| Where is
UC Hastings located? |
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UC Hastings'
urban campus is located in the heart of San Francisco's Civic Center.
This area is home to federal, state, and county courts, as well as the
San Francisco Opera House, Asian Art Museum, Davies Symphony Hall, Bill
Graham Civic Auditorium, and the Main Library.
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| What are
the current enrollment statistics? |
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6,915 people
applied for 2003's entering class and 427 enrolled. The median LSAT is
163 with a range of 145 to 178. The median undergraduate GPA is 3.54
with a range of 2.43 to 4.10. One hundred and ten different
undergraduate institutions are represented.
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| How do I
apply to UC Hastings? |
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There are
several steps that need to be taken when applying to UC Hastings. First,
you must have-or be in the process of receiving-a bachelor's degree. You
must take the LSAT and register with the Law School Data Assembly
Service (LSDAS); this service compiles your transcripts, LSAT scores,
and the two required letters of recommendation into a report that is
then submitted to each school you apply to. You must submit the
application and application fee before the deadline.
There is also a required personal statement, an optional resume, and if
you are applying for Financial Aid or LEOP (Legal Education Opportunity
Program), there are additional materials required.
Foreign-educated
applicants must get a Course-by-Course Credential evaluation through
World Education Services. For more information on this, please go to www.wes.org.
For information on the
LSAT and LSDAS, please go to the Law Services website at www.lsac.org.
If you would like information on LEOP or Financial Aid, the applications
are available here. |
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| Ok, I've
applied, now what? |
|
The
Admissions Office will send an email acknowledging receipt of your
application and documents. We will then request your LSDAS report from
Law Services. Once your application is complete, it will be ready for
review. Decisions will be mailed out between December and May. For more
information on dates and deadlines, please go to Admissions-Decision
Time Lines.
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| What kind
of financial aid and scholarships are available? |
|
Approximately
80% of UC Hastings students receive some form of financial aid. If you
will be applying for aid, you must complete the UC Hastings Entering
Student Financial Aid Supplement as well as the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). UC Hastings' Title IV code is G03947. For
more information and to download the UC Hastings ESFAS, go to Admissions-Financial
Aid.
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| Is
California residency important for admissions? |
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No,
California residency has no impact on the application process. Do note,
however, that the tuition for out-of-state students is higher than that
of California residents. For more information on residency requirements,
please go to About Hastings-General
Counsel.
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| Is an
interview required? |
|
No. In fact,
UC Hastings does not offer interviews. If you are interested in more
information about the application process, we will have three
information sessions in the fall; please contact the Admissions Office
if you are interested in attending. UC Hastings representatives may even
be coming to you! Check out Admissions-Recruitment & Events for
information on upcoming events.
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| Do I need
to take the TOEFL? |
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No. If you
attended school abroad, you will, however, need to get a
Course-By-Course credential evaluation through World Education Services
(www.wes.org). All applicants to UC Hastings must take the LSAT.
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| Do you
have a part-time or evening program? |
| No. The UC
Hastings JD program is a full-time day program. |
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| Do you
admit students for the spring term? |
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No. UC
Hastings admits first-year students to begin in the fall only. We do
accept Visiting Students from other law schools for the spring semester.
For more information on the visiting application process, please take a
look at Admissions and Transfers &
Visiting.
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| How do I
go about visiting campus? |
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Prospective
applicants are welcome to visit UC Hastings. The Admissions Office
provides student-guided tours Monday through Friday. Tours are offered
several weeks after the start of each semester and continue until
preparations for finals begin. We also offer the opportunity to visit a
first-year class; the days and times of available classes are subject to
change. Please contact the Admissions Office at (415) 565-4623 to
reserve a space in a tour or to visit a class. You may also stop by the
Admissions Office and pick up a self-guided tour pamphlet.
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| What about
my graduate degree? |
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UC Hastings
requires that all admitted students have an undergraduate Bachelor's
degree upon matriculation. In cases when applicants have gone on to
receive a graduate degree before deciding to apply for the JD program,
the Admissions Committee uses the undergraduate GPA. Additional work and
degrees are considered when included as part of the admissions package.
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| I have a
law degree from a foreign institution; now what? |
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You may want
to consider applying to the LLM program. This is a one-year degree in
United States Legal Studies. For more information on this, go to Admissions-LLM. If you are interested in receiving a JD, you will need
to get a Course-By-Course credential evaluation from World Education
Services (www.wes.org), take the LSAT, submit an application, personal
statement, letters of recommendation, and resume.
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| How does
UC Hastings view multiple LSAT scores? |
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In the
case of multiple LSAT scores, UC Hastings takes the average. Please
note, however, that for fall 2004 admission, you must have taken the
LSAT since the June 2001 administration.
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| What can
you tell me about career services? |
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The UC
Hastings Career Services Office provides training and counseling, resume
and cover letter preparation assistance, recruiting and on-campus
interviews, an alumni mentor program, and information regarding job
opportunities. For information on job placement statistics, please take
a look at Students-Career
Services.
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| How do I
pursue a joint-degree program? |
|
UC Hastings
allows our students to pursue an informal joint-degree program with
various universities. It must be an approved program and can be in any
number of areas of study as long as it is related to the pursuit of a
JD. It is recommended that students take required tests for admission to
the program of choice prior to attending UC Hastings.
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| Will I be
able to study abroad? |
UC Hastings
has several study abroad and exchange programs available for qualified
applicants. These include:
University of Copenhagen
University of Heidelberg (fluency in German required)
University of Leiden
University of London: School of Oriental and African Studies
University College of London: Foundation International Environmental Law
and Development
University of Vermont
For more information on
these programs, please take a look at Students- Records Office-
Study Abroad.
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| What is
the first-year curriculum? |
The following
courses are required for all first-year students:
Civil Procedure
Contracts
Criminal Law
Legal Writing & Research
Legal Analysis and/or Moot Court
Property
Torts
In addition to the
required courses, one of the following Statutory Course Electives must
be selected:
Employment Discrimination
Environmental Law
Federal Income Tax Law
Food and Drug Law
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| Can I
choose my schedule? |
| No. The
Records Office schedules all first-year sections and classes. |
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| Can I work
during my first year at UC Hastings? |
| No. As the
first year is a period of academic adjustment coupled with a full-time
program and the required coursework and preparation, students are
generally discouraged from seeking outside employment. |
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