People's College of Law
Encyclopedia
The People's College of Law (PCL) is an unaccredited, private, non-profit law school
located in Los Angeles, California
. PCL offers a part-time, four-year evening law program centered around work in the public interest
.
due to what the school views as its cultural and sociological limitations. Tuition is kept low through the use of unpaid volunteer faculty and the work of students and members of the PCL community to maintain the facilities. Student involvement is coordinated through an accountability system, in which each student works at least 40 hours per year to help maintain PCL.
as an unaccredited law school and may grant the juris doctor
(J.D.) law degree
. Its students must take and pass the First-Year Law Students' Examination, also known as the "Baby Bar", at the end of their first year in order to receive credit for their law study and eventually qualify to sit for the California Bar Examination. It is not approved by the American Bar Association.
, Antonio Villaraigosa
, and Gilbert Cedillo, California State Senator
of the 22nd District
in Los Angeles, are graduates and the most famous alumni of PCL. Villaraigosa failed the California Bar Exam in each of four attempts, and thus remains unlicensed to practice law. Cedillo is not a member of the California State Bar.
Noted AIDS activist Ilka Tanya Payán
was also a graduate of PCL, became a lawyer in 1981, practiced immigration law and was a New York City Human Rights Commissioner before her death from AIDS. A small park in New York was named in her honor in 1982.
Law school in the United States
In the United States, a law school is an institution where students obtain a professional education in law after first obtaining an undergraduate degree.Law schools in the U.S...
located in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. PCL offers a part-time, four-year evening law program centered around work in the public interest
Public interest
The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare." The public interest is central to policy debates, politics, democracy and the nature of government itself...
.
History
Aimed at addressing inequities in law and society, PCL was founded in 1974 for individuals historically denied access to legal training and representation. The school maintains a socio-political requirement that states: "An eligible candidate will be able to demonstrate a commitment to progressive social change." PCL uses an alternative method of law school admission which rejects the LSATLaw School Admission Test
The Law School Admission Test is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing centers throughout the world. Administered by the Law School Admission Council for prospective law school candidates, the LSAT is designed to assess Reading Comprehension,...
due to what the school views as its cultural and sociological limitations. Tuition is kept low through the use of unpaid volunteer faculty and the work of students and members of the PCL community to maintain the facilities. Student involvement is coordinated through an accountability system, in which each student works at least 40 hours per year to help maintain PCL.
State Bar registration
PCL is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of CaliforniaState Bar of California
The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
as an unaccredited law school and may grant the juris doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
. Its students must take and pass the First-Year Law Students' Examination, also known as the "Baby Bar", at the end of their first year in order to receive credit for their law study and eventually qualify to sit for the California Bar Examination. It is not approved by the American Bar Association.
Bar pass rates
For the years 1997 through 2010, 29 People's College graduates have taken the California Bar Examination as first-time takers; of that number, 3 passed the examination for a pass rate of 10%.Noted people
The current Mayor of Los AngelesMayor of Los Angeles, California
The mayor of Los Angeles is the chief executive officer of the city. He is elected for a four-year term and limited to serving no more than two terms. Under the California Constitution, all judicial, school, county, and city offices, including those of chartered cities, are nonpartisan...
, Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, and Gilbert Cedillo, California State Senator
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
of the 22nd District
California's 22nd State Senate district
California's 22nd State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Kevin de León of Los Angeles. The 22nd Senate district encompasses a part of Los Angeles County, including all of Alhambra, Maywood, San Marino, South Pasadena, Vernon, and Walnut Park,...
in Los Angeles, are graduates and the most famous alumni of PCL. Villaraigosa failed the California Bar Exam in each of four attempts, and thus remains unlicensed to practice law. Cedillo is not a member of the California State Bar.
Noted AIDS activist Ilka Tanya Payán
Ilka Tanya Payan
Ilka Tanya Payán was a Dominican actress and attorney who later became a prominent AIDS/HIV activist in the United States.-Life and career:...
was also a graduate of PCL, became a lawyer in 1981, practiced immigration law and was a New York City Human Rights Commissioner before her death from AIDS. A small park in New York was named in her honor in 1982.