Top Law Schools

Whittier Law School was founded in 1975 and is located in Costa Mesa, California. Although affiliated with Whittier College, which has the dubious distinction of having Richard Nixon as a graduate, Whittier Law School is in the much more metropolitian area of Orange County rather than the rural area surrounding Whittier.

The accreditation Whittier Law School received from the American Bar Association in 1978 is in jeopardy. For on August 9, 2005, the American Bar Association imposed a probationary period of two years regarding the accreditation of Whittier Law School. The American Bar Association cited the very low bar passage rate of Whittier Law School graduates on the California Bar and the lack of a substantive writing requirement for Whittier Law School students. In response, Whittier Law School has challenged both of these claims and has worked hard to get the bar passage rate above 50%. While it is likely that Whittier Law School will retain accreditation when this issue is revisited in August, 2007, this is not a certainty and has consequently put a cloud over the law school’s future.

Academics at Whittier Law School

Whittier Law School strengths in the legal fields of intellectual property, international and comparaitive law, and Children’s rights. Whittier Law School has a small faculty/student ratio allowing for close interaction between the faculty and students.

Whittier Law School is one of the most diverse law schools in the nation, with nearly 50% of the students being minorities.

Whittier Law School is universally considered to be a lower tier law school and gaining admission is easier here than at other California law schools. The median undergraduate GPA of a Whittier Law School student is a 3.10 and the average LSAT score is a 154.

Whittier Law School offers both full-time and part-time programs, with tuition for the full-time program being approximately $30,000.

Contact Whittier Law School at:

3333 Harbor Boulevard
Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1501
(800) 808-8188

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From the school's website:

"The Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association has determined to extend the probationary period of Whittier Law School until February 15, 2009. During the specified period of probation, Whittier Law School remains on the list of law schools approved by the American Bar Association. The Council's decision was based upon its conclusion that the Law School has made progress and had shown good cause for the extension."

The ABA apparently could have renewed accreditation, withdrawn it, or postpone the reckoning. They chose the last one.

I'm not 100% clear on what probation means for prospective students and their eligibility to apply for and attend Whittier during this probationary period and go before the California or any other bar. Anyone?

From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Bar_ ... aby_Bar.22(yes, i know, but this is cited from another source):

The different ways to become an attorney in California

California provides three basic paths to becoming a licensed attorney: [23]

1. Attending a law school accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners or approved by American Bar Association and passing the California bar examination.
2. Study law for at least four years by:

* Attend a law school approved by the State of California to award professional degrees but is unapproved by the State Bar of California (including online law schools) and pass the bar exam, or
* Participating in an approved course of study in a law office or the chambers of a judge and pass the bar exam. ("Law Office Study Program"; See below.)

3. Already being licensed in another state or foreign jurisdiction and taking the California bar exam. Lawyers who are already licensed in another jurisdiction may be able to waive out of taking the Multistate Bar Examination portion of the exam. Regardless of the path one takes to becoming a licensed attorney, most bar applicants take a special preparation course for the exam immediately following their graduation from law school.

Any other bar, your going to have to look at that state. But if you're going here, you're prospects are low enough for out-of-state employment that I wouldn't consider that a top priority if you're looking at this school.