Juris Doctor (JD)
The College of Law and Public Service admits students into the JD Program in the fall for its full-time and part-time day program as well as for its part-time evening program. The College of law offers a January start for its part-time evening program. University of La Verne College of Law reviews applications on a continual basis and accepts applications until the class is full. The priority application deadline for Fall 2023 consideration is July 31, 2023. The priority application deadline for Spring 2024, which begins in January, 2024, consideration is December 01, 2023.
Admission Requirements
- Complete application
- Bachelor’s Degree recommended, but not required- The Committee of Bar Examiners for the State Bar of California, in accordance with Rule 4.25, requires applicants to have completed a minimum of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of college work. This completed work must be equivalent to at least half that required for a bachelor’s degree from a college or university that has degree-granting authority from the state in which it is located; and completed with a grade average adequate for graduation.
- Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended at the undergraduate and graduate level must be received no later than 45 days after the start of the term in the year to which the student was admitted.
- Applicants who have taken the LSAT are required to submit their scores. Students who have not taken an LSAT may submit another graduate test score such as the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, DAT, or request consideration of their file absent such a score based on demonstrated academic excellence or professional achievement. The Dean and the law school admission committee may choose to admit such a candidate, or may notify the candidate that submission of a test score is required for consideration.
- One letter of recommendation is required. Two or more letters of recommendation is encouraged.
- Personal statement
- Resume
- Personal interview (invitation extended at Dean’s discretion)
- Relevant addenda addressing issues pertaining to: Criminal background, academic background, and prior law school enrollment
- A letter of good standing is required for all transfer students or prior law students who voluntarily withdrew
Instructions for International Students
- Transcripts and degree certificates: JD applicants bearing undergraduate/graduate coursework and degree(s) received from foreign institutions outside the U.S. (including its territories) and/or Canada should send their records to:
Law School Admission Council
662 Penn Street, Box-2000M
Newtown, PA 18940-0993.
- Alternatively, JD applicants may submit an official detailed credential evaluation from any NACES-recognized credentialing service. The review must be a detail credential evaluation to include course title, grades, and credit hours. There is a fee for this service.
- English Language Proficiency: International applicants whose native language is not English must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test ( TOEFL iBT), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test.
- A passing TOEFL iBT scores is: 100 or above with 20 or above in each section. A passing IELTS scores is: 7 or above with 7 or above in each band.
- A passing Duolingo English Test score is: 120 or above
- Individuals who meet one of the following conditions are exempted from the English language proficiency requirement:
- U.S. Citizens;
- U.S. Permanent Residents;
- International students who completed the entirety of their baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited school located in the U.S.;
- International students who are native English speakers or hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution in which English is the primary language of instruction.
Transfer Admission
The decision regarding a transfer application will be based on a review of the applicant’s entire file, including a completed College of Law application, LSAT scores, official transcripts from your prior law school(s), letters of recommendation, a personal statement, resume, and reasons for transferring. A decision to admit a transfer applicant is conditional, pending receipt of an official transcript and a letter of good standing from the applicant’s current law school. An admitted transfer applicant must agree to all terms and conditions of admission, including those pertaining to which credits will transfer. See more information on transfer policies at: https://law.laverne.edu/transfer/
New Student Orientation
The College of Law organizes an annual Orientation for new and first-year law students during the first weeks of classes. Faculty conduct several workshops targeted at introducing students to basic skills that are fundamental to academic achievement. These workshops, which address topics like case briefing, case reading, time management, note taking, and course organization, are designed to give students an overview of the types of skills that they need to practice and develop during their law school career.
Dual Degree Programs: JD/MPA, JD/MEd, JD/MBA
The University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service offers a combined Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration (JD/MPA). Additionally, the College of Law and Public Service, in partnerships with the LaFetra College of Education and the College of Business offers dual degree opportunities in law and educational leadership (JD/MEd) and in law and business administration (JD/MBA). Applicants must meet the admission standards of each degree program and should check with each College for specific entrance requirements. Please consult the Registrar’s office at the College of Law and Public Service for details regarding these dual degree opportunities.
Clinical Programs
La Verne Law currently has two campus-based, live-client clinics: the Justice and Immigration Clinic and the Misdemeanor Appellate Advocacy Clinic.
The Justice and Immigration Clinic represents asylum applicants who cannot return to their home country because of persecution. While the practice area of the clinic is immigration, this clinic is especially appropriate for those who wish to become litigators. The clinic provides pro bono representation to immigrants seeking asylum or alternative forms of humanitarian relief in the United States due to political, religious, and other human rights persecution. Asylum can lead to permanent residency and U.S. citizenship. The Justice and Immigration Clinic has represented refugees from a variety of countries. The clinic provide students with many opportunities to build lawyering skills by giving personal feedback, as well as having students engage in peer review and self-evaluation. For more information about the Justice and Immigration Clinic, please contact Associate Dean Gomez at (909) 460-2033 or pgomez@laverne.edu. You may also visit: https:// law.laverne.edu/academics/.
The Misdemeanor Appellate Advocacy Clinic represents clients who wish to appeal their cases in the San Bernardino Superior Courts. The clinic works in coordination and collaboration with the San Bernardino Judicial System in providing live-client clinical experiences in misdemeanor criminal cases. For more information about the Misdemeanor Appellate Advocacy Clinic, please contact Professor Assael-Shafia at (909) 460-2023 or massael- shafia@laverne.edu. You may also visit: https://law.laverne.edu/academics/.
Externship Program
The La Verne Law externship program places students into various public and nonprofit agencies in which students gain practical experience under the supervision of a practicing attorney. The goals of the La Verne Law externship program are to enhance the student’s understanding of the practice of law, inspire dedication to the needs of individual clients, and to value the promotion of justice carried out with integrity and civility. Student experiences may include research, conducting factual investigations and discovery, interviewing clients, counseling clients, drafting pleadings, assisting clients in preparing their pleadings, mediating a dispute, preparing an order or a memo of law for the judge or negotiating a resolution to a dispute. For more information, go to: https://law.laverne.edu/academics/.
Career Services
The Career Development Office offers career counseling, resume/cover letter review, job/externship search assistance, mock interviews, and workshops. In addition, career guidebooks are available in the Career Resource Center.
Licensing and Bar Preparation
Bar Registration
Statutory requirements for Admission to the Practice of Law in the State of California are set forth in California Business and Professions Code Section 6060. The Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California examines all applicants for admission to the practice of law in this state and administers the requirements for admission to practice. The Committee certifies to the California Supreme Court admission to practice only those persons who fulfill the requirements for admission set forth in the Business and Professions Code and the Rules published by the Committee. Those persons who, upon graduation from law school, seek admission to practice in California must register with the Committee of Bar Examiners within three months after beginning their law studies. Registration forms are available at: https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Requirements.
Students are responsible for insuring that these forms are properly completed and filed in a timely manner. Students who wish to practice in states other than California are cautioned to make their own investigations into the rules for admission to practice in those states. Registration at the commencement of law school studies often is required.
Students starting their legal education at the La Verne College of Law in the fall 2020 or subsequently will be admitted and enrolled in a program of study independently accredited and approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners for the State Bar of California. Such students will not be enrolled nor graduate from a program approved and accredited by the American Bar Association. Such students are hereby informed that graduation from the La Verne College of Law may not qualify them 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 of California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding its education and admissions requirements.
Center for Academic & Bar Readiness
La Verne Law’s Center for Academic and Bar Readiness provides general counseling for students who want to maximize their educational experience and learning outcomes for law school and the bar exam. The Center’s staff maintains flexible weekly office hours and will schedule appointments upon request outside of office hours. The Center has an open-door policy and students are encouraged to take advantage of the resources available to them as early and as often as possible.
Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) Preparation Course
The National Conference of Bar Examiners conducts the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) annually in March, August and November. The CABR administers a free MPRE preparation program that begins approximately three weeks before each MPRE exam to help students prepare for the exam.
Bar Exam Review
In order to be licensed to practice law, each student must pass a state bar exam. The Bar Exam Strategic Training (BEST) Program is a program for JD graduates that provides comprehensive and targeted assistance after graduation, during the bar exam review period. This customized program is not a stand-alone bar review course but works in tandem with BARBRI to provide our graduates with the best opportunity to perform well on the California Bar Exam. For more information, go to: https://law.laverne.edu/
Program Requirements
Total Program: 88 semester hours
Full-Time Division
The course of study in the full-time division requires three academic years of study in residence. In the full-time program, students should expect to devote most of their time to the study of law. The curriculum usually includes five days of class time per week, 14-15 units per semester for a total of 88 units. Full-time students may be allowed and/or required to enroll in some classes offered in the evening and on Saturdays.
A typical three-year course of study would be as follows:
1L - Foundational Year
The Foundational (First) Year curriculum consists of the following four two-semester core courses: Contracts, Property, Civil Procedure, and Torts. In the first semester, students are also required to take a one semester Writing course; and in the second semester, students are required to take a one-semester Criminal Law course.
2L - Experiential Learning Year
During the second-year students are exposed to experiential learning opportunities with a focus on both litigation and transactional skills. Each semester consists of multiple courses with designated hours for credit which are graded independently. Adjunct professors who are judges and practicing attorneys teach coordinated components of the semester experience. They also review the students’ participation in mock trial and mock negotiation sessions. Additionally, the Experiential Learning year incorporates academic success skills and legal writing.
3L - Enhancement Year
The Enhancement Year allows students to enhance their learning and expand their horizons by taking courses covering areas of personal interest as well as gaining valuable experience from clinics, externships, and other possibilities. It also incorporates a rigorous writing, academic success, and bar preparation curriculum. Collectively, the Enhancement Year serves to transition students from academic readiness to bar readiness, allowing them to build on what they have learned, become ready to pass the bar exam and enter the legal profession.
Sample Full-Time Division Schedule
- 1L Fall Semester: 15 semester hours
- Contracts
- Civil Procedure
- Property
- Torts
- Writing
- 1L Spring Semester: 15 semester hours
- Contracts II
- Civil Procedure II
- Property II
- Criminal Law
- Torts II
- 2L Fall Semester: 12 - 15 semester hours
- Constitutional Law I
- Evidence I
- Criminal Procedure
- Trial Advocacy
- Professional Responsibility
- 2L Spring Semester: 12 - 15 semester hours
- Constitutional Law II
- Business Organizations I
- Sales
- Evidence II
- Transactional Workshop
- Electives
- 3L Year: 24 - 30 semester hours
- Wills & Trusts
- Capstone
- Upper Division Writing
- Professional Responsibility
- Experiential Course
- Electives
Part-Time Division
To accommodate the needs of working adults or others who cannot devote themselves to the full-time study of law, La Verne Law offers part-time day and evening programs. The part-time programs require four academic years of study. To complete the part-time programs within four years requires part-time students to enroll and study during the summer. In the part-time programs (Day or Evening), students complete 8-10 units per semester, typically attending class 3 times a week. Students may be required to attend class 4 times a week in some semesters, as well as may be required to attend Saturday classes. While the part-time program substantively mirrors the full-time program in terms of the required courses, experiential learning opportunities, and available electives, students should expect curricular adjustments with regard to timing and scheduling of the part-time programs. Full-time students may be allowed and/or required to enroll in some classes offered in the evening.
Sample Part-time Division Schedule
1L Part-Time Evening Program
- 1L Fall Semester: 9 semester hours
- Contracts
- Torts
- Writing
- 1L Spring Semester: 9 semester hours
- Contracts II
- Torts II
- Civil Procedure I
- 1L Summer: 3 - 5 semester hours
- Civil Procedure II
- Electives
- 2L Fall Semester: 8 - 11 semester hours
- Constitutional Law I
- Property I
- Criminal Law
- Electives
- 2L Spring Semester: 8 - 11 semester hours
- Constitutional Law II
- Property II
- Writing II
- Electives
- 2L Summer: 4 - 5 semester hours
- Professional Responsibility
- Electives
- 3L Fall Semester: 9 - 11 semester hours
- Evidence
- Criminal Procedure
- Trial Advocacy
- Electives
- 3L Spring Semester: 9 - 11 semester hours
- Business Organizations I
- Sales
- Negotiations
- Transactional Workshop
- Electives
- 4L Year: 12 - 22 semester hours
- Wills & Trusts
- Business Organizations II
- Capstone
- Remedies
- Community Property
- Upper Division Writing
- Experiential Courses
- Electives
See summary details of full-time and part-time programs here.
Electives1
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 650 | Administrative Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 587 | Advanced Appellate Advocacy | 2 |
| LAW 562B | Advanced Legal Research | 2 |
| LAW 642 | Adversarial Evidence Seminar | 1-2 |
| LAW 580 | Appellate Advocacy | 2 |
| LAW 645 | Animal Law | 2 |
| LAW 543 | Arbitration | 2 |
| LAW 549 | California Civil Procedure | 2,3 |
| LAW 594 | Civil Rights Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 690 | Clinical Externship | 1-4 |
| LAW 647 | Construction Law and Ethics | 2 |
| LAW 636 | Discovery Techniques and Practices | 3 |
| LAW 653 | Employment Law Seminar | 2,3 |
| LAW 611 | Entertainment Law | 2 |
| LAW 523 | Family Law | 2 |
| LAW 523A | Family Law - Practice Workshop | 1 |
| LAW 624 | Federal Income Taxation | 2,3 |
| LAW 663 | Hearsay | 1 |
| LAW 655 | Immigration Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 699 | Independent Research | 1,2 |
| LAW 614 | Insurance Law | 2 |
| LAW 610 | Intellectual Property Overview | 2-3 |
| LAW 538 | International Law | 2-3 |
| LAW 595 | Issues in Constitutional Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 693 | Journal for Law, Business and Ethics Seminar | 2 |
| LAW 694 | Journal for Law, Business and Ethics Production | 1-2 |
| LAW 509 | Jury Selection | 2 |
| LAW 692 | Justice and Immigration Clinic | 1-6 |
| LAW 648 | Advanced Trial Techniques | 2 |
| LAW 695 | Law Review Seminar | 2,3 |
| LAW 697 | Law Review Production | 1-3 |
| LAW 557 | Lawyering Skills Practicum | 3-10 |
| LAW 654 | Local Government Law | 2 |
| LAW 529 | Math and Physics for Lawyers | 2 |
| LAW 546 | Mediation | 2-3 |
| LAW 555 | Mediation Practicum | 4 |
| LAW 588 | National Moot Court Competition Team | 1,2 |
| LAW 620 | Patent Law | 2 |
| LAW 550P | Plea Bargaining Practice Workshop | 1 |
| LAW 514C | Remedies - Practice Workshop | 1 |
| LAW 586 | Trial Team | 1-2 |
| LAW 631 | Video Game Seminar | 3 |
| LAW 658 | Workers' Compensation | 2,3 |
| LAW 521P | Wills & Trusts Practice Workshop | 1 |
- 1
Elective courses may not be offered every year.