As Dean, I am delighted to have this opportunity to introduce our extraordinary law school to you.

Our campus sits on 14 spacious acres in the midst of the beautiful Orange County, California. Our location offers inviting outdoor space, easy access off the 405 freeway and ample parking. Within a few miles of the campus you will find numerous charming beach communities that offer whatever water sport you can imagine as well as artists and surfers alike. The Orange County Performing Arts center sits nearby and so do culinary delights and world-class shopping.

More important, however, is the rich community you will find within Whittier Law School. We have an exceptionally diverse and friendly student body that will make you feel right at home and help you adjust to the demands law school. The Administration and staff at the law school care deeply about the quality of your education and about your success. You will find outstanding professors eager to engage with you inside and outside of class and who care about you and your education. You will receive a fine legal education here in a challenging but supportive environment.

Whittier Law School is strongly committed to the success of our students. We have expert faculty in our Academic Support Program who will work with you from Orientation through the bar examination. This program helped our students achieve an exceptional July 2008 bar passage rate of 84.3%. From our Legal Writing and Skills faculty and in our clinical and externship programs, you will learn the nuts and bolts of lawyering. You not only will learn the law, but you will learn how to do what lawyers actually do in practice. We are proud that Whittier Law School students graduate more “practice ready” than students from many other law schools.

As you read through this Viewbook, you will find that our students can participate in a wide variety of programs that will help them gain expertise in the areas of law that interest them. For instance, we offer Centers in Intellectual Property, Children’s Rights and International and Comparative Law. During summers, our students can choose to study abroad in Spain, Mexico, France, China, Sweden and Israel. We offer concentrations in numerous areas of law. If you have an interest in trial work, The Institute of Trial and Appellate Practice will help you hone the skills necessary to become a successful trial or appellate lawyer. Please enjoy the Viewbook. We have much to offer the discerning student.

I hope that I will have the opportunity to personally welcome you into our community at Whittier Law School. Irrespective of what law school you choose, however, I wish you every success as you pursue your laudable dream of becoming a lawyer – one of the most honorable of professions.

My best regards,

Penelope Bryan

Dean and Professor of Law