California (Costa Mesa) -- Whittier Law School -- Accreditation: Full ABA -- Year Founded: 1966

Whittier Law School has been the law school of Whittier College since 1975. Located on a satellite campus in Costa Mesa, California, Whittier Law School received accreditation from the American Bar Association (ABA) in 1978, and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1987. Although classified as a "fourth tier" school by U.S. News and World Report rankings, the law school has also been consistently recognized by USNWR as one of the most ethnically diverse law schools in the United States, ranked 29th within the rankings.



The current dean of Whittier Law School is Penelope Bryan.

Dean's Message




Motto: In Service of Justice and Enterprise

Academics

Whittier Law School offers both full and part-time day and evening J.D. programs. The full-time program takes three years to complete, while the part-time program takes four years to complete. Students in both programs must complete 87 units for graduation. The law school also offers an LL.M. program.

Like students at most American law schools, all first-year students at Whittier Law School must take courses in civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, real property, and torts. All first-year students must also take a year-long legal writing course in conjunction with a course in legal analysis. Second and third-year students must also take courses in criminal procedure, and evidence. Although optional at many American law schools, Whittier Law School once required that all students take courses in California community property, remedies, the Uniform Commercial Code, and wills and trusts. Now, courses in corporations, remedies, wills and trusts, California community property, and the Uniform Commercial Code are optional (but highly recommended) for all students who enroll in Fall 2008 or later. However, all students must take two graded, semester-long courses designed to prepare them for the essay and performance test portions of the California Bar Examination.

Programs

Whittier Law School has centers in Children’s Rights, Intellectual Property Law, and International and Comparative Law. These centers host fellows, offer externships, and sponsor symposia and workshops. The law school also offers concentrations in Criminal Law and Business Law for students who wish to take additional, specialized courses in those areas.

As with many American law schools, Whittier Law School offers students the opportunity to study abroad. The law school currently offers summer programs in China, France, Israel, Spain, and Mexico.

Accreditation

On August 9, 2005, the ABA, concerned about Whittier Law School's low bar passage rates, placed the law school's accreditation on probationary status for two years. On August 10, 2007, the American Bar Association extended the probation until February 15, 2009. Under the ABA's rules, the law school remains fully accredited during the probation period, and all students who enter and graduate during this period are deemed to have graduated from an ABA accredited law school.

Contact

3333 Harbor Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Phone 714-444-4141 . 800-808-8188