The Gould Starter Guide

-By Anne Bergman

USC Gould recently opened its doors to nearly 150 admitted students during its annual Law Day.

“The best way I can recruit you is to be as transparent as possible,” said Andrew Guzman, dean of USC Gould, in his welcome address before a day full of tours, mock classroom sessions and panels designed to offer a panoramic view of what it’s like to be a law student at Gould.

Ameera Davis (pictured here with her family) joined nearly 150 admitted students to get her first look at USC Gould during the annual Law Day.

Guzman also highlighted the advantages of attending USC Gould, citing the school’s small size, which encourages collegiality between students and faculty; the robust Trojan network, as well as the university itself, which Guzman described as one of the most “dynamic and forward-moving universities in the country, and getting better every day.”

Alumna Alyson Parker ’09, who 10 years ago was also a prospective Gould student, shared how her law school experience helped to shape her career. Now a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office at Pillsbury law firm, Parker detailed how she transformed from a legal neophyte to the president of the Student Bar Association during her three years at Gould. She also discussed how alumni helped to get her an interview at Pillsbury and how she has since done the same for Gould graduates.

Parker also attributed the pro bono opportunities she got through the Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) with helping to prepare her to become a litigator. Assisting clients who don’t have a lot of time or money to spare helped her to finesse her oral and written advocacy skills as she had to “make compelling arguments under pressure,” Parker said.

Throughout the day, the prospective JDs were introduced to:

• housing options close to campus

• Gould’s peer mentor program  (like having your own personal Oprah,” said one current Gould student)

• benefits of joining a clinical program

• positions with the prestigious law journals and the Hale Moot Court Honors program

• the wide range of student organizations

Alyson Parker ’09 shared with prospective students how USC Gould shaped her career as a litigator.

They also got to sample the teaching styles of law school faculty, including Professors Jody Armour, Rebecca Brown, David Cruz, Ronald Garet, Gillian Hadfield, Thomas Lyon, Robert Rasmussen, Elyn Saks and Edwin Smith.

Some admits like Ameera Davis, who had already committed to Gould before Law Day, traveled across the country to get a feel for Southern California. Others came from crosstown rival UCLA; while some were from the USC campus itself, considering whether to become Double Trojans by committing to Gould.

Admissions Dean David Kirschner noted that his team received 4500 applications for 200 available spots, a seven percent increase from 2015. “As we are crafting this class of incoming students, I take seriously the qualities of the ideal Trojan,” he said. “I’m looking for candidates who are faithful, scholarly, skillful, courageous and ambitious.”