as a member of the LGBTQIA community. Student ages range from 21 to 42 and hail from almost 70 undergraduate institutions from around the country. More than half of the class arrive at UCI with post-undergraduate work experience.
Collectively, the class includes:
| Students of Color | 58% |
| First Generation | 31% |
| Member of the LGBTQIA Community | 29% |
| Female | 53% |
| Male | 45% |
| Transgender or Gender Diverse | 1% |
| Age Range | 21-42 |
| Average Age | 25 |
| Veterans | 3% |
| Undergraduate Schools Represented | 66 |
| Languages Spoken | 39 |
| California Residents | 78% |
| Out of State Residents | 15% |
| International | 8% |
| Data as of 8/22/2022 |
LL.M. Class
This fall, UCI Law welcomes our sixth class of 25 Master of Laws (LL.M.) students. The LL.M. program is a one-year, full-time course of graduate study for lawyers whose first degree in law is from outside of the United States and who wish to become educated about the legal system and practice of law in the United States.
The 2023 LL.M. class brings talented lawyers from around the world to Orange County. This year’s class hails from 11 countries, including Brazil, China, India, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. Four students are current or former public prosecutors, one student works in a supervisory role in their country's central bank, seven are senior associates with international law firms, four are patent law attorneys and one is an in-house M&A specialist.
Graduate Tax Program
The UCI Law Graduate Tax Program welcomes its fourth cohort of 13 incoming students. With a 100 percent employment rate for UCI Law Graduate Tax Program students for the past three years, this new class of students includes five UCI Law J.D. alums, six international students, two veterans and represents six countries including, China, Columbia, Kenya, Mongolia, Peru and South Korea. The UCI Law Graduate Tax Program ranks No. 1 on the West Coast, and offers an innovative, one-of-a-kind LL.M. curriculum that instills students with both the doctrinal depth and the practical skills needed to practice tax law at the highest levels in the U.S. or abroad.
About the University of California, Irvine School of Law
The University of California, Irvine School of Law is a top, visionary law school that provides an innovative and comprehensive curriculum, prioritizes public service, and demonstrates a commitment to diversity within the legal profession. UCI Law students have completed more than 135,000 hours of pro bono work since 2009. Forty-eight percent of UCI Law’s J.D. graduates are people of color. At UCI Law, we are driven to improve our local, national, and global communities by grappling with important issues as scholars, as practitioners, and as teachers who are preparing the next generation of leaders. The collaborative and interdisciplinary community at UCI Law includes extraordinary students, world-renowned faculty, dedicated staff, engaged alumni and enthusiastic supporters. More information on UCI Law is available here. Please follow us on Twitter @UCILaw and Facebook @UCIrvineLaw and Instagram @ucilaw.