Mun Hoe had a chance to visit one of the most renowned universities in the United States, University of California Los Angeles, better known as UCLA, located not far from downtown Los Angeles (‘LA’). Prior appointment has been arranged to visit UCLA School of Law with a guided tour and class visit.
The law school is situated not far from the university’s landmark building, Royce Hall with an outlook that lives up to the expectation as a vintage law school.
The tour was guided by a third year (final year) law student who is able to provide fair insight of the law school and since most of the third year law students have been offered employment by legal firms, he was able to offer some information in relation to the practice.
As compared to the English common law system style of teaching that we Malaysians are more familiar with, Mun Hoe envies the practical approach the school offers. The clinical law program both the live-client clinics and simulation-based teaching with field-placement programs provide great opportunities for the students to apply in real life what they have learned.
UCLA School of Law is the top law school in entertainment law and it is not surprising due to its geographical advantage which having the full benefit from the largest entertainment industry in the world is located – Hollywood. Events have been organised by the school including the Annual UCLA Entertainment Symposium where the law students were given opportunity to meet influential public figure in the industry.
One very interesting place to visit in the tour is the moot courtroom. Both mock trials and moot hearings are conducted here. Why it is so interesting is that besides than it is a venue for law students to conduct their mock trials or moot hearings, it is a place where attorneys use to moot their case before going to the Supreme Court of US and 9 professors or academicians will hear the submissions as if they are the 9 Supreme Court Judges.
As the moot courtroom does have its limitation to accommodate people who are interested to attend, the hearing will be broadcasted and the students will be able to watch it live in the law students lounge and etc. It shows they have so much passions in law.
