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California Western School of Law history
California Western School of Law company history timeline
California Western School of Law, founded in 1924, is a private, non-profit law school located in San Diego, California.
California Western was originally chartered in 1924 by Leland Ghent Stanford as a private graduate institution called Balboa Law College, the first law school in San Diego.
Established in 1924; oldest law school in San Diego
James B. Gibson (born 1949), former mayor of Henderson, Nevada
Scott C. Black (born 1952), former Judge Advocate General of the United States Army
In 1952, Balboa University became affiliated with the Southern California Methodist Conference and changed its name to California Western University, and the law school was relocated to downtown, San Diego.
Bruce E. MacDonald (born 1955), former United States Navy vice admiral and Judge Advocate General of the Navy
In 1960 Dean Robert K. Castetter took office.
Shana Dale (born 1964), former Deputy Administrator of NASA
AALS accreditation in 1967
In 1968, California Western University, which included undergraduate studies, changed its name to the United States International University (USIU). The law school retained the name California Western School of Law.
In 1973, the law school relocated within downtown San Diego to its current downtown campus at 350 Cedar Street.
In 1975, California Western ended its affiliation with USIU and became an independent secular law school.
In 1980, the new trimester system was announced, allowing two entering classes per academic year, reducing individual class size and allowing students the opportunity to graduate in two years rather than the standard three.
In 1986, President and Dean Michael H. Dessent took office, Dean Dessent was experienced in business and established a strong financial foundation for the law school that exists still today.
In 1996, President and Dean Steven R. Smith took office.
In January 2000, California Western opened a new law library building at 290 Cedar Street, dedicated by United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
In 2000, the law school created Proyecto ACCESO, a nonprofit legal think tank that trains lawyers and educates the public in Latin America about legal reform and the rule of law.
In 2001, USIU merged with California School of Professional Psychology to become Alliant International University.
In 2010, the State Bar of California presented California Western with the President’s Pro Bono Service Award, the first pro bono award presented to a law school by the State Bar.
The current Dean, Niels B. Schaumann, joined the law school in 2012.
California Western made it into the list's 2012 coveted top 20. (Rank: 20)
In 2020, President and Dean Sean M. Scott took office, becoming only the second woman of color to be named President and Dean of an American law school.
WASC candidacy approved in 2020
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California Western School of Law competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | 1789 | $1.6B | 3,457 | 212 |
| Golden Gate University | 1901 | $58.7M | 468 | 3 |
| Western State College of Law | 1966 | $8.5M | 62 | - |
| UC Hastings Law | 1878 | $35.0M | 598 | 8 |
| Thomas Jefferson School of Law | 1995 | $38.3M | 207 | - |
| Western Michigan University Cooley Law School | 1972 | $870,000 | 35 | - |
California Western School of Law history FAQs
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California Western School of Law may also be known as or be related to CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW, California Western School Of Law and California Western School of Law.