Western State University College of Law was founded in 1966, and is the oldest law school in Orange County, California. It was originally established as a two-year night program and has since grown to become one of the most respected law schools in the country. Students come from all over the world to study at Western State University College of Law, and it has a long history of leading legal thinkers who have gone on to become successful practitioners, judges, and politicians. The college offers an array of courses including criminal law, business law, constitutional law, family law, international law, and more. In addition to its traditional curriculum offerings, it also has specialized programs such as its LLM degree program in Taxation Law. Western State University College of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), making it one of only two ABA-accredited schools in Orange County. The college also offers an extensive clinical program that provides students with hands-on experience working with clients in a variety of legal settings. This clinical program has been recognized for excellence by both state and national organizations for its commitment to providing quality legal education.
Western State University College of Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, Western State University College of Law has a high average LSAT score of 149-154 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $55,640 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of Western State University College of Law.
Admissions: Western State University
Western State University College of Law has an impressive admissions rate of 85%, which is higher than the national average of 74%. The law school also boasts an acceptance rate of 80% for applicants who meet the university’s minimum admission requirements. The average LSAT score for incoming students is 155, and the median GPA is 3.56. The university also offers several dual degree programs, including a joint JD/MBA and JD/MPP program. Additionally, Western State University College of Law offers international students the opportunity to study abroad in countries such as France, Italy, Spain, and England. These programs provide a unique opportunity for students to gain a global perspective on law and its application in different cultures. Additionally, the school has established relationships with many top-tier law firms across the United States so that graduating students have access to some of the best legal job opportunities available.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
1,629
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
792
Overall acceptance rate
48.6%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
188
Number of full-time program applicants
1,266
Number of full-time program acceptances
663
Full-time acceptance rate
52.4%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
130
Number of part-time program applicants
374
Number of part-time program acceptances
131
Part-time acceptance rate
35.0%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
58
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
2.81-3.38
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
149-154
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
2.83-3.4
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
149-154
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
2.81-3.36
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
148-154
Careers: Western State University
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
CA
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
64.9%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
105
Graduates employed at graduation
N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
70.8%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$39,250
Median private sector starting salary
$55,640
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$90,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
73%
Median public service starting salary
$60,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
4.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
13.0%
Percent employed in government
6.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
0.0%
Percent employed in law firms
76.0%
Percent employed in public interest
1.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
N/A
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
81%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0%
Number of states where graduates are employed
12
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
1.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
3.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
1.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
1.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
1.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
84.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
9.0%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
Sponsor Career Fairs, Career Planning Workshops; one on one career counseling for students and alumni; post jobs for clerks, interns, and associate positions for students and alumni, distribute monthly newsletter of openings; host on campus interviews; participate in Law Advisors of Southern California Career events; recruit alumni mentors and speakers for student organization career events.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
67.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
18.0%
Professional/other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse)
11.0%
Nonprofessional/other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path)
