Dean Message
Student Quality
L
ocated in one of the nation’s top legal markets, USC Gould is a private, top-20 law school with a 115 year history and reputation for academic excellence. We continue to innovate and leverage our distinctive location - a hub for entertainment, media, technology, and globally positioned in the Pacific Rim for international business.
87%
BAR PASSAGE-
In 2015, USC Gould bar passage was 86.7%, the second highest in California. In fact, the past 5-year average is over 88%.
94%
We have much to be proud of at the USC Gould School of Law. Having completed my first full year as Dean, I continue to be amazed at the caliber of our students and the passion demonstrated by our faculty. Together, they continue to impact the law school, the community and the world.
EMPLOYMENT-
94% employment 10 months after graduation*. *Class of 2015.
RANKED
Andrew T. Guzman, Dean
#15
Faculty Caliber 2016 CLAY Award - Clinical Director, Heidi Rummel, and student, Scott Mills ’16 were awarded the 2016 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) for their groundbreaking legal work in the resentencing of the first juvenile offender under the California Fair Sentencing for Youth Act. $2.5 M in Research – Members of our faculty have been awarded over $2.5M in funding to support their research– Professor Tom Lyon has received more than $1.5M from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for his impactful work on child witness testimony. impactful work on child witness testimony.
Quoted Over 400 Times by Media Our faculty engage in public discourse and quoted more than 400 times annually by media including the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. They are also prolific commentary writers whose work regularly appears in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and CNN.com.
19 Book Awards - USC Gould faculty have received 19 awards and recognition including Best Authored Book, American Psychology Law Society; the James Willard Hurst Prize.
The National Law Journal’s 2016 Go-To Law School Report (graduates hired as first-year associates to NLJ’s top 100 firms).
3.76
MEDIAN GPA-
Received over 4,500 applications, up 7% and higher than the national average of 1.9%, to deliver a 1L class with a GPA of 3.76, LSAT of 165 that represents 37% students of color and 38% students from outside California.
Other Law School Highlights Top 20 Ranking in US News and World Report for Over 10 Years - Additionally, ranked #12 in Tax specialty.
New Center for Transnational Law and Business – Seeded by a $1.5M gift the Center convenes scholars, leaders and experts to focus on international business, law and policy, and help address complex issues facing today’s global businesses.
Two New Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Degrees Launched - Expansion of the Judge Judith O. Hollinger ADR program with the addition of an ADR LLM and MDR degree - the first top-20 law school to offer master’s degrees in dispute resolution.
A top-ranked Media, Entertainment and Technology Program now offering a new certificate in Technology and Entrepreneurship to further enable student opportunities in technology, start-ups and venture capital markets.