The College of Law

 

 

About the Colleges of Law
The Colleges of Law offers legal education to students with the aim of imparting academic excellence as well as accessibility. The college is widely acknowledged as one of the premier law schools of the state. It offers various law programs, including Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.). The institute intends to expand opportunities in the field of legal education. Because of its dedication and superior teaching methods, the Colleges of Law has not asked for certification from the American Bar Association. The programs offered at the academy are of high-quality, affordable, and convenient. In addition to theoretical knowledge, students also gain practical knowledge, so that they can excel in their law profession with the help of real world sensibility.

 

The Colleges of Law offers flexible schedules and class timings with part-time, evening, and online law programs. Students can study in this college, without abandoning their professional and personal lives. Moreover, at the Colleges of Law, each student is given individual attention within a personalized teaching environment. But, it doesn’t mean that their classes are small, they have classes big enough to advocate discussions and debates.

 

Campus Locations:

Santa Barbara campus
20 E. Victoria Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

 

Ventura campus
4475 Market Street
Ventura, CA 93003

 

History of the Law School
It has been over 45 years since the Colleges of Law was founded. It was first established in 1970 with the aim of providing affordable legal education, without compromising on the quality of study. In 1970, the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) was founded. Later on, in 1974 the attorney of Santa Barbara, Thomas Williams established a law school. This law school was founded on the former Riviera campus of University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). And, finally in 1978, the two colleges merged, giving birth to the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law. Today, the Colleges of Law have two campuses, one at Santa Barbara and the other at Ventura.

 

Accreditation
The Colleges of Law is provincially credited by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). It is licensed by the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners. The Colleges of Law is acknowledged as a single institution that has two campuses, one in Santa Barbara and the other in Ventura. Furthermore, the J.D. program of the institute qualifies graduates to take the California Bar Examination.

 

Admissions Enrollment Process
The Colleges of Law admits students from all background, without discriminating on the basis of race, creed, color, and sex. It gives admissions to students who are interested to make a career in the field of law or other related professional fields. It seeks students with a strong intellectual drive, work ethic, and determination to excel in the profession of law. Admission to their Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) program is easy.

 

However, admission to their Juris Doctor (J.D.) course requires students to fulfill some of the basic preconditions. The institute follows the traditional eligibility criteria for admission into the J.D. course. The average points of academic grades of applicants are checked. In few cases, TOEFL LSAT, and CLEP scores are also checked. Apart from this, other important things are also considered for admission into the J.D. course, such as the applicant's maturity, life experience, moral character, volunteer or employment experience, and ability to communicate. Students with strong writing and analytical skills, along with good expository writing, logic, and critical analysis skills, are given more preference. Upon being qualified in all these requirements, J.D. applicants are admitted into one of the three categories, namely regular, special, and transfer. These categories are a form of distinction between the academic backgrounds of applicants. All these categories are approved by the State Bar of California.

 

Financial Aid and Scholarships
The Colleges of Law offers financial assistance to students who qualify. It provides financial aid to eligible students in the form of awards and scholarships, locked-in tuition, loan programs, student employment opportunities, payment plan options, etc. Students are provided with different payment options, so that students can easily fund their education within their budget. Apart from this, the institute offers veteran benefits to eligible veterans for the J.D. course. For more information on financial aid, you can contact their Administration Office.

 

Student Services
The Colleges of Law provides different student services. These include campus events and organizations that assist students to create strong bonds with their future colleagues ‘at the bar’. Various groups promote professional development and peer to peer mentoring to students, including the Student Bar Associations, chapters of Delta Theta Phi - an international law fraternity, and in Ventura - the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.

 

The Colleges of Law offers two law courses, namely Juris Doctor (J.D.) and the Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) programs.

 

Juris Doctor Program (J.D.)

The Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program offers flexible part-time and evening classes to students. The curriculum covers all the traditional core subjects, including all subjects of the California Bar Exam. Students are taught the essential skills of writing, legal research, legal analysis, oral advocacy, etc., so that they can effectively practice law. Applicants can also choose from a variety of elective courses that highlight the specialties of law practice.

 

Professors help students to ‘think like lawyers’ by using the case study method. In this, students prepare for their classes by reading, scrutinizing, and making brief synopsis of historical court judgments. In-class discussions of these cases and briefs help students to learn how courts employ legal principles to decide different types of cases. While exploring hypothetical variations of the facts, applicants learn the crucial analytical techniques to resolve new legal problems.

 

Upon successful completion of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program, graduates receive a Certificate of Concentration in one or all of these fields, including Business Law, Estate Planning, Family Law, and Criminal Law. Graduates get a Juris Doctor degree and are eligible to take the California Bar Exam.

 

Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.)

The Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) program is also known as ‘Master of Studies in Law’. This program is offered online and can be finished as soon as two years. The course is designed for people who are employed in law-related fields, like education, law enforcement, business, and health care. In this program, students get to learn about the legal system, legal workplace implications, fundamental principles of legal relationships, procedures and processes of solving legal disputes, and legal problems management. Students can also choose from a wide range of capstone and elective courses, through which they can study legal subjects according to their own interests. After completing the M.L.S. course, graduates can be employed to utilize legal principles as educators, business managers, law enforcement personnel, etc.

 

However, the M.L.S. program does not prepare students to pass the California Bar Exam. It does not even permits applicants to practice law in California. Students who want to practice law should opt for the Juris Doctor (J.D.) program.

 

It offers various law programs, including Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.).