The UCLA Oral History Project conducted oral histories of William Rosenthal, Richard Maxwell, Bill Warren, Ben Aaron, Ken Karst, and Frances McQuade. Transcripts are in the Law Library's closed stacks.
Rosenthal, who introduced the bill that funded the Law School, discussed his intention in introducing the bill (“I felt the need for boys and girls who didn’t have enough money to go to USC or some of the other colleges at that time …”).
Maxwell (Dean from 1958-1969) discussed the original building and the new north wing, the first Jewish law professor (Schwartz), the minority-student admission program, the hiring of women and minority law professors, and the clinical program.
Warren (Dean from 1975-1982) discussed law school rankings, the origins of the alumni association and the UCLA Law Magazine, early donors, curriculum changes, need for new building, origins of the clinical program, the Legal Education Opportunity Program, and new focus on job placement.
Aaron discussed collegiality of faculty, minority admissions, and under-privileged student outreach.
Karst discussed evolution of teaching styles, curriculum, and the Legal Education Opportunity Program.
McQuade (Law School administrator from 1949 to 1981) discussed job placement, alumni affairs, beginnings of alumni giving programs, the LL.M. program, the temporary pre-1951 housing of the law school, building expansion, original faculty and later appointments (including first woman, Barbara Rintala), origins of the Law Review and move to write-on system, student/faculty relations, Erle Stanley Gardner talks, first scholarship, move from quarter to semester system, origins of the clinical program, the Libel Show, origin of the Black Law Journal, the Docket, the first student body, the green canvas book bags, the Legal Education Opportunity Program, post-Bakke admissions, Judge Billy Mills, the Black American Law Students Association, women in the law school, and the Law Women’s Union.
The Law School Yearbooks provide a unique perspective on the climate and culture of the Law School from the students’ perspective, largely through photographs. Beginning in 1966, the yearbook includes a short history of the Law School, along with a look at the faculty and students of that year and a few of the student organizations. In later years, this publication includes photos of student life (including JD moms, draft counseling, 3L party, Law School musicals, sports, student activism, etc.).
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