Accreditation

For more than 30 years, the Colleges of Law has been accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California.  It is accredited as one law school with two campuses.  In keeping with its mission to offer legal education that emphasizes both academic excellence and accessibility, the Colleges of Law has not sought accreditation from the American Bar Association.

See below for important information on admission to law practice.  Students who attend the Colleges of Law, other than J.D. students admitted in the category of  "special students," are not required by the State Bar to sit for the First Year Law Students' Examination.

Admission to Practice Law

Admission to practice law in California

Juris Doctor graduates of the Colleges of Law are academically qualified to sit for the California Bar Examination.  Admission to practice law within California is governed by the Office of Admissions of the State Bar.  All J.D. students must register with that office; forms are available at the State Bar website.  Those wishing to practice law in California must comply with the "Rules Regulating Admission to Practice Law in California;"  copies may obtained from the State Bar.  Additional information about State Bar requirements is contained in the Colleges' General Catalog.

Admission to practice law outside California

Juris Doctor applicants who wish to practice law in states other than California should be aware that most states require graduation from a law school approved or accredited by the American Bar Association or approved or accredited by the state supreme court or examining committee as a prerequisite to taking the bar examination in that state.

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 law outside of California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding its education and admission requirements.

California Bar Exam

At the Colleges of Law, our J.D. graduates are academically qualified to sit for the California Bar Examination.  But more than that, our students have completed a J.D. program specifically designed to enable them to develop what the Bar Examination demands - a solid grasp of legal fundamentals, strong writing ability, and excellent time-management skills.

Our required curriculum covers all subjects tested on the California Bar Examination, from Torts, Contracts and Criminal Law in First Year through Criminal Procedure in Fourth Year.  We build writing skills with a series of courses that cover both predictive and persuasive writing, including Legal Analysis, Legal Writing, and Advanced Legal Writing.  During Fourth Year, students take Bar Studies, an innovative course that helps each student to create an effective, individualized approach for Bar Exam study.  Then, we offer a customized, extended program of Bar Exam preparation in conjunction with the premier bar review provider, BARBRI.

Information about the California Bar Examination pass rates of graduates of this law school and others can be found on the State Bar website "Statistics" page.  Graduates of the Colleges of Law J.D. program frequently outperform the average bar pass rate for graduates of California-accredited law schools.