When I was a BYU student, there was a lot to miss about my home in Orange County.  I missed surfing at Huntington Beach, going to Angels baseball games, and enjoying 70 degree weather year-round.  Fortunately, attending law school at the Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University brought me back home.

While choosing which law school to attend in 2011, three important factors played into my decision.  First, I knew that Orange County, CA was the place where I eventually wanted to practice personal injury law.  Second, continuing my spiritual education during law school was important to me.  Third, being back in the warm weather and living close to the beach was very appealing.  Therefore, I chose to attend the Fowler School of Law.

Professionally, I understood that networking with attorneys would lead to future job opportunities, especially in a declining legal economy.  Since Orange County was my professional destination, spending three years of law school in proximity with attorneys who would eventually be a part of my professional circles seemed very advantageous. In smaller regions like Provo, UT, judicial clerkship opportunities, networking events, and law firms are not as widely available as they are in Orange County.  For example, during my very short year and a half spent in law school, I have already clerked for a local Orange County Superior Court judge, I will be clerking for a Federal District Judge next year, I have attended dozens of networking events, and I have personally met with dozens of attorneys (all of whom are the very people I will be appearing before, working with, and asking referrals from in the future!!).  Attending the Dale E. Fowler School of Law in Orange County has been the best place for me to grow professionally.

Chapman University is also a religiously-affiliated institution — it has historical connections with two churches, including The United Church of Christ.  One of the tenets of Chapman University that attracted me most was the education of “the whole person” through the “Four Pillars” — the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual.  At Chapman, religion is respected and protected.  The campus reflects a clean environment and even though it is not BYU (where the prevalence of LDS doctrine and standards is great), we have a tight-knit group of LDS students at Chapman.  We all meet at Institute meetings every week.  The law students are also active in the J. Reuben Clark Law Society chapter.  There is a great feeling of camaraderie among us.  My spiritual education at Chapman has continued where it left off at BYU.

Last, and certainly not least, the environment, culture, and entertainment options in Orange County are unparalleled.  Whether it is having a Disneyland Pass, going to Angels baseball games, catching the October swell in Huntington Beach, or going deep sea fishing, there is plenty to love and do in sunny Southern California year-round.  While these entertainment options may not seem important or wise to a future law student, purposeful diversion and preventing stress are actually very important components to achieving success in law school.  Work hard.  Play hard.

Come to Chapman!  It would be an amazing experience for you.

About the author:

Boyd Johnson (’15) is an Orange County native and graduated from Brigham Young University in 2011 with a B.A. in English and American Literature. He is active in Chapman’s J Reuben Clark Society.

The views expressed in the student blogs are those of the author and not the law school.