Student Bar Association president Shikya Harrison ’27 represented UCLA Law’s student body when she spoke to the crowd and introduced the new class members to law school.

“One of the best things that I have learned here was to stop worrying so much about sounding smart and focus on actually learning,” she said. “Ask the question, raise your hand when you’re unsure, go to office hours, talk to the professor after class – there will probably be 10 other people wondering the exact same thing and feeling super relieved that you were brave enough to ask. And don’t underestimate the people that are around you.”

Harrison continued, “While you’re here, I encourage you to actually be here. Go to the event, go get coffee with a person who asks, sit outside in the courtyard after class, join something, try something you didn’t come here planning to do. … Some of the moments that matter most are the ones you don’t plan for.”

Judge David Garcia ’85 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court administered the Oath of Professionalism and welcomed the new students on behalf of UCLA Law’s alumni.

He offered them several pieces of advice for law school. These included to not rush and take time to reflect, to enjoy learning for the sake of learning, to hold onto friends from law school, to take risks and be bold such as in volunteering, and to be respectful and professional.

“Always act in an ethical manner,” he said in conclusion. “Your reputation as an attorney is your best asset. And you never want to do anything that’s going to taint that reputation. … And remember what Marcus Aurelius said, ‘If it’s not right, don’t do it, if it’s not true, don’t say it.’”

The incoming J.D., LL.M., and M.L.S. students bring with them outstanding accomplishments and credentials.

The first-year J.D. students enter with record-high academic marks. Their median LSAT score is 171, which ties last year’s all-time best, and their median grade point average of 3.96 sets a new standard.

Importantly, they boast significant work experience in business, the arts, government, sports, and public service. They include a professional actor who has appeared on The Good Place and NCIS, the co-founder of a preowned luxury retail business, a wedding coordinator, the co-founder of an education equity non-profit serving children in the U.S. and developing world, a multiple-time international breakdance world champion, a student who can translate and read in several ancient languages like Middle Egyptian Hieroglyphic, a volunteer firefighter, and someone who was picked in the MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves. Notably, a number of our incoming J.D. students are veterans who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force.

Still more incoming 1Ls have been distinguished leaders and high-level honorees: three Fulbright scholars, four award winners in the Eagle Scouts or Girl Scouts, two student body presidents and 18 student representatives, 10 student publication editors-in-chief, 19 students who have worked in district attorney’s offices, seven students who have worked for the public defender’s office, 11 students who have worked for legal aid organizations, and four JusticeCorps volunteers.

The entering J.D. class ranges in age from 20 to 37 years old, with an average age of 24. Women make up 52% of the class, 61% identifies as students of color, and at least 16% of the members are the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree. Overall, 66% are California residents, and students come from 38 states, the District of Columbia, and five foreign countries. Roughly 8% of the class members already hold advanced degrees. (Read more about them in the J.D. class profile.)

The overall cohort of current J.D. students also now includes 30 transfer students who have joined as members of the Class of 2028, which is starting its second year.

Already lawyers who are working in a wide array of practice areas, the new LL.M. students come to UCLA Law from 42 countries.

They hold law degrees from the Sorbonne, the University of Tokyo, Cambridge, Oxford, the University of Chile, Seoul National University, Trinity College Dublin, and Renmin University, as well as the University of Michigan, Boston University, George Washington University, and many more leading institutions. Their experience also includes work in leading law firms, national governments, and businesses. Three are Fulbright scholars, and there are judges from Japan, Thailand, and Korea. In addition, there is one Health and Human Rights Fellow from France and three Critical Race Studies Fellows from Ireland, Mexico, and the U.S. And 12 foreign exchange students join UCLA Law from partner schools in China, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Members of the M.L.S. class are professionals who are pursuing a degree that will allow them to master legal principles and advance their careers but not qualify them to practice law.

There are 95 new M.L.S. students: 32.6% hold advanced degrees, over 15% are chief executives or vice presidents, and nearly one-third are directors or managers. Now in its third year, the program’s online and hybrid education options continue to open UCLA Law even more to the world. As a result, 38% of entering M.L.S. students live outside of the Los Angeles area and six come from China, Iran, Egypt, Ghana, and South Korea. All told, they include a clinical psychologist, a regulatory compliance officer at Wells Fargo, a business affairs and labor relations executive at Lionsgate, a technical program manager at Google, an HR director for Skechers, a deputy social editor of The New York Times, and a CBS anchor.