Peoples College of Law Representing at UCLA Pre-Law Society’s Twenty-Third Annual Law Forum

UCLA Pre-Law Society’s Twenty-Third Annual Law Forum

I will be one of the representatives from Peoples College of Law (PCL) at The UCLA Pre-Law Society’s Twenty-Third Annual...

Posted by Robert D. Skeels on Friday, August 21, 2015

Peoples College of Law: Is Social Justice Law School for you?

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."—Frederick Douglass

If you’re a social justice minded person in Los Angeles, with at least two years of college credit, consider Peoples College of Law (PCL). PCL offers a four-year evening Juris Doctor program to accommodate working students. Successful completion of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program provides qualification to sit for the California State Bar exam. From their site:

Our recruitment and admissions policies are strongly directed toward socio-politically conscious Native American, Asian Pacific Islander, African-American/Black and Latina/o students. Our goal is to have a student body that is at least half women and two/thirds Third World People. Peoples College of Law affirmatively recruits LGBT applicants.

Peoples College of Law Representing at UCLA Pre-Law Society’s Twenty-Third Annual Law Forum

So this 10th grade drop out who just graduated UCLA just got the news that they're a Peoples College of Law student!

So this 10th grade drop out who just graduated #UCLA 2014 just got the news they're a @peoplescollolaw law student! pic.twitter.com/IJuHqsP7eR

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene)

June 27, 2014

I'm excited beyond words. I got the call that I was accepted around 8:00PM. This time last year I had no degree, and was anxious about returning to UCLA to finish up what I had started eighteen years earlier. Turned out that I'm still on top of my game academically. Now with a UCLA B.A. in Classical Civilization in hand, I'm getting ready to start at the same law school that one of my closest mentors graduated from in 1974. Peoples College of Law is a very special place, and an integral part of my community. I'm ready for this next step that will allow me to apply both my Freireian praxis and my social justice principles on a whole new level.

So this 10th grade drop out who just graduated UCLA just got the news that they're a Peoples College of Law student!

Three very special UCLA Professors I had the good fortune of studying under

Spring of 1991 I was a 26 year old transfer student. My first class was Classics 41—Survey of Latin Literature in Translation—with Professor Robert Gurval who was in his first year at UCLA. Currently the Chair of the UCLA Department, Professor Gurval was gracious enough to provide me guidance and encouragement upon my return to the university. I’m forever indebted to him for both his scholarship and friendship.

I had more courses with Professor Sarah Morris than any other professor during my academic career. Like Professor Gurval, she was one of my instructors during the early nineteen-nineties. The difference was that I also had one her courses (Classics 152A Ancient City: Greek World) in my final quarter of my return nineteen years later. Needing 'A' letter grades in both of my last two classes to pull my GPA up, I averaged four hours a sleep a night that last quarter. The studying paid off, I got an A+ in her class and an A in Professor Mellor’s History of the Roman Empire course.

Both Professor Mario Telò and the quality of my fellow students in the Fall 2013 Classics 191 Capstone Seminar (Greek Novel) were absolutely amazing. It was my first course upon returning to the university after eighteen years, and it was very challenging. Talk about reigniting my passion for academia. Reading and discussing Longus, Heliodorus, and Achilles Tatius was something very special. So was having UCSB’s Professor Helen Morales as a guest facilitator for one of our sessions.

Three very special UCLA Professors I had the good fortune of studying under

Finally graduated UCLA after being denied a diploma by Quintero in 1995

Submitted to the The Glendale News-Press on June 10, 2014

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This Saturday I will be among the UCLA class of 2014 participating in our departmental commencement ceremonies at Royce Hall. In 1995 I was a senior at UCLA, and serving my seventh year as the Glendale Chamber of Commerce's Art Director. A part time student my entire tenure at the Chamber, they had always been very supportive of their employee's pursuing their education. I had been Alpha Gamma Sigma at Glendale Community College with a perfect 4.0 GPA, transfered to UCLA as an Honors Student, and was recruited by the Golden Key National Honors Society. My academic career looked bright, and my goal was to become a professor.

In 1995 incoming Chamber President Frank Quintero presented me a choice to resign my position or stop attending school. With no other means of financial support, I was left with no alternative but to drop out. I thought it would be temporary, and I'd find a way to return soon. I was baffled by Quintero's ultimatum since at the time he ran a 501C3 for Veterans called Alliance for Education. I was a U.S. Navy Veteran.

Eighteen years later I found myself with both daytime availability and the financial wherewithal to return to UCLA. On March 21, 2014 I was awarded a B.A. in Classical Civilization at the age of forty eight. I'm sure the trajectory of my life would have been quite different had I not been denied that opportunity earlier, but ultimately I was able to go back and finish. I was just featured in the graduation edition of the Daily Bruin, and I am currently in enrollment process at Peoples College of Law.

Finally graduated UCLA after being denied a diploma by Quintero in 1995

Wrapping up a lot of hard work at UCLA, looking towards next steps

Returning to #UCLA after 2 decades to graduate and raise my GPA by two points took petitions and perfection #UCLA2014 pic.twitter.com/9sgocKK5Vy

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene)

April 3, 2014

Thank goodness I only had to do this for two quarters. At my age working full time, attending a top ranked R1 university, and getting two-to-three hours of sleep a night in order to earn those grades was beginning to take a serious toll on me physically. Spending every waking moment on the weekends studying didn't do much for my normal household duties either.

A 3.315* is not good enough to get into any UCLA humanities graduate programs, but would be considered excellent for candidacy at the CSU. Still trying to figure out next steps, but Peoples College of Law just might be my next destination.

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* In fairness, my Glendale Community College GPA was 4.0, and there were some serious extenuating circumstance that led to me dropping out of honors program status at UCLA. Such is life for commuting, working, non-traditional students. The UC doesn't not average community college transfer units into their GPA, so my UCLA GPA is just for courses there.

Wrapping up a lot of hard work at UCLA, looking towards next steps