It's back to school for 160 first-year law students at UC Davis on Monday, Aug. 16. A snapshot of the class of '96 shows equal numbers of men and women. Approximately 30 percent of the students are from underrepresented ethnic groups. Based on performances on the standardized entrance law exam, the class is among the most competitive in the nation, placing in the top 10 percent academically of all first-year students, according to the law school. A major challenge awaits these students and their counterparts at other law schools, when they look for employment. "Because of the economic belt-tightening, law firms and public-service organizations are doing significantly less recruiting at law schools," says Jane Thomson, career services director at the UC Davis School of Law. "Students are having to be more flexible and more creative and to work harder at their job searches." She says some are looking for nontraditional ways to use their legal training, such as in management positions in business or in administration in higher education and the public sector.