Pepperdine University - School of Law

It’s hard not to lead with the most obvious benefit of choosing Pepperdine for law school: “the panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island as you enter just about make law school tolerable.” Pepperdine’s law campus is in fact located in stunning Malibu, CA, just outside Los Angeles, but to emphasize the beauty of its location would “wrongly connote a culture that may lack rigor or seriousness.” Indeed, among Pepperdine’s legal strengths are “top-notch dispute resolution curricula, wide variety of faculty from myriad professional and ideological backgrounds, and its top-tier student body.” “The administration is currently in the process of evolving to update themselves with modern times and beliefs,” and students see its recent changes as mostly positive ones that are “not yet complete” but “moving at a promising rate:” “Our new dean is spectacular, and will continue to improve our law school in any way needed.” “Dean Tacha could not be more optimistic, outgoing, or encouraging if she tried.” Though Pepperdine is historically, and still, a Christian university, they recently instituted an LGBT student group, and students say Pepperdine’s “is a growing community of diversity.” Despite the fact that “technology has been updated recently,” many students do echo the need for further updates: the “WiFi speed” is “miserable,” and “the interior of the Law Building looks as though it was plucked straight out of 1985.” More importantly, a lot of students feel some lack in the school’s career services, saying Pepperdine “could use heavy improvement in its career development office,” but there’s a “large alumni base in Los Angeles,” where there’s also an abundance of legal jobs.
Professors, for the most part, receive high marks from students: they’re “absolutely excellent,” “have a genuine open-door policy,” and “have been nothing less than completely exceptional.” “They truly invest in and care about the students and it makes law school much less stressful.” A few voices dissent with this characterization, noting the prevalence of “very wealthy, conservative men, which makes expressing your (differing) opinions difficult.” In spite of that, “I haven’t met one professor who didn’t seem completely passionate about both teaching law and encouraging every student to succeed.” Beyond Malibu, “the overseas study opportunities are numerous and very well run,” and students praise Pepperdine’s program in “dispute resolution,” noting that “classes through the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution…fill up quickly.”

It’s hard not to love your time at Pepperdine when the “campus is set in an absolutely beautiful location,” and students appreciate their “Wonderful peers as a result of such a warm environment.” While “the competition is extremely high,” “The student body is generally very warm.” The staff also “promotes both personal and intellectual growth:” “The leadership and location are unmatched. Pepperdine’s School of Law has been an extremely welcoming environment.”
As a Christian university, Pepperdine leans right and could, according to some, be “more open to diversity in viewpoints,” but “in my three years at Pepperdine I have never once felt out of place as a non-religious, liberal Democrat.” Even if higher-ups tend in conservative directions, “there are plenty of conservatives and liberals alike among the students,” which creates a vibrant culture of discussion. “Because most students who choose Pepperdine share its religious values, it can create a dividing line among students. That being said, the faculty, staff, and students are all very welcoming and kind to every single student at Pepperdine regardless of their religious and political affiliations.” Pepperdine is also “second to none among law schools in America today” in its commitment to making its law education available to veterans: “From being one of three top tier law schools in the country to offer full Yellow Ribbon support, housing allowance based on the Malibu Beach zip code, to dinner at the Dean’s house on Veteran’s Day, this law school truly strives to serve those who have served their country.”