Call Me Ishmael
A commenter writes below:
Most importantly, Nuts & Berkeley Law just doesn't have the same ring to it. Nevermind, I'm changing my vote. Bring back Boalt.
UPDATE: I'm moving this up because law.com has picked up on the story (and gee, I wonder what tipped them off to it?). Leiter, in citing to the law.com article suggests a few of his own names. That's funny, I've been working on a few suggestions of my own for UT. Hideous Burnt Orange School of Law? University of Nominally a State School of Law? Where all 3 Liberals in Texas Hang Out School of Law? We're not SMU School of Law? Come Study Legal Philosophy in Texas School of Law?
A little bird at the law school who works in admin says: the name Boalt Hall is being phased out. Berkeley Law will now be used instead. The student body/alumni will be informed of this decision in the near future.Like I said, this is a good move. But of course we need something to replace Boalties, and Berkeley Lawties sounds too much like my drink of choice. There's always the acronym/abbreviation approach followed by grad (e.g., GULC grad, HLS grad for eight generations, or GUCL grad/jerk at bar exam). But then we'd be BLS or UCBLS. Blehs to that. Calaw? Isn't that a salad with cabbage?
For real.
No more Boalties.
Most importantly, Nuts & Berkeley Law just doesn't have the same ring to it. Nevermind, I'm changing my vote. Bring back Boalt.
UPDATE: I'm moving this up because law.com has picked up on the story (and gee, I wonder what tipped them off to it?). Leiter, in citing to the law.com article suggests a few of his own names. That's funny, I've been working on a few suggestions of my own for UT. Hideous Burnt Orange School of Law? University of Nominally a State School of Law? Where all 3 Liberals in Texas Hang Out School of Law? We're not SMU School of Law? Come Study Legal Philosophy in Texas School of Law?
Labels: Rankings And Associated Bullshit
posted by Armen Adzhemyan at 9:15 AM
43 Comments:
I once had a bout of BLS, let's just say Skip would have been proud.
Umm...why?
Did the Boalts only give enough money to last trough 2007?
Obviously, it should be CALLS.
It'll be the new Members Only.
As for 11:43, it is my understanding that the Boalts (great APALSA trivia bowl question was about the wife's first name) have the building named after them. Calling the law school Boalt Hall is a naming convention that arose over the years. The school's name is officially "University of California, Berkeley School of Law." Now the school is just getting rid of the parenthetical "Boalt Hall." So now your resumes will read like a summary judgment motion: "University of California, Berkeley School of Law ("Berkeley Law").
I liked "Boalt." It was easy to say, and sort of cool, like "Haas," "Wharton," or "Sloan." I know those are all business schools... but those guys are good at branding. Given how much we get worked over by the main campus (feeeeeeees), I don't see why we want to merge our images...
I hated the idea when I heard about it a couple weeks ago. Since then, I've changed my mind and see the logic of branding behind it. Remember when we were looking at law schools and wondered where on the map "Boalt was"? Ever tell someone you go to "Boalt" who is from the east coast? Berkeley law or Cal Law (Cal Law being my favorite) would immediately draw the connection to the larger and much more famous Cal school. Within campus and among students, the name Boalt will never change. It'd be akin to King among UCD law students.
we're totally going to date ourselves when we refer it as Boalt 20 years from now
I don't like this change at all. Growing up in San Francisco it seemed like most people knew Boalt. You were kinda cool for knowing that it wasn't just called Berkeley law school. Also, when I lived in DC people knew the name Boalt, as opposed to just Cal/Berkeley. Anyway, I guess I don't really care what snobby east coast people think.
Seems like a bad move, just in terms of losing the existing brand. It seems like most lawyers are pretty familiar with the name Boalt. UC Berkeley Law might be more readily confused with Hastings or USF.
Monster.com School of Law
Why are we concerned about having to write UC Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall)? As lawyers, isn't it our duty to say in 10 words what could be said in three? I for one will always be a Boaltie.
On the one hand, Boalt is an amazingly unique name. If you type "Boalt" into Google News, you get exclusively Boalt Law School stories, which can't be said for most other proper nouns. Also, I like the fact that Boalt is both a fierce and endearing name. Fierce -- We come at ya' like a Boalt of Lightning! We bring Boalts of Energy to law firms, government, and the public interest. Endearing -- we're warm, cuddly Boalties!
On the other hand, it's less confusing to refer to our esteemed institution as Berkeley Law. Look no further than Boalt's two principal references in the world of cinema: (1) The OC -- Sandy Cohen went to Berkeley Law. The writers knew that we call ourselves Boalt, but that just didn't cut it for a national audience. The name "Berkeley" conjures an institution that denotes academic excellence, social progressiveness, and political action. It's a great brand. Now, I'm not saying that just because the crackshot writing team at The OC made a branding decision, that that makes it right. But there's something to it; (2) Catch Me If You Can - the Martin Sheen character went to Berkeley Law.
I hope the law school admin test-drove changing the name of the law school to Berkeley Law and spent the money to do the market research to support this decision. I mean, if they're going to make a branding decision that will rankle those who love the name Boalt, they had better have made the decision after air-tight, scientific market research.
So, anyway, I don't mind the switch to "Berkeley Law." I just hope that the rest of UC Berkeley stays as highly ranked as we are in the eyes of those who count. While Boalt is a "top-10" school to those in the law (even if it dipped below the top-10 shortly after the university cut the money), the undergraduate institution is not as highly ranked a college as we are a law school. The graduate departments, though, are not just excellent -- they are preeminent. So, let's hope that Berkeley's graduate schools remain preeminent as we throw our branding lot in with the national name.
And those who remember the institution as Boalt can continue calling it BOalt. I'm sure that Edley, in fundraising pitches to alumni, will use the name Boalt in his speeches. For another generation or two, those in the law will know what you mean by Boalt.
Living in southern Texas, if someone asks me where I went to law school, I just refer to it as "Berkeley." I don't think the Boalt brand has crossed the Pecos, but Berkeley carries quite the cache with it.
I've grown to really like "Boalt." But I never heard of it before applying to law school. It's just not widely used outside of California--and expanding beyond Boalt's regional focus (in terms of applicants, academics, and money) is one of DE's unspoken objectives.
In terms of a new brand, "Berkeley Law" is the only way to go. People outside of CA don't understand the UC system. Even football fans are sometimes unclear about the connection between "Cal" and "Berkeley."
On the plus side, it would be nice to get a final answer as to what the law school is actually called. I'm pretty sure that the official name is "School of Law, University of California, Berkeley," not "University of California, Berkeley School of Law"--notwithstanding what is written on our transcripts.
Well I'm fairly certain it's not School of Law, UCB. That naming convention is does not appear in ANY UC school or ocllege. It's always University of California, ________ School of ___________. Always.
Armen--
Nearly all Berkeley colleges use the "College of ______, University of California, Berkeley" nomenclature. Also, Haas was originally founded under the name "College of Commerce."
There's actually a big debate on the issue on Boalt's Wikipedia talk page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Boalt_Hall). I noticed that CLR also uses the "School of Law, UCB" format in its masthead.
Re: other UC campuses, I guess UCB gets a pass when its institutions predate the modern system. That's why we root for "Cal." Hell, some of the older professors at Boalt (like Vetter) still only write "School of Law, University of California" on their exam covers.
Well no, Cal is not an exception. That's my point. In the entire University (that's 10 campuses + Hastings), the name of the school or college always proceeds the name of the campus. I can write, "I graduated from the law school at Berkeley" but that doesn't change the name. Just like we have rules about first and last names, so does the UC about names of schools and colleges. They come after the name of the campus. Harvard College at Harvard University might have its own convention, but that doesn't concern me.
The history section of the Boalt website clearly states that the official name is "School of Law." It's also the homepage's headline. There's no mention of a name change when the university was reorganized. It doesn't follow that all of the colleges were renamed when the university was.
In fact, Berkeley colleges usually don't incorporate the campus name. They're just "School/College of ______." Look at their web pages, particularly their contact info. Perhaps they should conform to the style of other UC campuses--but they don't.
That's not to say that "School of Law" is a particularly good name. To begin with, it doesn't say which university the school is a part of. That's why it always has to be preceded or followed by "University of California, Berkeley" in mailing addresses. But that information is almost always on a separate line, because it's not a part of the school's official name.
Oh jeez, I thought you had a serious point or something. Well sure, the website name is School of Law. Good. Thank God we settled that. I can now change my resume to state "J.D. 2007, School of Law." I won't even mention a city and state just for good measure. You're right. All the schools are just loosely affiliated entities. Kinda like the Graduate Theological Union. The only thing in common is that they may or may not be in the City of Berkeley.
Hey, I'm just pointing out the official name, not defending it. Law school names are different than university names.
The whole point of having a brand like "Boalt" is that you don't need to state the university. You could just say "Wharton" or "Harvard Law" instead of "The Business School of University of Pennsylvania" or "Law School, Harvard University."
I guess the issue here is that the Boalt brand is regional at best--used primarily on the West Coast. Berkeley is a much better brand.
Personally, I don't know why we refer to law schools at all. Why not just say "J.D. 2007, University of California, Berkeley?" It's the university that grants the degree, not the college. Nobody's resume refers to the undergraduate division (e.g. "B.A. 2002, Harvard College").
Well clearly that's not right either. My undergrad degree is based on the recommendation of the "Faculty of the College of Letters and Sciences." The JD is based on the "Facutly of the School of Law." One was awarded at Los Angeles, the other was awarded at Berkeley. Of course all degrees are awarded by the Regents of the University of California, so maybe we should just write the degree and then University of California even if you got it from the new law school at UCI.
Those who graduate from Ivies tend to include the college name. Find someone who went to Columbia. I'm almost certain it says Columbia College. Again, I'm just taking exception to the comment that the name of the law school is "School of Law" as opposed to "University of California, Berkeley School of Law."
Never used Boalt in my life, always said my law degree came from Berkeley.
This morning's email from the library:
"This week the Law School Archives launches a new project: a series of
web articles on the history of the University of California School of
Law."
I like "University of California, School of Law" - shortened to Cal Law. For whatever that's worth...
No, it really needs to be "Berkeley Law" or something with "Berkeley" in it. Most people do not realize that Cal and Berkeley are the same thing ( most people not in CA), and if we go with "Cal Law" that just sounds like a public law school without any prestige attached to it. And yes, I want the prestige as part of the name when I am paying out the ass to go here.
Off Topic:
Our own John Steele in the middle of very messy patent / ethics dispute.
Read the complaint against Fish & Richardson (Steele mentioned in paras 11 & 16).
Read the post on patently-o
The new brochures for prospective students are out--and there's no use of the term "Boalt." It's "Berkeley Law" instead. So that's the new nickname, apparently.
As for an official name, it says on the cover "University of California, Berkeley, Law School." Not bad, although I don't know what the second comma is doing there.
TexASS Law? The First, Last, and Only Defense for Black People in Texas Law School? More Overrated Than Texas Football Law School? Burrito U? Don't Confuse Us With Dallas School of Law?
On the other hand, there's Edley's sig line on his email today:
-----
Christopher Edley, Jr.
Dean and Professor of Law
Boalt Hall, U.C. Berkeley
hard as it is to admit, non-ca recognition matters. this is a national school with an international reputation. and, for the record, living on the east coast does not make you a snob. but insinuating that ca is the center of the universe...well.
c'mon -- who doesn't get tired of having to explain to nearly anyone outside of California what "Boalt" is, let alone anyone outside the legal circle in general?
I say, embrace change: Berkeley Center of Law for Legal Studies of the Law (BCLLSL) gets my vote.
Well, now above the law's picked it up for a potential poll.
Am I the only one who's never had a problem with other lawyers recognizing the name Boalt (both in CA and the East Coast - no experience with the midwest or south)? The lawyers all know where it is, and the non-lawyers -- well, just tell them you went to Berkeley, since I doubt that they care what the official (or unofficial) name of the school is.
josh keesan school of law, please.
(ps, any tenured prof at my east coast undergrad knew "boalt")
First off, yes to Josh Keesan School of Law, it just rolls off the tounge nicely. Second, people keep mentioning increasing name value outside of CA. Why exactly do we want non-California students again??? Their popped collars and excessive grooming are barely tolerable.
I'm not from California. I don't pop my collar. And I only bathe once a week.
I like "The John Yoo Institute of Diplomacy and Torture"
http://www.abovethelaw.com/2007/10/hey_atl_readers_help_rename_bo.php
Because we want a nationally recognized law school, not a regionally recognized law school.
More press..
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/11/BAFASNOKF.DTL&hw=boalt&sn=001&sc=1000
I don't know if it was the Chron article or some other source, but in the last two days I've had an adjunct prof and three interviewers ask me about the name change...and after hearing DE's explanation, all four have pointed out that (a) Boalt is an almost universally recognized name among lawyers and (b) UCB School of Law sounds kind of generic and bland in comparison.
As a sidenote, did it seriously take $25,000 to come up with UCB School of Law? I'm glad that my fee hike dollars are being used so wisely.
Thank you to everyone who pointed out that the change won't change what we call ourselves.
And also to those who pointed out that you already have to say Berkeley when talking to most non-lawyers.
As for nicknames and insider status, making the name less official could only help with the cache of knowing what a Boaltie is, for those who care about proving you're an insider (personally, if that bs mattered to me I would have sent my acceptance letter to Harvard instead of Boalt).
I've spent a lot of time lately talking to friends who went to other top 10 schools. Be happy you're at Boalt - whatever you want to call it.
It's official, my fellow Boalties - er, Berkeley Law students - check the link:
http://blogonaut-blogonaut.blogspot.com/2007/10/its-official-uc-berkeley-to-drop-boalt.html
As a Boalt alum who is not from California. (1) I did not know Cal and Berkeley were the same thing before visiting the school. (2) I did not know what the name Boalt was referring too before seeing the brochure. (3) I had never heard of the U.C. system before moving to California. Not surprisingly, most people I talked to from my region of the country felt the same way.
Here is my $25k study:
http://googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Boalt+Hall&word2=UC+Berkeley+Law
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