Brief Summary
Recent News
Southwestern Law School
Location
Southwestern Law School is located in downtown Los Angeles in the Wilshire area near Koreatown. The law school is very close to many law firms and businesses. There are also newly constructed and renovated downtown apartment buildings popping up within walking distance. The law school greatly benefits from its location in the second most populous city in the United States. However, that means the graduates must compete with larger more well known law school graduates in the area, but the school works very hard at obtaining positions for its graduates and has great alumni connections.
Campus
Southwestern Law School is housed in the old Bullocks Wilshire Building among other campus buildings. The law school purchased the building and spent 10 years renovating and improving the building. The Bullocks Wilshire Building houses the law school library, moot court room, caferteria, and classrooms. The moot courtroom is ultra modern and the opening ceremony was attended by Justice Kennedy.
| |
Southwestern Law School |
|
Public or
Private
|
Private
|
| Tuition |
$35,070 |
|
Acceptance
Rate
|
33.5% |
|
State
Bar
Pass Rate
|
California, July 2008
72%
(Avg. CA bar pass rate for all CA ABA law schools, 83%.)
(Avg. Bar Pass
rate for all first time takers, 75%)
|
|
Employment
Rate after
9 mos. from
Graduation
|
98% |
|
Employment
Rate
at
Graduation
|
76.4% |
|
Average
Salary
for Graduates in
the Private Sector
|
$75,000 |
|
Student
Body
Population
|
698 |
|
LSAT
score
bottom
25th percentile of
incoming class
|
153
|
|
LSAT score
top
25th percentile of
incoming class
|
157 |
|
Median
LSAT
of incoming class
|
155 |
|
Bottom
25th
percentile of
incoming class
undergraduate
GPA (UGPA)
|
3.06 |
|
Top
25th
percentile of
incoming class
UGPA
|
3.58 |
| Median
UGPA |
3.32 |
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States guest speaker at Southwestern School of Law mock courtroom opening
Southwestern's law school building containing the law library, class rooms, mock trial courtroom, etc.
View of Bullocks Wilshire Building from the street level
View of surrounding buildings in downtown Los Angeles
Southwestern Law School is located in downtown Los Angeles, California near chinatown and the Red Line metro subway. The law school was ranked in the fourth tier in 2008, but was a third tier law school for many years prior. The school is housed in the majestic bullocks wilshire building. The law school states they purchased the building in 1994 and made significant improvements and restored the building to its original beauty. The law school is very well known in the Los Angeles legal community and has a very good reputation. Judging by the law school's employment statistics Southwestern's graduates have great success in finding employment. Southwestern has a Entertainment Law program that is well known in the Los Angeles legal community.
Career Outlook
Southwestern Law School is located in downtown Los Angeles, one of the largest legal communities in the country. There is a lot of competition from other law schools, but also a lot of law firms. Many legal positions in Los Angeles pay well, but the area has a high cost of living. Unlike many similar situated, e.g. lesser known or lower ranked law schools, a significant amount of Southwestern Law graduates find employment in large law firms. The law school has a very good reputation. Also, unique to Southwestern Law School is their Entertainment Law program. Given the school's location near Hollywood they gain great insight into the entertainment practice area.
On October 22, 2004 Justice Kennedy helped Southwestern celebrate the opening of its high-tech mock courtroom complete with plasma screens, automated court reporting, and even a network-connected jury room.
Southwestern Law School now offers J.D./M.B.A. and J.D./M.A.M. joint degrees
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On February 23, 2009 Southwestern announced that it has collaborated with the Drucker Graduate School of Management to offer a joint Juris Doctor/Masters of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor/Masters in Management program. The JD/MBA program can be completed in four and a half years; three years at Southwestern and one and a half years at Drucker. The JD/MAM program can be completed in four years; three years at Southwestern and one year at Drucker.
Grading System
Southwestern Law School has a B curve for all first year day courses with a mean of 2.90. At least 15% of all the grades in the first year day program must be in the A range. The second and third year courses have a B curve with a mean of 3.00. The school issued a recommendation to the professors that 15% of the grades be in the A range for second and third year courses, which most professors probably follow. In small courses (30 students or less) the grading curve is only a guideline. This seems like a typical grading curve and is not overly difficult or easy.
The Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Lionsgate Entertainment is an alumnus and professor at Southwestern
Wayne Levin, class of 1988, has been an adjunct professor at Southwestern since 1995 and currently teaches Motion Picture Production Law and Financing and Distributing Independent Films.
Southwestern Law School externs tapped by major movie studio for work on contractual agreements
On January 28, 2009 Southwestern announced that local studios, including Lionsgate Entertainment are working with the law school to provide real world entertainment law experience to students while they earn course credit by reviewing the studios' intellectual property right agreements for various projects and talents.