westcliff college of business
Academics

College of Law

Western State College of Law is a private law school located in Irvine, CA close to Orange County’s legal, technology, finance, and business centers.  Western State law students and graduates have access to opportunities at nearby courts, private firms, public agencies, and businesses throughout the Southland.

WSCL prides itself on a faculty of excellent professors whose first priorities are teaching and student success. Most faculty members have extensive professional legal experience as well as impressive academic credentials; they bring real-world knowledge and skills to the classroom. The full-time faculty is supplemented by an outstanding adjunct faculty of practicing attorneys and judges.

In WSCL’s externship program, students receive placement in courts or in the offices of district attorneys, public defenders, practicing attorneys, corporate legal departments, or public interest organizations where they gain hands-on experience and earn academic credit. Externships can assist students in finding employment after graduation.

With a five-decade history in Southern California, WSCL maintains a strong job placement track record and the connections to assist students in their job searches. Western State focuses on helping students develop skills and practical experience to build their legal résumés throughout law school, making them attractive candidates as they enter the workforce.

Certificate programs in Business Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Immigration Law, and Real Estate Law give students the opportunity to focus their electives in a special study emphasis including a practical experience component.

Students can start law school full-time or part-time in the fall or spring. Western State College of Law offers generous scholarships to incoming students based on a holistic review of each file, that acknowledges all the skills and experiences each student brings to the Law College community.

 

 

College of Law College of Law

About College of Law

Founded in 1966, Western State College of Law is the oldest law school in Orange County, Southern California, and is a fully ABA-approved private law school. Noted for small classes and personal attention from an accessible faculty focused on student success, Western State maintains bar pass rates consistently in the top half of California’s ABA law schools.

Western State’s 11,000+ alumni are well represented across public and private sector legal practice areas, including 150 California judges and about 15% of Orange County’s Deputy Public Defenders and District Attorneys. Exposure to real world legal settings, practical experience, and invaluable contacts with alumni practitioners—all will assist you in the transition to the job market and throughout your professional career.

Mission Statement

The mission of Western State College of Law at Westcliff University is to provide the highest quality legal education, based on an innovative program of studies designed to develop the tools of careful legal analysis and to foster a broad understanding of law, law practice, and legal theory. The College of Law emphasizes the study and practice of lawyering skills required for the ethical, skillful, and professional practice of law and is particularly committed to meeting the educational needs of those who seek to practice in small to medium law offices, corporate law departments and governmental and other public service settings. To further its mission, the College of Law will pursue student and faculty diversity, both to enhance the educational program of the school and to address important needs of the legal profession and of society as a whole.

Message from the Dean

Message from the Dean

Welcome to Western State College of Law, and to your new career in the legal profession. It’s an exciting and important time to be a lawyer. Lawyers are innovators, problem-solvers, protectors, and advocates. Lawyers change lives, and Western State gives you the tools and training you need to have a positive impact on your community. There is no one way to be a lawyer—we come from all walks of life, with our own histories and perspectives, pursuing our own goals for our own reasons—but there is very much a family here at Western State. Our faculty, staff, alumni (which includes more than 150 judges), and your fellow students will support you as you move forward in this exciting new chapter of your life. We look forward to helping you accomplish your dreams.

Very Truly Yours,
Marisa Cianciarulo
Dean & Professor of Law

College of Law Programs

Click on one of the programs below and we will direct you to our Western State College of Law website to learn more.