The University of La Verne College of Law is the law school of the University of La Verne, a private university in Ontario, California. It was founded in 1970 and is approved by the State Bar of California, but is not accredited by the ABA.
| University of La Verne College of Law | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | Quality by Tradition |
| Parent school | University of La Verne |
| Established | 1970 |
| School type | Private |
| Dean | Kevin Marshall[1] |
| Location | Ontario, California, United States 34°03′59″N 117°38′50″W / 34.06639°N 117.64722°W |
| Enrollment | 426 (full-time & part-time)[2] |
| Faculty | 34[3] |
| USNWR ranking | Unranked[2] |
| Bar pass rate | 60% (July 2023 first-time takers) 20% (July 2023 repeat takers)[4] |
| Website | law.laverne.edu |
History edit
In 1970, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Paul Egly established the law school.[5] In 1985, the school merged with the San Fernando Valley College of Law;[6] however, the two operated as independent entities within the University of La Verne until 2002, when the University of West Los Angeles purchased the San Fernando Valley College of Law campus.[7] In 2001, the law school relocated to Ontario, California.[8]
In 2006, the College of Law first received provisional accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA).[9] In June 2011, the ABA denied the College full accreditation.[10] On August 29, 2011, the school received approval from the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California.[11] In March 2012, the ABA again granted provisional accreditation.[12] Finally, on March 14, 2016, the College received full accreditation from the ABA.[13] However, in November 2019, the College of Law’s board of trustees voted to convert the school from an ABA-accredited institution to one approved by the State Bar of California instead. The move followed an investigation by the school’s faculty and administrators to evaluate the source of declining enrollment and avoid closure.[14] The school’s decision was also influenced by the ABA’s introduction of tougher accreditation standards in May 2019, which shortened the timeframe schools have to ensure a 75-percent bar pass rate from five to two years.[15]
Academic profile edit
Degrees offered edit
The school offers the Juris Doctor (JD) law degree, which can be completed on a full-time basis over three years or part-time over four years. The school also offers two dual-degree programs in conjunction with the University of La Verne College of Business and Public Management: the Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) and Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration (JD/MPA).[16]
Accreditation edit
The school is accredited by the State Bar of California, but is not accredited by the American Bar Association. Students entering in the fall of 2020 and thereafter may not qualify to take a bar examination or be admitted to practice law in jurisdictions other than California.[17]
Admissions edit
According to the January 2022 Annual Disclosure under the California Business & Professions Code, the school accepted 42.76% of applicants, with 64.55% of those accepted enrolling. The average enrollee had a 145 LSAT score and 3.62 undergraduate GPA.[18]
Bar passage edit
For the July 2023 California Bar Examination, 60% of College of Law alumni taking the exam for the first time passed, vs. a 65% pass rate for all first-time takers, and 20% College of Law alumni repeat takers passed.[4]
Law reviews, journals and publications edit
- University of La Verne Law Review ISSN 1944-382X OCLC 226246367
- Journal of Juvenile Law ISSN 0160-2098 OCLC 3367760
- Journal of Legal Advocacy & Practice ISSN 1534-5599 OCLC 42705442
- Inter alia OCLC 44514382
- Grand Jury Training (2003). Published by La Verne College of Law and the California Grand Jurors' Association (video seminar) OCLC 52204131
Legal clinics and student programs edit
The College of Law opened a disability rights legal clinic in the summer of 2007, followed by a justice and immigration legal clinic.[19][20] Additional programs for students include clinical externships and practicums in Family Law and Lawyering Skills.[21]
Costs edit
For the Fall 2020 semester, La Verne College of Law tuition is $15,600 per semester for all full-time students.[22]
Employment edit
According to the La Verne College of Law's official ABA-required disclosures for 2018 graduates, 51.72% found some form of full-time employment while 24.14% did not (the rest were not in full-time employment, not seeking employment, or unknown). Of graduates, 22.41% obtained JD required employment (i.e. as attorneys). Of the 22.41% of graduates who obtained attorney employment, 53.33% went into small firms, no graduates went into medium-sized law firms, 20.0% went into business, and 13.33% went into government employment (the rest of attorney employment was short-term or part-time). No employment was reported to the ABA for 2019 or 2020 graduates.[23]
Noted Alumni edit
- Jessica Dominguez (JD 2000), American immigration lawyer based in California
- Phil Esbenshade (JD 2003), professional skateboarder
- Ronald Richards (JD 1995), criminal defense attorney
References edit
- ^ "Administrative Staff | la Verne Law". Archived from the original on 2018-03-15. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
- ^ a b "U.S. News & World Report, "Best Law Schools: University of La Verne"". Archived from the original on May 8, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ University of La Verne College of Law Official ABA Data[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "General Statistics Report – July 2023 California Bar Examination" (PDF). calbar.ca.gov. The State Bar of California. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ "University of La Verne law school receives full accreditation from American Bar Association". Daily Bulletin. 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ Stassel, Stephanie (September 20, 2000). "Law School Reverts to Original Name". LA Times.
- ^ Roco, Jaclyn (April 12, 2002). "ULV separates from SF College of Law".
- ^ "Ontario Law Campus | University of La Verne". College of Law. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ^ "ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year". ABA website. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ "La Verne College of Law dealt setback | San Bernardino County News | PE.com - Press-Enterprise". PE.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ "University of La Verne College of Law gets State Bar of California accreditation". Daily Bulletin. 2011-08-30. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ "ABA-Approved Law Schools | Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar". Americanbar.org. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
- ^ "After Low Bar-Pass Problems, La Verne Law School Gets ABA Approval". National Law Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ Sloan, Karen (November 21, 2019). "LA-Area Law School to Remain Open, but Parts Ways With the ABA".
- ^ Moran, Lyle (26 November 2019). "La Verne Law School Opts For State Accreditation Rather Than Closure". Above the Law. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ^ "Dual Law Degree Programs | University of La Verne". Academics. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ "State Bar of California Accreditation | For Incoming Students Beginning in Fall 2020 and After". law.laverne.edu. LaVerne University. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "January 2022 Annual Disclosure by California Accredited Law Schools Under California Business & Professions Code Section 6061.7(a)" (PDF). law.laverne.edu. Laverne University. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Justice and Immigration Clinic Opens at California's University of La Verne College of Law". Diverse. 2008-03-19. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ PR Newswire "University of La Verne College of Law Opens Justice and Immigration Clinic"
- ^ "San Diego Daily Transcript, "SanDiegoSourceBook: University of La Verne College of Law"". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
- ^ "2019-20 College of Law Tuition and Fees | University of La Verne". Tuition and Fees. Retrieved 2020-07-17.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "La Verne College of Law Employment Summary for Graduates". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved 1 April 2024.