CAL WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW

The California Western School of Law is a private four-year post-graduate law institution in the Cortez Hill neighborhood of San Diego. It offers a Juris Doctor degrees, along with options to pursue a Master of Laws and/or a dual degree in business administration. The university serves many underprivileged communities through a variety of means, both through enrollment and offering of generous financial aid (84% of entering students have some kind of scholarship), but also through programs/ research projects like the California Innocence Project and the Institute for Criminal Defense Advocacy. Its service to community action has earned it a spot on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the past five years.

With 25 tenured professors and planned growth of1,000 full-time students from a variety of backgrounds (45% of students identify as minorities), California Western is a reflection of the community it serves. Additionally, it is part of both the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) and had its curriculum approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

The Cal Western School of Law offers graduate degrees in legal education, including Juris Doctor (JD) programs, MBA programs, and Graduate and Special Programs for law students. The JD program includes flexible learning options, including a part-time program for students who would like to have flexible learning options. The first-year curriculum emphasizes experiential learning through courses in Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Legal Skills, and Property. The upper division curriculum delves deeper into these elements of law education, offering classes in Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, and Training Seminars. There are also options to take elective courses for students who are seeking a more specialized field of law studies. In terms of experiential learning, Cal Western provides opportunities to gain experience in legal practice while completing the degree. Cal Western houses a variety of clinics that provide students with research opportunities and professional practice representing various real clients .