California Western targets prospective students through new technology

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 16, 2006 – California Western is in the midst of a “recruiting revolution.” To appeal to a new generation of prospective law students, law professors discuss current events on a weekly podcast and first-year law students blog their experiences of studying law and living life in San Diego.  

“Although new to California Western, many of these technologies are not new to prospective students,” said Traci Howard, assistant dean of admissions. “We are evolving with technology and the way students seek information. We are stepping into a new wave of recruiting.”

Multi-blog tells the life of law students

California Western also recently entered the blogosphere. Four students – three of them first-year law students – are blogging their experiences at California Western in San Diego.

“Prospective students are always asking me what they should expect from the first year of law school – these blogs will give undergraduates considering law school a good idea of what being a 1L is like,” said Howard. “They can provide prospective students some answers straight from current law students who are just like them, in a ‘real-world’ medium they are familiar with.”

The new California Western bloggers come from very different backgrounds, places, and experiences. Each offers a unique perspective into the life of a law student: Josh, a first-year student from the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Andrea, a first-year student from the University of Wyoming; Bianca, a first-year student from the University of Miami; and Solomon, a second-year and California Innocence Project student from the University of Texas at Austin.  

“I am so excited to begin this journey,” said Andrea in her first blog post. “I think this blog will be great for me, because I will get a chance to reflect on my law school experience. Furthermore, I hope this blog will give everyone an idea of what a first-year in law school is like and how fun San Diego is!” 

In addition to student bloggers, California Western plans to have four law professors blog about their specialty areas in the near future.  

“One in six Americans read blogs and our target age group reads them twice as often as others,” said Franki Fitterer, associate director for marketing and communications. “By adding the student blog to our family of marketing materials we are appealing to the next generation of California Western students.” 

California Western in your music library

On Law in 10, California Western’s weekly podcast, professors are taking their expertise from the classroom to the iPod, providing legal analysis on current news topics, all in 10 minutes. Each week the show features different legal experts and topics of interest.“Although a handful of other law schools use podcasts for lectures and speaker events, we believe California Western is the first law school to offer a weekly news commentary,” said David Bowers, assistant dean for external affairs. “Our purpose in launching this effort is to introduce our faculty members to ‘Gen iPod,’ the 19-24 year old college student with an interest in legal issues. We believe others will develop an interest in what our faculty have to say as well.”

The first podcast debuted on Aug. 24, 2006 and featured criminal law Professor Justin Brooks and constitutional law Professor Marilyn Ireland. Brooks – also director of the California Innocence Project – discussed media coverage, false confessions, and DNA testing concerning the 10-year-old JonBenet Ramsey murder. Ireland – a long-time San Diego resident and First Amendment specialist – talked about the ongoing San Diego Mt. Soledad Cross controversy.

CLICK HERE to go to the Law in 10 Web site.
CLICK HERE to view California Western’s bloggers.

Explore posts in the same categories: California Western School of Law, Higher Education, San Diego, admissions, blogs, college blogs, law school, law school blogs, podcasts