San Joaquin College of Law U.S.

San Joaquin College of Law (SJCL) was founded in 1969 by a visionary group of San Joaquin Valley judges and attorneys who believed that capable individuals were being denied a quality legal education because no accredited law school existed in the area. Their goal was to provide the opportunity for San Joaquin Valley residents to become effective legal practitioners.

The founders firmly believed that a sound legal education should combine theoretical and substantive knowledge with practical skills. With the beginning of instruction in fall 1970, the School adopted the uncompromising standards essential to the achievement of this goal.

Although faced with modest facilities and resources during the College’s early years, the college’s success is evident. SJCL is the center of legal study for both law students and practitioners in the San Joaquin Valley with no comparable institution for 120 miles in any direction. Over 88% of its graduates have passed the California bar examination. More than 28% of the practicing lawyers in the Fresno area are SJCL graduates. Of the women lawyers in the area, nearly 46% are SJCL graduates. Nearly 35% of the minority lawyers are graduates.

SJCL students have competed successfully in Moot Court competitions throughout the nation. In February 1992, SJCL swept every category in the Florida National Tax Law Moot Court competition, vying against major ABA-accredited institutions. In February 1995, SJCL students won First and Second Best Oralist awards at the National Sports Law Moot Court competition in New Orleans. In March 1998, an SJCL team placed third in the Florida Tax competition. In 2001 our team took first place brief award at the Roger J. Traynor California Moot Court Competition and in 2002 took best brief and best overal advocate.

The San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review, published by SJCL students, circulates nationwide with articles receiving critical praise from the National Law Journal. SJCL students now are doing ground breaking work in non-adversarial alternatives in the Family Law Mediation Clinic.

SJCL graduates have distinguished themselves professionally. Among their number are twenty-four judges and court commissioners, the Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Madera County District Attorneys, the California Health and Human Services Secretary, the Fresno County Clerk, the former Deputy Director of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and practitioners in every area of public and private service.

 Accreditation

San Joaquin College of Law is accredited by:

- Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California

- Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Practice Outside California

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 outside of California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding its education and admission requirements.

sjcl.edu