Blatt v. University Of Southern California

5 Cal.App.3d 935, 85 Cal.Rptr. 601 (1970)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Blatt (P) was a night law student at USC (D) who ranked within the top 10% of his class but was denied membership in the Order of the Coif. In fact, P ranked 4 of 135. P claims he relied upon representations from the Order that P would be eligible for election to membership in the Order if he graduated in the top ten percent of his class. P alleges that the Order elected 7 of 8 members to the Order who ranked below him in scholastic achievement and that P was passed over because membership was subsequently restricted to students who were eligible for the school's Law Review and those who completed and accepted their assignments. P claims he was never advised of this policy for eligibility in the Law Review and that the new policy of Order membership in the Law Review was only applicable to day students and therefore he did not apply for or accept Law Review assignments. P sued for injunctive and declaratory relief. The action was dismissed, and P appealed.