California Western School of Law

California Western School of Law
Motto What law school ought to be
Established 1924[1]
School type Private
Dean Niels B. Schaumann
Location San Diego, California, US
32°43′21″N 117°9′42″W / 32.72250°N 117.16167°W / 32.72250; -117.16167Coordinates: 32°43′21″N 117°9′42″W / 32.72250°N 117.16167°W / 32.72250; -117.16167
Enrollment 835[2]
Faculty 71[2]
USNWR ranking USWNR 2014 Rank Number 53 for "Best Law Schools, Part-time Law";[3] '"Rank Not Published" in USNWR's 2013 Top Law Schools [1][4]
Bar pass rate 72%[5] (February 2014)
Website www.CaliforniaWestern.edu
ABA profile California Western Profile

California Western School of Law, founded in 1924, is a private, non-profit law school located in San Diego, California. It is popularly known as California Western or Cal Western and formerly California Western University. The school was approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1962[6] and became a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) in 1967.[7] It is the oldest law school in San Diego.

History

California Western was originally chartered in 1924 by Leland Ghent Stanford as a private graduate institution called Balboa Law College, the first law school in San Diego. His brother, Dwight Stanford, served as one of the first deans. (Leland Ghent Stanford is not related to the founder of Stanford University, Leland Stanford, although he did attend Stanford, where he earned undergraduate and law degrees, and also M.A. and Ph.D degrees in Government Administration.) Balboa Law College expanded to include undergraduate and other graduate studies and changed its name to Balboa University. The law school at Balboa University was closed in 1946.

In 1952, Balboa University became affiliated with the Southern California Methodist Conference, changed its name to California Western University, and relocated to Point Loma. The law school was reopened in downtown. In 1960, the law school had 6 full-time faculty and 23 students. In that year, it re-located to Rohr Hall at Point Loma. It received approval from the American Bar Association in 1962.

In 1968, California Western University changed its name to United States International University (USIU). The law school retained the name California Western. USIU moved to Scripps Ranch. Point Loma Nazarene University currently occupies the Point Loma site. In 2001, USIU merged with California School of Professional Psychology to become Alliant International University.

In 1973, the law school relocated from its Point Loma location to the current downtown campus at 350 Cedar Street. In 1975, California Western ended its affiliation with USIU and became an independent secular law school. In 1980, the new trimester system was announced, allowing two entering classes in one academic year, reducing individual class size and allowing students to graduate in two years rather than the standard three.

In 1993, the law school opened a new administrative and campus center at 225 Cedar Street, housing faculty and administration offices, including student affairs and financial aid.

In January 2000, California Western opened a new Law Library building at 290 Cedar Street, which was dedicated by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. The current Dean, Niels B. Schaumann, joined the law school in 2012.[8]

In December 2012, National Jurist magazine ranked California Western within the top 40 law schools in the nation for diversity. At number 35, California Western was the highest-ranking law school in San Diego for student and faculty diversity; Fifty eight percent of entering students were women.[9][10]

Post-millennium, California Western has received consistent recognition as one of the nation's best law schools to prepare graduates for the bar examinations required to practice law.[11][12]

Academics

The law school teaches the J.D. curriculum plus dual-degree programs, specifically:

California Western and University of California, San Diego offer a joint Master's of Advanced Studies degree in Health Law.

California Western also offers the Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Trial Advocacy with a Specialization in Federal Criminal Law as well as an M.C.L./LL.M for foreign law students.

Programs and research centers

Its research centers include:

Its clinical internship program routinely places students in the U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court and U.S. Attorney's Offices, as well as numerous law firms in various sizes.

Faculty

In 2007 California Western School of Law Professor Justin Brooks,[14] was named one of California's Top 100 Attorneys by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. Brooks was one of only four law professors in California selected and one of only six lawyers – and the only criminal lawyer – from San Diego on the list.

Bar passage rates

According to the ABA, the bar pass rate is 78% for first time takers.[15] California Western ranks very high on the respected National Jurist legal publication's list of Best Schools for Bar Exam Preparation. California Western made it into the list's 2012 coveted top 20. (Rank: 20)[16][17]

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at California Western School of Law for the 2014-2015 academic year is $69,928.[18]

Employment

According to California Western's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 31.3% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo-practitioners.[19] California Western's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 51.2%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2013 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[20]

ABA Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates[21]
Employment Status Percentage
Employed - Bar Passage Required
  
 43.77%
Employed - J.D. Advantage
  
 10.68%
Employed - Professional Position
  
 2.14%
Employed - Non-Professional Position
  
 1.07%
Employed - Undeterminable
  
 0.0%
Pursuing Graduate Degree Full Time
  
 1.42%
Unemployed - Start Date Deferred
  
 0.36%
Unemployed - Not Seeking
  
 4.89%
Unemployed - Seeking
  
 35.59%
Employment Status Unknown
  
 0.0%
Total of 281 Graduates

Student debt

According to U.S. News & World Report, the average indebtedness of 2013 graduates who incurred law school debt was $157,748 (not including undergraduate debt), and 90% of 2013 graduates took on debt.[22]

Areas of concentration

California Western's areas of concentration provides education in the following areas:

Publications

California Western has two major publications, the California Western Law Review and the California Western International Law Journal, one of the oldest international law journals in the country.[23]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 "Best Part Time Law Programs". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  2. 1 2 California Western School of Law Official ABA Data
  3. ↑ http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/part-time-law-rankings/page+3
  4. ↑ "Best Law Schools: California Western School of Law". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  5. ↑ CWSL Bar Passage Rate Comparison)
  6. ↑ "ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year". ABA website. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  7. ↑ AALS Member Schools
  8. ↑ "CWSoL: Dean Schaumann". Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  9. ↑ "California Western Named Among Top 40 Law Schools in the Nation for Diversity". Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  10. ↑ "National Jurist - November 2012". National Jurist. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  11. ↑ http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/bar-exam-winners-0
  12. ↑ http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2012/02/best-law-schools.html
  13. ↑ "The Innocence Project of California". Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  14. ↑ "California Western Faculty: Justin Brooks". Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  15. ↑ "ABA Profile: California Western School of Law" (PDF). Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Best Law Schools for Bar Exam Preparation". Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  17. ↑ "National Jurist - February 2012". Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Tuition and Fees".
  19. ↑ "ABA Disclosures".
  20. ↑ "California Western Profile".
  21. ↑ "Employment Summary for 2013 Graduates".
  22. ↑ http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/grad-debt-rankings
  23. ↑ "California Western Law Review - International Law Journal". Retrieved December 14, 2012.

External links

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