Dean's Message
For law students thinking about entering the legal profession, these are challenging times. There are many questioning the value of a legal diploma, especially given the high costs of tuition and the current economic environment. But despite these challenges and questions, I firmly believe that a legal education is a valuable investment that will serve you well throughout your life. At the University of San Diego School of Law, we will provide you with an excellent legal education, one that combines academic rigor with hands-on, practical experience, and that will prepare you for success.
In August, I joined USD School of Law as its 10th dean after more than twenty years in private practice. The first thing that struck me about USD, and that I know will strike you, is the beauty of the campus and its surroundings. But you will find, as I did, that the beauty of USD School of Law is not just skin deep. Rather, the true beauty of this school is embedded in the quality of the people here, our distinguished faculty, dedicated staff and diverse students.
USD School of Law’s faculty, who rank among the top law school faculties in their scholarly reputations, are also committed teachers and mentors. Each year we also bring distinguished visitors to enrich our curriculum. For the 2011-2012 academic year, those visitors include Harvard Law School Professor and former White House Counselor for Energy and Climate Change Jody Freeman; one of the country’s pre-eminent scholars in the area of criminal procedure, Albert Alschuler; and Michael Perry, an internationally-recognized expert on human rights who has a joint appointment at USD’s Kroc School of Peace Studies. We also regularly invite leading legal practitioners from many specialized areas of law to join us as adjunct faculty to ensure that our students receive the latest legal training in those specialties.
Complementing the school’s rich academic curriculum, we have a range of programs, centers, clinics and institutes that are unequaled in providing students with hands-on, practical legal experience. You will have the opportunity to learn written and oral advocacy skills through our Appellate Moot Court program and our National Mock Trial Team, which has been selected one of the top in the Ninth Federal Judicial Circuit for the past 20 years. Business-oriented students can gain direct hands-on experience through our Technology Entrepreneurship Clinic and the Corporate Counsel Internship Program. At our nationally recognized Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL), you can focus on the study of administrative law and state regulatory agencies. Other programs include the Children’s Advocacy Institute, the Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC), the Center for Intellectual Property Law & Markets and the Center for Corporate and Securities Law.
During the years I served as a hiring and managing partner in the San Diego office of national law firms, I developed a high regard for USD School of Law and its graduates. I found that USD-educated attorneys often stood out among their peers for their eagerness to learn, drive to succeed and willingness to work hard. In a recent survey, USD achieved an impressive ranking in the number of partners in major law firms, with a distribution all across the country. Among our distinguished alumni are no fewer than 60 judges and two members of Congress, including the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. USD School of Law’s strong reputation provides our graduates with employment opportunities throughout the United States and our expanding alumni network will actively assists and support you in your legal careers.
Whenever I meet prospective or new law students, I am energized by them and the dreams and ambitions that make them want to come to law school. I invite you to learn more about USD School of Law, first by using this website and then by coming to visit us. When you do, you will find out more about why I am so enthusiastic about being dean and why I think this is such a great place for you to realize your dreams and ambitions as future lawyers.
Thank you for your interest in USD School of Law,
Stephen C. Ferruolo
Dean and Professor of Law
