The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) maintains the following website for LGBT law school applicants: “Information for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Applicants”. LSAC also maintains a chart of schools which have LGBT nondiscrimination policies, and we are proud to attend a school which features one. Furthermore, the UCLA School of Law is one of few schools listed to feature all of the following: an LGBT student organization, LGBT faculty, LGBT administrators, LGBT-specific courses, and domestic partnership benefits.
UCLA School of Law also benefits from several other factors:
- The Williams Institute, a research institution and national think-tank regarding sexual orientation law and public policy, is located at the UCLA School of Law. The Williams Institute provides guest speakers, guest lecturers, funding, and other extraordinary benefits for LGBT law students at UCLA, thus providing us with unrivaled opportunities for research and scholarship, as well as a several courses related to sexual orientation and gender identity law.
- The Dukeminier Awards: Best Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law Review Articles is a journal dedicated to finding and awarding the best sexual orientation and gender identity law review articles of the year. Students can take part in choosing which articles receive awards or even running the journal. Furthermore, the curriculum includes a course devoted to sexual orientation and gender identity scholarship, providing an in-class opportunity to take advantage of this tremendous resource.
Finally, if you require general information regarding admissions for LGBT students and choosing between various law schools, the University of Michigan Outlaws maintains a website with useful information and suggestions.
The following is a letter that went out to prospective students in 2007-2008 from our previous Admissions Committee:
Dear Prospective Law Student:
Greetings from sunny southern California! On behalf of OUTLaw, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) student group at the UCLA School of Law, I would like to extend a warm welcome and take this opportunity to tell you about UCLA and the OUTlaw organization.
There are many reasons LGBT law students find happiness at UCLA. First, we thrive in the vibrant and diverse student community here, providing social, academic and career support to our fellow students. Second, we benefit from a strong academic program in sexual orientation law and related fields. Third, we flourish in our larger Los Angeles community which offers many opportunities (and great weather) for taking time off from our legal studies.
Student Community
- OUTLaw at UCLA has over 50 members and four active committee groups;
- OUTLaw co-hosts speakers and roundtable discussions on queer legal theory, the benefits of gay marriage versus domestic partnership, being out in the law firm, and other topics of interest to LGBT law students;
- OUTLaw has funded students' attendance of important events like the Lavender Law Conference; and
- OUTLaw holds regular social events such as BBQs, happy hours and movie nights.
Academic Resources
- UCLA is home to the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Policy (http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/home.html)—the largest think tank of its kind;
- UCLA Law offers over a dozen courses on sexual orientation law, gender identity law and related topics – including critical race studies, public interest law, disability law, and many other important topics – taught by experts in these fields, who are joined each year by one or two teaching fellows sponsored by the Williams Institute to teach classes related to LGBT issues and the law;
- The UCLA campus, which was recognized by The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students as one of the top 20 campuses for LGBT students in 2006, has one of the largest LGBT Campus Resource Centers in the country, which offers academic counseling and other resources to students; and
- UCLA Law hosts the Dukeminier Awards Journal—the only legal journal that recognizes outstanding legal scholarship in LGBT law nationwide.
Los Angeles Community
- Los Angeles has a vibrant LGBT community and offers diverse nightlife, shopping, and community-building options;
- OUTLaw students are able to use their legal skills to benefit their local LGBT community—for example, working with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, the HIV & Aids Legal Services Alliance, and the Lesbian & Gay Lawyer Association of L.A.;
- OUTLaw students have the opportunity to work on national LGBT Legal issues by networking with the L.A. branches of Lambda Legal or the Department of Justice's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and
- Los Angeles has fantastic weather, great beaches, and fabulous people!
Finally, financial hardship is not a barrier to applying to UCLA School of Law. If you feel you are eligible for a fee waiver, please contact our Office of Admissions at (310) 825-2080 or admissions@law.ucla.edu. If you have been granted a waiver by LSAC, you will automatically receive an application fee waiver at UCLA. Furthermore, OUTLaw members are available to answer any of your questions or concerns regarding UCLA Law in general or OUTLaw in particular. For more information about UCLA Law, please visit www.law.ucla.edu. You can get also in touch with an OUTLaw member personally by sending an email to uclaoutlaw@gmail.com.
I hope you will consider applying to the UCLA School of Law, a top-ranked law school with much to offer LGBT students. I also hope to have the opportunity to speak to you more about UCLA Law, and OUTLaw. Regardless of where you decide to attend law school, however, I sincerely wish you the best!
Sincerely,
Admissions Committee, OUTLaw at UCLA
Special thanks to the University of Michigan Outlaws for ideas from their website.