Southwestern Law School

More Than 100 Years of Innovative Legal Education

With a long-standing emphasis on diversity, public service, innovative programs, and a mid-city campus featuring a world-renowned Art Deco landmark, Southwestern Law School reflects the vibrancy of Los Angeles and provides an ideal setting for law study. Founded more than 100 years ago as an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian institution, Southwestern is fully approved by the ABA and is a member of the AALS. It is the only law school to offer four JD courses of study that differ in scheduling and instructional approach, including traditional full- and part-time programs, as well as a unique two-year accelerated curriculum. Concurrent three- and four-year JD/MBA programs are also available. Since the early 1900s, Southwestern's 15,000 alumni have included prominent public officials—from members of Congress to mayors, and over 400 judges—as well as founders of major law firms and general counsels of multinational corporations. The law school has strong ties to the legal, business, and civic sectors, and its Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute is closely linked to the entertainment industry in Hollywood and internationally.

Diverse and Talented Student Body

There is a strong sense of community among the students who come to Southwestern from virtually every state and a dozen foreign countries, and represent over 250 undergraduate institutions. About two-thirds have prior work experience or have already completed advanced degrees in diverse disciplines from accounting to urban planning. In the most recent entering class, women and men are equally represented, while minorities make up 37 percent and students report fluency in over 20 foreign languages. The average age is 26, with a range from 21 to over 50 years old.

Distinguished Faculty

Southwestern's faculty focus on enhancing the classroom experience and providing personal attention to each student. The full-time faculty include internationally recognized experts in alternative dispute resolution, antitrust, civil rights, criminal justice, entertainment and media, environmental, ethics, human rights, intellectual property, international, technology, and trial advocacy, among other areas of the law. The adjunct faculty of distinguished judges and attorneys are known for their expertise in specialized practices and enjoy sharing their real-world knowledge with students in stimulating elective courses.

Award-Winning Campus Facilities

Southwestern has created a welcoming student-centered oasis within a campus that encompasses nearly two city blocks in the heart of Los Angeles. The $29-million campus expansion, completed in 2004, includes the restoration and adaptation of the world-renowned historic Bullocks Wilshire building and provides award-winning facilities featuring state-of-the-art multimedia technology in the classrooms, courtrooms, and clinics; wireless Internet access; spacious dining facilities and student lounges in restored historic areas; large terraces with panoramic city views; tranquil student commons and promenade plazas; and a 10,000-square-foot, spa-quality fitness center. Southwestern's Taylor Law Library is the second largest academic law library facility in California, and the Dixon Courtroom and Advocacy Center is one of the most technologically sophisticated centers of its kind. The law school's new on-campus student housing complex is currently under construction and scheduled to open in Fall 2013.

Two-, Three-, and Four-Year JD Programs

Southwestern's four JD programs include a three-year, full-time day program; a four-year, part-time evening program; PLEAS—a four-year, part-time day program for students with child- or elder-care responsibilities; and SCALE—an accelerated two-year, full-time program featuring small classes, practical skills training, and real-world experience. Southwestern has also established exciting new partnerships with the Drucker Graduate School of Management of Claremont Graduate University to offer a JD/MBA and JD/MA in Management, and with the Pardee RAND Graduate School to offer a unique Certificate Program in Public Policy. LLM programs are offered in individualized law studies and in entertainment and media law.

Comprehensive Curriculum

Recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for innovation, Southwestern's cutting-edge, first-year curriculum provides a unique opportunity for students to choose one of three tracks in their legal research and writing course—appellate, negotiation, or trial advocacy—and to take an elective as early as their second semester. Recent upper-division enhancements include a January intersession, capstone courses, and special "mini-term" courses taught by international legal experts. The required traditional curriculum includes 17 courses, while more than 250 elective courses; 150 externship placements; practicum programs in Appellate Litigation, Immigration Appeals, and Entertainment; and three clinical programs allow students to design a broad-based legal education or emphasize an area of law. Southwestern's location, faculty expertise, alumni presence in the profession, and history have enabled the law school to develop a reputation as a leader, particularly in entertainment and media law, international law, criminal law, and trial advocacy/litigation. Southwestern sponsors summer law programs in Argentina, Canada, England, and Mexico. A wide array of academic support programs and individualized counseling is provided by the Dean of Students and Diversity Affairs, the Director of Academic Support and Bar-Related Programs, and the Writing Center to ensure student success.

Entertainment and Media Law Institute

Southwestern was the first law school to establish a center focused on entertainment and media law. The internationally recognized Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute features the largest contingent of full-time entertainment and media law faculty of any law school, and benefits from an extensive network of alumni and adjunct faculty who hold prominent positions in these industries. The institute sponsors more than 60 courses and 60 externship placements, the Biederman Scholars program, a special law firm practicum, a scholarly journal, and summer programs in Los Angeles and London, in addition to lectures and symposia with industry leaders. Southwestern also established the first LLM program in Entertainment and Media Law, offered on campus and online.

Student Activities

Southwestern's interscholastic Moot Court Honors Program, Negotiation Honors Program, Trial Advocacy Honors Program, and client counseling teams consistently earn top awards in competitions around the country. Students demonstrate their outstanding research, writing, and editing skills through service on the Southwestern Law Review and the Southwestern Journal of International Law, as well as the Journal of International Media and Entertainment Law published in conjunction with the ABA Forums on Communications Law and the Entertainment and Sports Industries. The Student Bar Association sponsors award-winning student welfare and community outreach programs and oversees over 50 student organizations, including three legal fraternities; minority, cultural, political, and religious groups; and societies focused on specific areas of law.

Public Interest Opportunities

Southwestern encourages, recognizes, and rewards students' public interest involvement through its Public Service Policy and a variety of programs: the Children's Rights, Immigration Law, and Street Law clinics; special scholarship funds; the Public Interest Service Award; the Silbert Public Interest Fellowship Program; Public Interest Summer Grants for students working with public service agencies; extensive student volunteer work with local schools and community organizations; and a large selection of externships. During the annual Public Interest Law Week, the entire law school community rallies to raise awareness and funds supporting public interest activities.

Career Services and Alumni Network

The Career Services Office offers individualized career counseling and coordinates a full calendar of workshops, networking events, mock interviews, and panel presentations, as well as the Alumni Resource Network to help students prepare for and secure legal employment. The office sponsors intensive on- and off-campus interview programs and provides web-based access to extensive job listings and on-campus interview opportunities through Symplicity. Although the majority of Southwestern graduates choose to practice in California, alumni can be found in 47 states and 17 foreign countries.

Admission Criteria

Admission to Southwestern is highly selective, with an average acceptance rate over the past five years of 32 percent. While emphasis is placed on undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores earned within the past three years, community involvement, work experience, motivation, recommendations, and diversity are also major factors. Transfer applications are considered from students who have successfully completed at least one year at another ABA-approved law school.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

About 90 percent of Southwestern's students receive some form of financial aid that may include scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study funds. Among the more than 80 institutional scholarship funds is the Wildman/Schumacher Scholarship Program, which provides up to full-tuition renewable scholarships to members of the first-year entering class who demonstrate exceptional academic and leadership potential.

Applicant Profile

Southwestern Law School

This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.

	GPA
LSAT Score	3.75+	3.50–3.74	3.25–3.49	3.00–3.24	2.75–2.99	2.50–2.74	2.25–2.49	2.00–2.24	Below 2.00
LSAT score 175–180	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely
LSAT score 170–174	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Possible	Unlikely
LSAT score 165–169	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 160–164	Good	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 155–159	Good	Good	Good	Good	Possible	Possible	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 150–154	Good	Good	Good	Good	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 145–149	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 140–144	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 135–139	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 130–134	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 125–129	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely
LSAT score 120–124	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely	Unlikely

Good  = Good Possibility

Possible  = Possible

Unlikely  = Unlikely