The odyssey of law school began with orientation for Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s Class of 2013 on Thursday morning, August 12.
“You all bring with you your hopes, dreams, fears and aspirations,” said Associate Dean for Student Affairs Beth Kransberger.
You could see the look of apprehension on the faces of many of the new students as they met other students, staff and faculty for the first time.
But Dean Kransberger soon had them smiling and laughing as she asked them to introduce themselves to the students sitting next to them and in the rows in front and back of them.
Talk about an “instant ice-breaker!” You could feel the apprehension drain away in an instant.
“Look to the left, look to the right,” said Dean Kransberger. “Sitting next to you is an extraordinary person, and a future colleague in the legal profession. In fact, some of you may have just introduced yourself to your future spouse!”
“You will not be the same person when you complete this process,” said Dean Rudy Hasl as he welcomed the more than 360 1Ls. “The change happens very quickly.”
For most of the students, the odyssey will begin and end in the same room at the Westin Hotel. Not only were they there for orientation, but it is also the same room where they will be sworn-in as lawyers in a few years.
Class Reflects TJSL's Diversity
Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s new entering class reflects our commitment to diversity at the law school.
We have 360 new incoming students for the Fall 2010 term. 78% are full-time students. The class included 21 IP Fellows. 37% are students of color. 9 are active duty or military veterans, representing the Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, the Army National Guard and the Navy. 63% of the full-time class is male, compared with 52% of the part-time class.
22% are the first in their families to attend college. 34% are the first in their families to attend graduate or professional school.
They range in age from 21-49. 50 students are age 30 or older.
45% came to us from outside the state of California. 6% hail from rurally isolated parts of the US. They were born in 32 states, plus the Chickasaw, Cherokee and Choctaw Nations. They were born in 25 countries including India, the Phillipines, Korea, Pakistan, Moldova, Poland, Canada, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Armenia, England, Afghanistan, Iraq, China, Viet Nam, Austia, Panama, Mexico, and from the US, Puerto Rico and Guam.
22% are bi- or multi-lingual, and are fluent in Vietnamese, Turkish, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, French, Farsi, Chinese, Cantonese, Arabic and American Sign Language.
They hail from 165 different undergrad institutions, including 35% from the UC/CSU system, and from the US Naval and Air Force Academies, from Gallaudet and from the HBCU’s of Clark, Morehouse and Spellman.
The 75th percentile LSAT score of the full-time class increased to 154, the median stayed at 151, and the 25th held at 149. The 75th UGPA figure increased to 3.26, the median UGPA increased to 3.02 and the 75th increased to 2.78. Our applicant pool grew by 5% and the yield of admits increased 2.3% to 24.8%.
"Many thanks to everyone for their participation in Orientation and for a relatively smooth first week of classes," says Dean Kransberger.
