UCI Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky has attracted top students with free tuition. He’ll try to woo more of them with half-off tuition. Chemerinsky boldly offered the 60 recruits in last fall’s inaugural class full scholarships for all three years—a $100,000-plus value per student requiring about $4 million in private funding (largely from the Southern California legal community, in the teeth of the recession.) The result was a class with grades and LSAT scores comparable to the nation’s best. For next fall’s class of 80 students, the scholarships are being scaled back to cover half of tuition; Chemerinsky predicts that will be adequate to “help us maintain the high quality of our student body and keep us clearly in the realm of a top 20 law school.” UCI is raising another $3 million for the new round of scholarships; $400,000 is coming from Newport Beach trial lawyer Mark Robinson, who earlier gave $1 million to the school. What’s the tuition deal for year three? Too early to decide, Chemerinsky says …
Donald Bren, William Lyon and Henry Segerstrom host a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina Feb. 2 at Pelican Hill …
Maybe some banks are reluctant to lend these days, but Irvine-based Plaza Bank plans to make $100 million in small-business loans in 2010, nearly doubling its portfolio. Things have been shaking at Plaza since OC-based bank wiz Ed Carpenter rescued the troubled institution last June. He’s put in $20 million, new management (Gene Galloway and Terry Robinson) and two new directors. The latest move: Retired (ha ha) Tom Rogers, longtime exec with Security Pacific, Irvine Company and City National Bank, is becoming chairman …
OC bean counters rule at the California Board of Accountancy: Manny Ramirez of Irvine-based Ramirez International is the new president of the 15-member regulatory body for CPAs, and the new vice president is retired Ernst & Young OC managing partner Sally Anderson, wife of the above-mentioned Rogers …
A loss for two continents: Lady Betty Griffiths, Sir Eldon Griffiths’ engaging partner, has died after battling cancer …
Citigroup director and former Pimco CEO Bill Thompson has breakfast with the Forum for Corporate Directors Jan. 28 at UCI’s University Club …
Tim DeCinces has opened a Beach Pit BBQ in Old Towne Orange to go with locations in Costa Mesa, Tustin and Angel Stadium …
Funniest Christmas cards: “Santa, Define Naughty,” from employment lawyer Jim McDonald of Fisher & Phillips; the wise men balking at a $25 airline baggage charge—“Guess we won’t be checking our gold, incense and myrrh”—from Dale Luther of Lee & Associates; “Back to Four Seasons” from ex-OCer Tim Cooley, back home (and cold) in Madison, Wis.
