火爆社区

Jesuit-affiliated Santa Clara University School of Law 鈥渋n the heart of Silicon Valley鈥� is a smaller school that manages to offer 鈥渁 wide range鈥� of courses across a host of legal areas. As you would expect given the location, Santa Clara Law boasts 鈥渙ne of the top-ranking high-tech programs in the nation.鈥� The course work in patent and intellectual property law is 鈥渢remendous,鈥� and students regularly intern with 鈥渢he vast array鈥� of existing mammoth corporations as well as the next generation of mammoth corporations here 鈥渋n the venture-capital capital of the country.鈥� The international law program is also extensive and 鈥渋ncredible.鈥� Study abroad opportunities are mind-blowing. There are a dozen different programs in twenty cities around the globe including鈥攋ust to cite a few鈥擨stanbul, Budapest, and Shanghai. In addition, there are several unique international judicial externships and international internships available. Still another perk here is the prominent focus on public interest and social justice law. SCU is teeming with institutes, centers, and programs that allow students to do 鈥済reat things for people.鈥�
鈥淩eal-world experience鈥� is one of the hallmarks of the professors at Santa Clara Law. 鈥淪ome are brilliant savants, but you just can鈥檛 learn from them.鈥� On the whole, though, faculty members are 鈥渢op-notch,鈥� 鈥渄edicated to teaching,鈥� and 鈥渙bviously committed to their students.鈥� Professors are 鈥渁pproachable鈥� as well. They 鈥渞eally engage students鈥� outside of class鈥� 鈥渁bout their past experiences and future hopes.鈥� Administratively, lower-level staff can be 鈥渟omewhat surly,鈥� and sometimes the decisions of the top brass 鈥渓eave much to be desired,鈥� but the general consensus is that management is 鈥渆xtremely accommodating鈥� and 鈥渧ery concerned with student feedback.鈥� 鈥淚t would be difficult to find another law school that cares so much about [its] students and actually does something about it,鈥� beams a 1L.
Santa Clara鈥檚 lush, 鈥減eaceful鈥� campus is 鈥渟imply gorgeous and kept very nicely.鈥� It鈥檚 also home to some 鈥済reat facilities.鈥� The law school facilities are pretty mundane, though. 鈥淭he classrooms are classrooms,鈥� says a 3L. The law library is 鈥渃ertainly adequate,鈥� but it鈥檚 鈥渇airly depressing.鈥� It鈥檚 鈥渄ark, and the temperature controls suck.鈥� On the bright side, the undergrad library 鈥渞ight next door鈥� is 鈥渋ncredibly awesome,鈥� and it鈥檚 a regular haunt for law students.
Santa Clara has a stellar reputation in the Bay Area, and career prospects are solid. More than 80 percent of all newly minted graduates head off to the private sector, where median starting salaries are very impressive. Quite a few students take jobs in Silicon Valley. San Francisco is another common destination. Santa Clara Law鈥檚 鈥渧ery accessible, passionate, successful, and helpful alumni network鈥� is a huge advantage when students are looking for work. They are 鈥渧ery willing to give back to the school and provide advice and opportunities to current students.鈥� 鈥淪ometimes it feels like the entire community of attorneys in the South Bay graduated from Santa Clara,鈥� explains a 3L, 鈥渆specially when it comes to district attorneys, public defenders, and judges.鈥� The alumni base and the SCU brand name aren鈥檛 as strong nationally, though. 鈥淣obody knows about it outside of the San Francisco area,鈥� laments another 3L.

鈥淭he school鈥檚 location allows it to attract a diverse group of highly educated students.鈥� In terms of ethnicity, Santa Clara Law is among the most diverse schools in the country. 鈥淰arying ages,鈥� radically different life experiences, and a solid geographic distribution also make for 鈥渁 good mix.鈥� Academically, a few students 鈥渁re jerks and should be quarantined,鈥� but 鈥渢here usually is a positive vibe around the school.鈥� 鈥淚t is a very welcoming environment that engenders very happy students.鈥� 鈥淲e鈥檙e a social tribe,鈥� explains a 1L. 鈥淲e might be graded on a curve but you鈥檇 never know it from how everyone treats each other.鈥�
鈥淪tudent life is collaborative.鈥� 鈥淭here鈥檚 a club or society for everything under the sun.鈥� 鈥淪timulating鈥� speakers including local corporate bigwigs are frequent, and 鈥淭he school makes a real effort to engage its alumni and host events where students can meet them.鈥� 鈥淪ocial activities and opportunities for students to get together鈥� are also commonplace. 鈥淲e study hard, but we also go out a lot on the weekends and form some close-knit friendships,鈥� says a 3L. The cost of living in Silicon Valley is very high, and the city of Santa Clara is 鈥渄ecidedly not a college town.鈥� The locale is 鈥済reen and sunny most of the year,鈥� though, and the Bay Area offers quite a bit to do. When students need a break from their casebooks or law school in general, heading up to San Francisco is pretty common.