Melanie K. Cook

UCLA School of Law is the youngest top law school in the nation. After more than 60 years, our school has never felt bound by outmoded ideas of how law should be taught or studied. Instead, beginning in the 1950s, UCLA created its own tradition - a tradition of innovation.

UCLA's primary purpose as a public research university is the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. To fulfill this mission, UCLA is committed to academic freedom in its fullest terms: We value open access to information, free and lively debate conducted with mutual respect for individuals, and freedom from intolerance. In all of our pursuits, we strive at once for excellence and diversity, recognizing that openness and inclusion produce true quality. These values underlie our three institutional responsibilities. Learning and teaching at UCLA are guided by the belief that undergraduate, graduate and professional school students and their teachers belong to a community of scholars. This community is dedicated to providing students with a foundational understanding of a broad range of disciplines followed by the opportunity for in-depth study in a chosen discipline. All members of the community are engaged together in discovering and advancing knowledge and practice. Learning occurs not only in the classroom but also through engagement in campus life and in communities and organizations beyond the university.