Why SCALE?

Culture of Professionalism 

Once in the program, students quickly learn that SCALE is more than an accelerated path to a J.D. The program’s day-to-day culture is guided by a shared set of professionalism commitments created with input from SCALE students and faculty: being Self-Sufficient, Courageous, Accountable, Level-Headed, and Empathetic. These commitments shape daily life in SCALE, from small classrooms and courtroom simulations to study groups and collaborative projects. Students challenge and support one another, work through difficulties together, and grow as professionals in the process. By graduation, SCALE students leave not only with strong legal skills, but also with lasting relationships and the professional judgment that defines effective, thoughtful lawyers.

 

One of the biggest surprises about SCALE has been just how collaborative and uplifting the environment is. My classmates genuinely want everyone to succeed and consistently encourage one another to do their best. Our cohort feels like family now, partly because of the program’s intensity, but also through shared experiences like NHP and traveling to London together.” - Tucker Morgan '26

 

Small Class Sizes 

SCALE’s small class sizes are intentional and central to the program’s approach to learning. Students move through the curriculum together in a close-knit cohort, which creates an environment where people quickly get to know one another and feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions, and testing ideas. That sense of trust and familiarity helps reduce the imposter syndrome many students experience in law school and encourages fuller participation in class. The result is higher engagement, deeper learning, and a classroom experience that closely reflects the collaborative nature of legal practice.

Students also benefit from close support from faculty and staff who ensure students have the guidance and resources they need to succeed. This level of personalized attention is a defining feature of the SCALE experience. 

SCALE TA in courtroom in front of whiteboard speaking

Hands-On Learning 

Hands-on learning sits at the heart of the SCALE experience. From the start, students are not only learning legal doctrine in the classroom, but actively using it in realistic, practice-focused settings. Practical training is intentionally interwoven throughout the curriculum, allowing students to move back and forth between learning the doctrine and applying it in meaningful ways. 

As a defining example, during Evidence Law & Practice students engage in Evidence Labs that bring the Federal Rules of Evidence to life. Students conduct direct and cross-examinations, make and respond to objections, and receive real-time feedback from faculty and local attorneys who play the role of judges. They learn where to sit, how to address the judge and opposing counsel, how to speak with confidence, and how to handle themselves in a courtroom. By graduation, SCALE students do more than understand the law—they know how to practice it.

 

I was drawn to SCALE because I knew the hands-on learning opportunities offered in the program would challenge me and prepare me for the demands of legal practice,” she reflects. “I didn’t want to walk into the courtroom or sit down at the negotiation table without the opportunity to practice those skills. SCALE gave me that opportunity. -Nadya Bayliss ‘25

 

Guaranteed Externship

SCALE’s commitment to practice-focused education includes a guaranteed full-time externship for every student in Quarter 8 of the program. This requirement gives students the opportunity to step into professional legal settings, apply the skills they have been developing for two years, and work alongside practicing attorneys and judges. Recent placements include the ACLU of Southern California, Blumhouse Productions, CHIRLA, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, NBCUniversal, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of California, the United States Copyright Office, and the United States District Court. These externships mark a capstone to the program, allowing students to move from structured training into full-time legal work while still receiving the support of the SCALE community.

SCALE students in profession wear smiling

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