So law firms are asking some new hires to defer going on the payroll for a year, and often are paying a stipend for the year. Law firms have also long been complaining that their incoming associates don't have enough skills training.

UCLA's answer: An LL.M. for recent graduates, which is supposed to largely focus on skills training. (The LL.M. isn't limited to students whose jobs have been deferred for a year, but I expect that they will make up a big chunk of the applicants.) Apparently we're the first school to do something like that. Will people snap it up or shun it en masse? We'll know in a few months. One possible problem is that even people who could really profit from the degree might just be sick and tired of school; but it strikes me as potentially quite useful to many students.

I should note that I wasn't at all involved in planning this project. In fact, today is the first time I heard of it (I was out of town during the faculty meeting when it was approved, and I wasn't on the relevant planning committee). Naturally, as a UCLA guy I'd love to see it succeed, and I suspect it will, but check back this Fall.