University of La Verne College of Law: Rankings, Programs, and Accreditation

The University of La Verne College of Law, established in 1970, is the law school of the University of La Verne, a private university located in Ontario, California. La Verne Law has educated generations of law professionals on standards of ethics and service to the community. The law school is part of the University of La Verne, which is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This article delves into the college's accreditation history, its programs, and other factors relevant to prospective students.

Accreditation Journey

The University of La Verne College of Law has experienced a dynamic accreditation history. In 2006, the College of Law first received provisional accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA). However, in June 2011, the ABA denied the College full accreditation. On August 29, 2011, the school received approval from the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. In March 2012, the ABA again granted provisional accreditation. Finally, on March 14, 2016, the College received full accreditation from the ABA.However, in November 2019, the Board of Trustees of the University of La Verne directed that the College of Law and Public Service shall discontinue its American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited program of legal education and instructed administration to transition to a high-quality program of legal education approved and accredited by the State Bar of California. The University of La Verne’s current ABA-accredited program of legal education remains ABA accredited and in operation. It will continue to provide the opportunity for all currently enrolled students at the College of Law and Public Service to complete their legal education in a timely manner. All future newly admitted and enrolled 1L students will be admitted and enrolled in a program of legal education approved and accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners for the State Bar of California. They will not be admitted or enrolled in a program of legal education approved and accredited by the ABA. All future newly admitted and enrolled 1L students are informed that study at or graduation from the law school’s program of legal education approved by the State Bar of California may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or be admitted to practice law in jurisdictions other than California.

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. As a result of the decision its parent university’s Board of Trustees made last week, La Verne will avoid a similar fate as fellow California ABA institution Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Meanwhile, a tighter ABA bar passage standard approved earlier this year made it difficult for schools like La Verne to comply. “This transition will allow the University of La Verne College of Law to continue strongly into the future,” University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said in a statement. “We are fully committed to working with the ABA on this transition, which will include a timely and orderly teach out for the approximately 240 current law students in line with ABA standards,” University of La Verne Provost Jonathan Reed said in a statement. “The State Bar has provided the school with all the necessary application materials so that they can begin the process of transitioning from ABA approval to State Bar accreditation,” bar spokeswoman Teresa Ruano said.

Programs Offered

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 is accredited by the State Bar of California, but is not accredited by the American Bar Association.

State Bar of California Accreditation

The State Bar of California is the state’s largest bar association, oversees the licensing and regulation of lawyers, and administers the bar exam. To be accredited by the State Bar of California, a law school must maintain a cumulative five-year bar pass rate of 40 percent or higher. Study at, or graduation from this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or be admitted to practice law in jurisdictions other than California. A student who intends to seek admission to practice outside California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding its education and admission requirements. To practice starting from a State Bar of California-accredited law school, an individual must receive a JD degree involving at least 1,200 hours of study or 80 semester hours. The bar exam is held in February and July and lasts two days. After you receive a passing score, you have five years to apply for admission to the state bar. To maintain your California state license, you are required to complete at least 25 hours of approved minimum continuing legal education (MCLE) every three years.

Admissions and Enrollment

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.

Bar Passage Rates

For the July 2023 California Bar Examination, 60% of College of Law alumni taking the exam for the first time passed.

Employment Statistics

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).

Rankings

The University of La Verne has been consistently ranked in Best Education School and Best Public Affairs Programs listings by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools. This year, the university was one of only seven private California universities on the Best Education School list of 255 institutions nationwide. The University of La Verne LaFetra College of Education has been a leading institution in preparing educators and leaders to address the challenges of today’s schools and rapidly changing organizations.

Additional Programs and Resources

The College of Law and Public Service’s Student Success Center helps students develop strong study skills to succeed in the JD program and prepare to take the bar. Emphasis on academic readiness begins with new student orientation and is integrated into the curriculum starting from 1L. The university offers both Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) degrees. This year marks the 50th year for the MPA program, which offers degree specializations in urban management and affairs, nonprofit management, public health, and a JD/MPA dual degree program within the University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service. University of La Verne graduates have careers in local government, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. According to recent graduating class reports, approximately 69 percent work in public sector positions across local, state, and federal agencies, 26 percent work in the nonprofit sector, and the rest work in the private sector.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Other California Law Schools Accredited by the State Bar

The following schools are accredited by the State Bar of California through its Committee of Bar Examiners. Accredited law schools may teach in fixed-facility classrooms or online or in a combination of these methods. Please contact the law school to confirm their teaching modality. All accredited law schools must maintain a Minimum, Five-Year Cumulative Bar Passage Rate (MPR) of 40 percent or more.

Unaccredited Law Schools in California

Students attending registered unaccredited law schools are required to take the First-Year Law Students' Examination after successfully completing their first year of law school. They must pass this exam within three administrations of becoming eligible to take it in order to continue their law study and claim credit for their law study taken up to the point of passing the exam. If they do not pass within that time frame, they will be dismissed from the law school. The following institutions are currently registered by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California as unaccredited correspondence law schools. A correspondence law school is a law school that conducts instruction principally by correspondence. The following institutions are currently registered by the State Bar's Committee of Bar Examiners as unaccredited distance-learning law schools. A distance-learning law school is a law school that conducts instruction and provides interactive classes principally online. The following institutions are currently registered by the State Bar's Committee of Bar Examiners as unaccredited fixed-facility law schools. A fixed-facility law school is a law school that conducts its instruction principally in physical classroom facilities.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

tags: #university #of #la #verne #college #of