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Walt Disney Concert HallThe Los Angeles Philharmonic, one ofthe world’s outstanding orchestras,resides in the acoustically superb,stunning Frank Gehry-designed WaltDisney Concert Hall in Downtown.Los Angeles is simply one of the mostimportant sites in the world for therecorded music industry. Composers,musicians, producers, recordingengineers, and performers of everystyle and genre of music—jazz, heavymetal, rock, rap, opera, symphony,punk, and pop are all drawn here.“I’d recommend seeing theHollywood night life—any of theclubs on Sunset—at least once evenif it’s not your scene or even if you’rereally broke.”– Parfait Mwez, graduateThe BeachSun and fun awaits everyone at LosAngeles’ 75 miles of coastline. Thereare 20-plus beaches, each with itsown unique experience, includingswimming and bonfires at Dockweiler,volleyball at Manhattan, romanticsunsets at El Matador, the new$1.5 million solar-powered Ferriswheel at Santa Monica, surfing atZuma, and people-watching at Venice.“What’s the best thing about LosAngeles? The beach, the beach,and the beach.”– Julia Kim, graduateThird Street PromenadeTotal retail sales in Los Angeles areupwards of $223 billion. From megaindoor malls to quaint neighborhoodshops, L.A. has options for everytaste and budget. Some well-knownshopping areas are the Beverly Center,Melrose Avenue, The Grove,Robertson Boulevard, the infamousRodeo Drive, and most recently,Historic Downtown Los Angeles.In Santa Monica, the Third StreetPromenade attracts throngs ofpeople with its three-block stretch ofpedestrian-friendly shopping, cinemamultiplexes, and outdoor cafés.“LACMA . On the weekends there areconcerts and old movies.”– Michelle Buckley, staff memberLa Brea Tar PitsLa Brea Tar Pits, one of the world’smost famous fossil sites, is recognizedfor having the largest and mostdiverse assemblage of extinct Ice Ageplants and animals in the world. It’sa step back into ancient Los Angeles,when animals such as saber-toothedcats, giant sloths, and hugemammoths roamed here. This is onlyone of the many attractions favoredby tourists. About twenty-four millionpeople come to Los Angeles everyyear for their vacation.LAPL & LAUSDLos Angeles Public Library System(LAPL) and the Los Angeles UnifiedSchool District (LAUSD) are amongthe largest such institutions in thecountry. LAUSD is the second largestschool district in the United States,serving grades K-12, with over2,500 schools, 700,000 students,and 83,967 regular employees. LAPLsystem operates 72 public librariesthroughout the city to serve thediverse population of Los Angeleswith extensive collections, electronicresources, and innovative programsfor all ages.Business in Los AngelesWalt Disney Co., the 9th largestCalifornia company, is headquarteredin Los Angeles along with a variety ofother major corporations, such asHilton Hotels, Belkin (electronics),Princess Cruises, Cunard Line,CB Richard Ellis (real estate), andevery major motion picture studio.The economy is dominated bythe entertainment industry, thetourism service sector, retail andmanufacturing. Manufacturing oftextiles and toys employs hugenumbers, while the high-tech industryis gaining a firm foothold in L.A.“The best thing about Los Angeles is that you can besnowboarding in the morning, watching a movie inHollywood in the afternoon, and then enjoying a nicedinner and walk along a beach in the evening… all in thesame day!”– Cindy Guyer, staff member“My first big excursion in Los Angeleswas to Little Tokyo, and I completelyfell in love with the area. It’s fun, hip,and there are tons of little things tosee and do. The combination ofPinkberry, Japanese food, bubble tea,museums and lots of funkyknick-knacks makes Little Tokyo aneasy choice. Plus it’s a great place tostudy on a weekend (in a tea shop)and it has dozens of opportunities forstudy breaks built in.”– Elena Taryor, graduate“Best thing about L.A.: its diversepopulation, of course—over92 languages are spoken bystudents in the Los Angeles UnifiedSchool District!”– Daria Roithmayr, facultyThriving EconomyAgriculture was once the primarysource of wealth in the 19th centuryand early 20th in Los Angeles. Thencame the Cold War and the rise of theaircraft and aerospace industries.Entertainment and hospitality havealways been a significant part of theeconomy here. Now, L.A. is one of thetop ranked counties in manufacturingin the nation, of such diverse itemsas dental equipment, games and toys,gas transmission and distributionequipment, guided missiles, andwomen’s apparel.“What’s the best thing about LosAngeles? The light. It’s what attractedthe movie industry, and there isn’tlight like it anywhere else.”– Greg Keating, faculty“The best feature of the Los Angelesmetro region is its diversity, with‘critical mass’ of at least a dozencultures and countries representedin their own ‘mini cities’ and a choiceof living styles as broad as can beimagined (live at the beach, in acanyon, in the hills, in a high rise,in a loft, in a suburban setting, etc.”– Scott Bice, faculty“The best thing about L.A. isstepping outside in the morningand smiling because it’s 75 degrees,sunny, not humid, and just perfectweather, and you feel incrediblyfortunate to live in such a place.”– Becky Raizman, graduateThe New DowntownDowntown Los Angeles is in the midstof a major revitalization. With newconstruction, of such magnificentbuildings as the Staples Center,Walt Disney Concert Hall, and theCathedral of Our Lady of the Angels,along with thousands of newresidential units, typically sleekmodern lofts, the city center isitself increasingly vibrant. Theestablishment of businessimprovement districts and theconstruction of subway, light-rail andcommuter train systems, has broughtmajor office space users along withshops and restaurants causing a truerenaissance downtown.Los Angeles City HallThe Los Angeles Civic Center, whereCity Hall is located, is the largestgrouping of government buildings inthe U.S. outside of Washington,D.C.City Hall itself was built in 1928and has a distinct monumentalpyramid-capped tower. It is home tothe City Attorney, the elected chiefprosecutor for the City of Los Angeles.The Office of the City Attorney is thethird largest municipal law office inthe nation, with over 500 attorneyspracticing both criminal and civil law.“What do I do for fun in Los Angeles?I’ve gone to a couple TV show tapings,which is an incredible experience.When I have time, I head toDisneyland. Most weeks, my fun islimited to trying new restaurants orgoing to a movie.”– Jessica Walker, graduateCentral Civil West CourthouseThe Central Civil West Courthouse inDowntown houses The Los AngelesSuperior Court. Court Divisionsinclude Appellate, Civil, Criminal,Family, Juvenile, Mental Health,Probate, Small Claims and Traffic.This court is notable for its manyhigh-profile cases, including LosAngeles’ infamous celebrity murdercases. With its nearly 50 courthouses,600 judicial officers, and a staff of5,400 the Superior Court systemserves the 9.5 million people ofLos Angeles County with courtroomsspread throughout the 4000 squaremile County—from Pomona toSanta Monica and from Lancasterto Long Beach.“I encourage visitors to sample L.A.architecture. Most people don’tassociate us with wonderful buildings.And we do have some awful structures.But we also have the Gamble Houseby Greene and Greene, Frank LloydWright’s Freeman House, and ofcourse Frank Gehry’s Disney Hall.”– Scott Altman, faculty“There is some of everything here.L.A. is huge and you can pretty muchbet that if there is something youwant, L.A. has it!”– Sunita Bali, graduateWest Los AngelesMunicipal CourthouseThe West Los Angeles MunicipalCourthouse is a $40 million courtfacility for the County of Los Angeles.It contains eight courts and theoffices of the Marshal, the Sheriff,the District Attorney, and theCourt Clerk. The District Attorney,elected by Los Angeles county voters,prosecutes felonies throughout thecounty, and misdemeanors inunincorporated areas, as well as78 of the 88 cities in the county.The largest local prosecutorial agencyin the nation, the Los Angeles’ D.A.has a staff of approximately 2,105that includes 1,017 deputy districtattorneys, 277 investigators, and 811support personnel.Los Angeles Public DefenderThe concept of Public Defender waspioneered by the County of LosAngeles, which responded to the needfor legal representation for all citizensas early as 1914. Since then the ideahas spread to many other cities andstates, and the Public Defender isnow a well-established conceptservicing courts throughout the U.S.The L.A. Public Defender’s Officehandles misdemeanors, felonies,juvenile cases, mental health cases,and some civil cases. It employs over700 attorneys, 78 investigators,55 paralegals, 17 psychiatric socialworkers, and a clerical/secretarialstaff of approximately 150.“What do I do for fun in Los Angeles?I don’t know where to begin to answerthat question. The beach, theHollywood club scene, watching theLakers at the Staples Center, the listgoes on and on.”– Emeka Orjiakor, graduateLaw in Los AngelesFounded in Los Angeles in 1937,Latham & Watkins is the largest andhighest-grossing law firm on theWest Coast. It fields 2,100 lawyers in26 offices around the world, with over$2 billion in revenue. Other top L.A.firms include O’Melveny & Myers,Neilson Elggren Durkin & Co., GibsonDunn & Crutcher, and Paul HastingsJanofsky & Walker. California hasapproximately 150,000 resident andactive attorneys, according to theAmerican Bar Association.“I can do anything and everything Ifeel like in L.A., that is why I love it.I can hike, ski, surf, run, go to aworld-class museum, listen to anytype of music or eat any type of foodI can imagine.”– Wende Nichols-Julien, graduate62 law.usc.eduUSC Gould School of Law63