Joining the Trojan Family

USC Gould welcomes a diverse new class of J.D. and LL.M. candidates to orientation

-By Gilien Silsby

They come from 21 states, 76 undergraduate schools and five countries. Some attended boarding schools, while others grew up in poverty. Many speak a second language, have lived outside the United States or served in the military or AmeriCorps. A few are engineers, actors or theologians.

The USC Gould J.D. Class of 2018 gathers for the first time at orientation.

The 192 new USC Gould students enjoyed their first taste of law school recently at a weeklong orientation session, where they had an opportunity to meet their fellow classmates, professors and deans.

The Class of 2018 was treated to a variety of activities ranging from research skills training, a tour of the law school, meetings with peer mentors and a welcome from the new dean, Andrew Guzman, who remarked that he and the new students share something in common.

“This is my first day as much as it is for you,” Guzman said. “I have the same feeling of wondering what comes next, what's it going to be like in a week, in a month, in a year. It's an incredible feeling and it's something that you'll remember for a long time…. For me, I'm going to always feel a certain connection to you because we started together.”

The Gould Class of 2018 enters with a median LSAT of 166 and GPA of 3.76. About 4,245 applicants vied for the 192 slots.

“To put this into perspective, 22 applicants completed for the seat you are occupying at this moment,” said Associate Dean and Dean of Admissions Chloe Reid after introducing students to their classmates by recounting some statistics and describing their accomplishments.

Reid said that the diverse class comes from careers ranging from paralegals and educators to auction house executives, therapists and registered nurses. The students span in age from 19 to 40 years old.

“You are a diverse class, and each of you brings something very special to the table,” Reid said.

Dean Andrew Guzman, in his first year leading USC Gould, mingles with the incoming class of 1L students.

Guzman advised the students to look around – literally and figuratively. “This is rarefied air. You're in a community of people who are amazingly talented, amazingly smart, and amazingly hard working… The folks you're going to really learn the most from are sitting in this room around you. They're the folks who are going to be your lifelong friends, your business partners, for some of you, your romantic partners, these are the people who are going to define your law school experience.”

Students spent much of the week shepherded by their Peer Mentors, second-year students dedicated to providing guidance and support throughout the 1L year. The mentors were the first to greet the 1Ls at their initial breakfast on campus, gave tours of the law school and ate lunch with their mentees in Crocker Plaza. Orientation wrapped up with a law school community luncheon with many members of the faculty, staff and Dean Guzman.

Guzman reminded students to take advantage of the priceless Trojan Network when pursuing summer associate jobs, externships and internships. “I’m amazed by how many alums want to be engaged with the law school. They feel a passion for this place and for what we do that I've never seen before at other law schools.”

That’s what drew Brian Moossaian, who earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA, to USC Gould.

New LL.M. students get to know each other during orientation playing "human bingo."

“It was between here and UCLA, but after attending the admitted students' events, I was convinced,” he said. “I kept hearing the constant emphasis on the Trojan Family, and that really sold me.”

At an orientation program for the Graduate and International Programs (G&IP) students, Associate Dean Deborah Call welcomed 219 residential master’s students from 36 countries, as well as 38 online master’s and certificate students and 4 exchange students from Hong Kong, France and Italy.

“We are thrilled to have attracted and enrolled outstanding students in our 2015-16 classes who come to us from successful careers in law, business and government around the globe.” Call said.