UCI Law School Would Offer Diverse Benefits

Re “UC Irvine Ties Law School Plan to Fund-Raising Push,” Sept. 24: We need a law school at UCI because it will help our judicial system, our university and our country. During my years of working with the State Bar of California, most recently as its president, I have been struck by the important role that the judicial system plays in our society, and I know the kind of lawyers needed to make the system work.

We should celebrate that we live in a diverse constitutional democracy under the rule of law. A law school at UCI is uniquely suited to do exactly that, joining the private Orange County law schools in providing legal educational opportunities to a very diverse population--and uniquely increasing access to justice.

The opportunities for interdisciplinary studies at UCI are incredible. A law school at UCI would interact with many other fine departments, exploring issues such as the important role of the law in areas such as the environment, intellectual property, biotechnology and international trade and relations.

Three law schools now add to the luster of the University of California in Northern California and it is time for Southern California, with the bulk of our population, to get its second public, UC law school.

Andrew J. Guilford

Costa Mesa