Western State College of Law at Argosy University

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For the Colorado college, see Western State Colorado University.
Western State College of Law at Argosy University
Established 1966[1]
School type Private, for-profit
Dean William E. Adams, Jr.[2]
Location Fullerton, California, U.S.
Coordinates: 33°52′48″N 117°53′24″W / 33.880°N 117.890°W / 33.880; -117.890
Enrollment 318[3]
Faculty 40 (Full- and part-time)[3]
USNWR ranking Rank not published[3]
Bar pass rate 79% (July 2012 exam, first-time takers)[4]; 89% (February 2013 exam, first-time takers)[5]
Website www.WSULaw.edu
ABA profile Western State College of Law

Western State College of Law at Argosy University (WSCL) is a private, for-profit American law school in Fullerton, California. It was the first law school established in Orange County and has over 11,000 alumni.[1]

Main building as seen from the roof of a parking structure across the street

The campus has been located across the street from Cal State Fullerton since its inception but will be probably be relocating by the 2015-2016 academic year.

Contents

History[edit]

Western State was founded in 1966 as the first law school in Orange County, California. It is owned by Education Management Corporation. Western State has two buildings, the main building and the library. The main building houses all of the classrooms, the faculty offices, a mock trial courtroom, the admissions office, a student lounge, a student organizations room, the financial aid office, the human resources department, and the career services department. The library has a basement, main floor, and second story and contains computer labs in addition to legal materials.

Western State is not a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) but has paid a fee to receive AALS services.[6]

Name change and relocation[edit]

In 2012, the name of the school officially changed to Western State College of Law at Argosy University, as it became one of the colleges of Argosy University, with which WSCL had already been affiliated since 2001.[7] Among current and former students, it is still often referred to as WSU. The domain name of the school's official website also retains WSU, and no building signage has been updated yet to reflect the name change.[8] The administration has deemphasized the Argosy University appendage to the school's official name, however. This is partially due to the fact that the school has enjoyed decades of name recognition in the North Orange County area. As a result, school officials often refer to the school now as simply Western State College of Law, Western State, or WSCL.

Also in 2012, the school sold its property to Cal State Fullerton for roughly $18 million.[9][10] Western State will lease back the property for three years while it searches for a new site, which the administration hopes to keep in the North Orange County area.

Academic programs[edit]

Western State offers both full-time and part-time programs.[11] Currently, the full-time program is only offered as daytime study, and the part-time program is only offered through evening study. However, part-time students can apply for spring admission, while full-time students can only do so for fall.[12]

Criminal Law Center[edit]

WSU alumni comprise almost one-third of over 250 deputy district attorneys and almost one-fourth of the deputy public defenders in Orange County, California. Also, a number of alumni are engaged in the private practice of criminal law in Southern California. Because of the influence the law school has on the practice of criminal law in Southern California, the Criminal Law Practice Center was established to provide additional educational and practical opportunities for its students and alumni.[13] The Practice Center offers a program that expands the teaching of criminal law beyond the traditional law school curriculum, bringing together legal scholars, judges, practicing criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors, legislators, law enforcement officers, and community leaders who contribute experience and diversity to the educational experience of students.

Business Law Center[edit]

The Business Law Center at WSU offers students academic and practical preparation for legal careers advising corporate entities, small businesses and entrepreneurs in business law.[14] Students develop legal knowledge and the skills, practical experience and networking contacts needed to represent business clients. As part of the Business Law Center, WSU offers a Certificated Course of Study Program with courses relevant to business law.

Accreditation[edit]

The American Bar Association provisionally accredited Western State in 1998[15] and conferred full accreditation in 2005.[16][17]

Sign as seen from inside the main building's south stairwell during a storm

Rankings[edit]

See also: Law school rankings in the United States

Western State was listed with a "B+" in the March 2011 "Diversity Honor Roll" by The National Jurist: The Magazine for Law Students.[18]

Post-graduation employment[edit]

In 2013, the National Law Journal reported the graduating class of 2012 had the fourth highest unemployment rate, at 27.7 percent, among all U.S. law schools.[19] This figure represents the number of graduates seeking employment but not finding a job within nine months after graduation.

Based on a 2004–2007 two-year average (2007 and 2004), 75.3 percent of Western State graduates were employed nine months after graduation.[20]

Notable alumni[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b History
  2. ^ Message from the Dean
  3. ^ a b c "U.S. News & World Report, "Best Law Schools: Western State University"". Retrieved April 14, 2011. 
  4. ^ http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/4/documents/gbx/JULY2012STATS.122112_R.pdf
  5. ^ http://wsulaw.edu/news-and-events/news-detail.aspx?id=140235 ("According to unofficial calculations by the State Bar" as of June 2013)
  6. ^ AALS Member and Fee Paid Schools
  7. ^ http://wsulaw.edu/about-us/history.aspx
  8. ^ http://wsulaw.edu/ Last accessed May 2013
  9. ^ http://www.dailytitan.com/2012/09/csuf-to-acquire-new-property/
  10. ^ http://www.dailytitan.com/2012/10/buying-extra-land-with-money-we-dont-have/
  11. ^ http://www.wsulaw.edu/admissions/part-time-program.aspx
  12. ^ Official Viewbook
  13. ^ http://www.wsulaw.edu/academics-and-programs/criminal-law-practice-center.aspx
  14. ^ http://www.wsulaw.edu/academics-and-programs/business-law-practice-center.aspx
  15. ^ http://archive.calbar.ca.gov/calbar/2cbj/98sep/page13-1.htm
  16. ^ "Accreditation". WSU website. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
  17. ^ "ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year". ABA website. Retrieved March 31, 2011. 
  18. ^ Larsen, Rebecca (March 2011). "Most Diverse Law Schools (Diversity Honor Roll)". The National Jurist (San Diego, California: Cypress Magazines) 20 (6): 30–37 
  19. ^ http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202595077292&slreturn=20130315011254
  20. ^ "Internet Legal Research Group: Western State University, 2009 profile". Retrieved April 13, 2011. 
  21. ^ "Adams snags $111,845 state job" High Desert Daily Press, December 8, 2010, Retrieved 3/21/11.
  22. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125701/index.htm
  23. ^ a b c Alumni Hall of Fame
  24. ^ San Francisco Police
  25. ^ California State Bar Member Records – Duncan Lee Hunter
  26. ^ United States Congress Official Biography
  27. ^ California State Bar Member Records – Duyen Ky Cao Nguyen
  28. ^ California State Bar Member Records – Lillian Lim Quon
  29. ^ California State Bar Member Records – Ruth Monicka Parasol
  30. ^ The Lanka Academic, "Q&A With HC Mangala Moonesinghe: Biography", September 2000 Accessed March 31, 2011
  31. ^ California State Bar Member Records – George O. Wood

External links[edit]

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