Catalog 2016-2017 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Catalog 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Law: JD, San Francisco


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San Francisco Law School program of legal education is designed and sequenced to prepare its JD graduates for etry into the legal profession and the practice of law. The program offers courses in all subjects tested on the California Bar Examination. San Francisco Law School offers a part-time program.  Our San Diego campus, San Diego Law School, offers a part time evening program. Additionally, San Francisco and San Diego Law Schools have embedded specific courses throughout the program to strengthen Bar examination skills.

Goals and Objectives


San Francisco Law School is dedicated to preparing its students to reach their goal of becoming attorneys, while fulfilling their current commitments to work and family. The program of instruction is devoted to the training of lawyers who are skilled in the methods and tools of the legal profession and who are committed to the ethical and social responsibilities of the profession. The education of accomplished attorneys is perfected by our distinguished faculty of practicing attorneys and judges.

Training Model - Clinical Fieldwork Program


Students are allowed to obtain academic credit work as an intern in an actual, functioning legal environment with practicing attorneys or judges. Students may receive one hour of credit for each 75 hours of participation. A student may receive up to four units of credit per academic year for clinical fieldwork, with a maximum of two units per semester. Single units may be taken in any one semester. Academic credit is not given for remunerated work. Approved clinical program units are charged the same tuition rate as all other academic units.

Specialized Admissions Requirements


Admission with Regular Status

To be considered for admission with Regular Status, applicants must have either a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, an Associate degree from an accredited community college, or have completed, in good academic standing, (a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units) at an accredited institution. The grade point average on all subjects undertaken must be equal to that required for graduation.

Law School Admission Test

Most applicants must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) which is given four times a year at test centers locally, throughout the US, and in many foreign countries. Individuals who have previously taken the LSAT may not be required to retake the exam provided that their scores are sufficiently current, acceptable and obtainable from LSAC. Further LSAT information can be obtained at www.lsac.org. San Francisco Law School also allows applicants to use the Credential Assembly Service of LSAC. The SFLS school code is 4712.

Admission with Special Status

Applicants who are unable to satisfy the academic requirements for admission with Regular Status may be considered for admission as Special Status students. Special Status is designed for students who have achieved a level of maturity and professional experience which has prepared them for successful completion of the law school curriculum.

The State Bar of California requires that all applicants seeking admission with Special Status take and pass the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations prior to admission to law school. The applicant must take and pass the following general examinations administered by CLEP: 1.) English Composition or English Composition with Essay (passing score is 50) and 2.) Two of the following: humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and history (in the 50 percentile). Please visit the State Bar of California website for more detailed information, http://www.calbar.ca.gov.

Special Status students must take the First Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX) administered by the California Committee of Bar Examiners at the completion of the First Year curriculum. A student can continue into their second year of study without having passed the examination. However, the student will receive credit for study completed up to the time they pass the examination only if they pass it within the first three administrations of the examination after they first become eligible to take the exam. If the student passes after the third administration, credit can only be allowed for the first year of study.

For CLEP Test applications or information contact:

The College Board, Western Regional Office
2099 Gateway Place, #480
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 452-1400

Admission to Advanced Standing

In addition to the requirements of applicants for regular status, those students in good standing wishing to transfer from other law schools must provide official transcripts of all law study and a letter of good standing from the law school attended. Only courses successfully completed (C or better grade) will be considered for transfer. A student must earn 45 units while in residence in order to graduate from San Francisco Law School.

Applicants not in good academic standing at the time of leaving their prior law school, must also provide two letters of recommendation from the Dean and/or professors at the law school attended who can attest to the student’s ability for success in law school and a personal statement by the applicant detailing the circumstances that led to the student’s academic disqualification and the remedies taken to ensure success in future study.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to contact all references for a more detailed assessment of each applicant’s potential. It is within the discretion of the Admissions Committee if credit is given for any previous courses. In the case of disqualification, credit for prior law school study would be unusual.

Admission with Visitor or Auditor Status

Students currently enrolled in good standing at another accredited law school may, with the approval of their Dean, be admitted to San Francisco Law School with visitor or auditor status. Individuals who are not in law school may take law courses as auditors. Students with visitor or auditor status are subject to the tuition (plus a visitor fee per unit), applicable fees, and all policies and regulations of San Francisco Law School. For information regarding application for visitor or auditor status and required documentation, contact the Admissions Office of San Francisco Law School at 415.626.5550.

International Applicants

Applicants who have attended schools outside of the United States, must arrange to have transcripts evaluated by either:

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P.O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203
(414) 289-3400
www.ece.org

or

International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Telephone: (310) 258-9451
www.ierf.org

San Francisco Law School requires a level of English proficiency, both verbal and written, consistent with that which must be demonstrated to achieve an acceptable score on the required Law School Admission Test (LSAT). San Francisco Law School requires a minimum TOEFL score as established by Alliant International University.

Degree Requirements


Students are awarded the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree after successful completion of 87 semester units of study and completion of all required courses. 45 units must be taken in residence at San Francisco Law School. Graduate candidates must have a grade point average of 70% or higher for the final year and a cumulative grade point average of 70% or higher.

Curriculum Plan


Part-Time Curriculum


First Year - Year Long Courses


20 units

First Year - Summer Course


  • MBE Skills Building (Contracts, Torts and Crimes) (1 unit)

Second Year - Year Long Courses


20 units

Second Year - Summer Course


  • Moot Court (2 units)

Third Year - Year Long Courses


14 units

Third Year - Semester Courses


5 units

Third Year - Summer Course


Fourth Year - Year Long Course


4 units

Fourth Year - Semester Courses


13 units

Electives


5 units

Five elective units are required to meet the graduation requirement of 87 units for part-time students.

Examples of elective courses:

  • Advanced Criminal Law (1 unit)
  • Constitutional Law - First Amendment (1 unit)
  • Electronic Discovery (1 unit)
  • Elder Law (1 unit)
  • Employment Law (1 unit)
  • Entertainment Law
  • Family Law (1 unit)
  • Intellectual Property (1 unit)
  • Introduction to Superior Court (1 unit)
  • International Law (1 unit)
  • Juvenile Law (1 unit)
  • Landlord Tenant Law (1 unit)
  • Law Practice Management (1 unit)
  • Mediation (1 unit)
  • Mediation Certificate (3 units)

Licensure


Students who graduate from San Francisco Law School are eligible to practice law in the State of California upon passage of the California Bar Examination.

Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or be admitted to practice law in jurisdictions other than California. A student who intends to seek admission to practice law outside of California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding its education and admission requirements.

For information related to the school’s bar examination passing rates, visit http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov.

Accreditation Information


As a school of Alliant International University, San Francisco Law School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Additionally, San Francisco Law School is accredited by the State Bar of California, Committee of Bar Examiners. San Francisco Law School has been continuously accredited since 1937.

Faculty Listing


Faculty for the Law program are listed below:

Duke Amaniampong, JD

Elaine Andersson, JD

Marvin Appelbaum, JD

Jack F. Bonanno, JD, LLM

Louise Belle, JD

Hon. Carol Brown, JD

Geoffrey Brown, JD

George Butterworth, JD

Malea Chavez, JD

Andrew Davies, JD

Steve Feller, JD, Associate Professor

Michael J. Fox, JD

Janet Frankel, JD

Michael Habeeb, JD

David Huete, JD

Paul Lufkin, JD

Christopher McGrath, JD

Geraldine McGrath, JD

Christopher Reggie, JD

Laura Rosenthal, JD

Roy Scheingart, JD

Lois Schwartz, JD

Michael Woods, JD

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