The Whittier Experience
Consumer Information
Consumer Information
About Whittier Law School
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Curriculum
Employment/Bar Passage |
About Whittier Law School
Whittier Law School was founded in 1966 as Beverly College School of Law to provide an intensive legal education program, especially for women and older students. In 1975, Beverly College joined Whittier College, a nationally recognized liberal arts college, forming Whittier College School of Law. The American Bar Association awarded full accreditation in 1985, followed by admittance to the Association of American Law Schools in 1987.
In 1997, Whittier Law School moved to Costa Mesa and on April 24, 1998, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy formally dedicated the campus. Today, the Law School is proud of its 5,000 graduates in 48 states and 14 foreign countries, its extensive international outreach and experiential learning opportunities as well as its distinguished Centers for Children’s Rights, Intellectual Property Law, International and Comparative Law, Concentrations in Criminal Law, Business Law and Environmental Law.
Accreditation and Memberships
Whittier Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), the Western Association of Schools (WASC) and Colleges and is a member of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS).
ABA Accreditation
Whittier Law School was the first ABA accredited law school in Orange County. The American Bar Association granted provisional accreditation in 1978, and full accreditation in 1985.
For further information regarding American Bar Association approval, please contact:
Office of the Consultant on Legal Education
Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
American Bar Association
321 N. Clark Street, 21st Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312.988.6738
Fax: 312.988.5681
legaled@americanbar.org
WASC Accreditation
Whittier College was first accredited in 1949, and Whittier Law School has been included in that accreditation process since joining Whittier College in 1975.
AALS Membership
Whittier Law School became a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) in 1987.
The Statement of Accreditation Status can be seen here.
Physical Facilities
Whittier Law School, 3333 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, is conveniently located on 14 spacious acres in Orange County California, just minutes off the Harbor Boulevard Exit of the 405 freeway. The law school is blocks from South Coast Plaza and a few miles from Huntington and Newport Beaches. The law school is comprised of four main buildings with a large quad in between.
Building 1 houses many of our administrative offices that include Admissions & Financial Aid, the Dean’s main Suite and Office, Development, Alumni Relations, Marketing, Bar Preparation and Academic Support. Building 2 houses faculty offices and administrative offices such as the Business, Registrar’s, Career Development and Student Service Offices. Buildings 3 and 4 hold classrooms, which consists of large tiered classrooms, smaller seminar style classrooms and a brand new state of the art courtroom. Building 3 & 4 also has a cafeteria, bookstore, student lounge area and a large public law library.
Whittier Law School Policies
For a complete handbook of 2012-2013 Whittier Law School Policies please click here.
Demographics
Admissions and Enrollment Data
| Class of 2012 | Class of 2013 | Class of 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Count | 2287 | 2165 | 2245 |
| Matriculated | 306 | 302 | 272 |
Of the students that were admitted and enrolled:
| Class of 2013 | Class of 2014 | Class of 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 174 | 129 | 130 |
| Male | 132 | 173 | 142 |
| Students of color* | 154 | 134 | 139 |
| 75th percentile LSAT | 153 | 154 | 154 |
| 25th percentile LSAT | 149 | 150 | 149 |
| 75th percentile GPA | 3.35 | 3.28 | 3.21 |
| 25th percentile GPA | 2.83 | 2.75 | 2.66 |
| Median Age | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| *Age Range | 24-62 | 22-60 | 21-55 |
*Students of color – represents all non-white/Caucasian students. This statistic EXCLUDES any students that decline to state their ethnicity. This statistic INCLUDES any students that specified more than one ethnicity/race where at least one ethnicity/race was non-white/Caucasian.
*Age – based on 09/01 of the entering year.
Student Body Diversity
| Full Time Students | Part Time Students | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Female | 272 | 65 |
| Male | 292 | 71 |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Hispanic/Latino | 99 | 24 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 6 | 0 |
| Asian | 120 | 20 |
| Black or African American | 15 | 8 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0 |
| White | 302 | 76 |
| Multi-Cultural | 0 | 0 |
| Race and Ethnicity Unknown | 22 | 8 |
Attrition
| Under Attrition | Involuntary Attrition | Voluntary Attrition |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-2011 | 75 students | 30 students |
| 2011-2012 | 57 students | 47 students |
Composition and Number of Faculty and Administrators
As of the Fall 2012 semester, Whittier Law School employs the following:
- 26 full-time faculty members
- 27 adjunct faculty members
- 8 administrators
For more information regarding our faculty, visit the Whittier Law School Faculty page.
For more information regarding our administrative staff, visit the Whittier Law School Staff Directory.
Degrees Awarded
In 2012, Whittier Law School granted 170 Juris Doctor Degrees and 5 LL.M. Degrees
In 2011, Whittier Law School granted 128 Juris Doctor Degrees ad 5 LL.M. Degrees
Financial
Financial Aid Resources and How to Apply
Whittier Law School has a longstanding tradition of administering a financial assistance program to help students pay for their legal education. The Law School adheres to a “need-blind” admissions policy, admitting the best students regardless of family financial strength. Each year, the Office of Financial Aid delivers financial assistance to more than 80 percent of the student body with numerous resources such as scholarships, fellowships, work-study, and student loans. In addition to managing the delivery of all types of financial aid funds, we offer law students financial services in the form of loan counseling, advice on maintaining financial aid eligibility and specialty information workshops. Prospective and current students with any questions or financial aid counseling needs should contact the Office of Financial Aid for assistance.
Visit the Financial Aid Office for more information.
Tuition, Fees, and Living Costs
Whittier Law, like many other law schools, uses a standard single budget for the cost of attendance which applies to all students. For the purpose of aid verification, the cost of attendance is normally based on a nine-month period for fall and spring semesters.
Please review the Financial Aid Tuition and Aid page for more information regarding living expenses and books and resources.
Tuition Refund/Credit Policy
For detailed information regarding the tuition refund policy including a schedule, please visit the Business Office refund policy.
Conditional Scholarships
| Students Matriculating in | # Entering with Conditional Scholarships | # Whose Conditional Scholarships Have Since Been Reduced Or Eliminated |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 |
Curriculum
Course Catalog
For detailed information regarding our course offerings, please review the Course Catalog.
JD Curriculum
Whittier Law School has an innovative curriculum designed to prepare students for the practice of law at the highest levels of the profession. The first-year JD curriculum teaches students areas of legal doctrine traditionally taught in the first year, but in an innovative way that focuses on teaching methods of legal analysis and skills that all lawyers use.
For detailed requirements for the JD Curriculum please review Degree Requirements
Certificates and Concentrations
The law school offers Certificates in Legal Writing, Intellectual Property, Children’s Rights International Law.
The law school offers Concentrations in Business Law, Criminal Law and Environmental Law
For more information, view a full listing of our Centers and Programs
Foreign Legal Study
Whittier Law School does not permit its students to study at foreign law schools, with the exception of courses offered by an ABA-approved law school through its study-abroad program including Whittier Law School’s five study abroad programs in China, Spain, France, Israel and Mexico.
Life at Whittier Law School
Students with Disabilities
Whittier Law School’s policy and practice is to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and local requirements regarding students and applicants with disabilities. Under these laws, no qualified individual with a disability shall be denied access to, or participation in, services, programs and activities of the Law School.
It is the policy of the Law School that otherwise qualified students who have disabilities shall be given reasonable accommodations, including academic adjustment and auxiliary aids, where appropriate, necessary to ensure access to the school’s overall educational program. Individual students receive reasonable and necessary accommodations, including adjustments and aids, based on specific information and assessment data documented by a qualified professional.
For a full written policy about student with disabilities please visit the ADA Policy Manual
Privacy of Student Records/FERPA
Whittier Law School fully abides by The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.
For full statement of FERPA and Whittier Law School policies please visit the Registrar’s site on FERPA Yearly Notification.
Library Resources
Whittier’s Law Library is open more than 100 hours per week. The Library provides professional services for day and evening students.
The Library contains in excess of 350,000 volumes to aid students with instruction and research, and serves as a California state and federal depository. The collection includes materials in print, on laser disc, and on microform. Printers are available for the microform materials. Low-cost photocopiers are located in two alcoves in the library. for more information visit the Law Library website
Non Discrimination Policy
Whittier College admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin with all the rights, privileges, and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, marital status, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, creed or religion in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school‐administered programs. Whittier College does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to its programs.
Campus Safety
The law school is committed to maintaining a safe working environment for all faculty, staff, students, alumni and visitors.
For a full procedure and protocol report surrounding all campus safety please visit the Facilities Management Website and the Campus Safety section of the policy manual.
Transfer Students
For detailed information regarding transfer students and transfer credits, please review the Transfer Applicants Page
Employment Outcomes
| Class of 2011 Employment Report at 9 Months After Graduation | |||
| Employment Status | Number | Long Term | Short Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employed | 118 | 70 | 42 |
| Pursuing Graduate Degree Full-Time | 4 | ||
| Unemployed – Not Seeking | 4 | ||
| Unemployed – Seeking | 6 | ||
| Employment Status Unknown | 6 | ||
| Total graduates | 138 | ||
| Employment Status | Number | Long Term | Short Term |
| Of employed – # law school funded | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Employment Type | Number | Long | Short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firms | |||
| Solo | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 – 10 | 45 | 31 | 13 |
| 11-25 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 26-50 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 51-100 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 101-250 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 251-500 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 501+ | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Unknown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Business & Industry | 38 | 18 | 17 |
| Government | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Pub. Int. (inc. Pub. Def.) | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Federal | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| State & local | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Academia | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Employer type unknown | 1 | ||
| Total | 118 | 70 | 42 |
| Emplyment Location | State | Number |
|---|---|---|
| State# – largest employment | California | 101 |
| State# – 2nd largest employment | Nevada | 3 |
| State# – 3rd largest employment | Unknown | 3 |
| # employed in foreign countries 1 | 1 |
Bar Passage Data
| Month/Year | CA 1st Time Rate | Out of State 1st Time Rate |
|---|---|---|
| July 2012 | 70% | 75% |
| February 2012 | 46% | 40% |
- 142 students took the July 2012 Bar Exam
- 8 students took the July 2012 Bar Exam out of state
- 13 students took the February 2012 Bar Exam
- 5 students took the February 2012 Bar Exam out of state
Upcoming Events
Surrogacy Laws Across the Country
January 24, 2013 12:00pm-2:00pm
Open House - January 26
January 26, 2013 10:00am-1:30pm
Orange County MCLE Alumni Luncheon
January 30, 2013 12:00pm-1:15pm
Recent News
Student Highlight: Kelly Cheung
Family Law / Children's Rights
Q & A with Betsy Rosenblatt
Intellectual Property
Q&A with Peter L. Reich
Environmental Law
© 2010 - 2012, Whittier Law School
3333 Harbor Boulevard • Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.444.4141 • 800.808.8188
