Southwestern University School of Law
Encyclopedia
Southwestern Law School (formerly known as Southwestern University School of Law) is a private ABA
-accredited law school
located in Los Angeles, California
(Mid-Wilshire), with about 1,000 students. Its campus includes the Bullocks Wilshire
building, an admired art deco
National Register of Historic Places
landmark built in 1929. Southwestern is an independent law school with no affiliation to any undergraduate university. It is an American Bar Association approved law school since 1970.
Southwestern Law School was founded on November 25, 1911 as the Southwestern College of Law. John J. Schumacher
, its founder, intended the nonprofit institution to be a law school that reached out to women and minorities. The school is one of the oldest law schools in the state of California and the second oldest law school in Los Angeles.
Southwestern received a university charter
in 1913 after it expanded to include a number of other disciplines including a business school
. Southwestern's first "home" was in the Union Oil Building in downtown Los Angeles, followed by a small campus on South Hill Street, where it existed for the ensuing decades.
The Great Depression
and Second World War
took a severe toll on the school's enrollment, and by the end of the 1930s the law school was the only school that remained. However, as veterans returned home the school experienced a surge of interest, and in 1974, the campus was moved to the school's current location on Westmoreland Avenue in the Wilshire Center area of Los Angeles.
It joined the Association of American Law Schools
(AALS) in 1974.
In 1994, Southwestern acquired the adjacent Bullocks Wilshire
building, an historic landmark which was subsequently renovated to house the school's law library, classrooms, faculty offices, and a high-tech state of the art court room and advocacy center.
The campus is located in the Mid-Wilshire
district near downtown Los Angeles
. Currently the campus contains two buildings, the Westmoreland Building and the Bullocks Wilshire Building. Both buildings house classrooms, administrative offices, and faculty offices; the Bullocks Wilshire Building also houses the Leigh Taylor Law Library (named for a former Dean of the law school), the Julian Dixon Courtroom and Advocacy Center, a fitness center, a dining area, and a number of student lounges.
The Westmoreland Building is a building typical of college and university campuses, while the Bullocks Wilshire Building is a fully restored art deco landmark that pays tribute to its history in many ways. Every level of the building has been renovated (back to its original 1929 state) down to the smallest details such as the clocks on the walls and the "showcases" in the area now occupied by the library.
At over 83000 square feet (7,711 m²) and featuring over 470,000 volumes, the Leigh H. Taylor Law Library is the second largest academic law library facility in California.
Currently, Southwestern Law School has no on-campus housing, so the student body is composed entirely of commuters. The current layout of the campus reflects this, with about one-third of the campus devoted to a dual-level parking facility. Plans are being formulated to build on-campus housing in the future.
Southwestern is ranked 11th in the nation for diversity. The Part Time program was ranked 27th in the 2009 edition of U.S. News and World Report, and is currently ranked 40th.
Southwestern is ranked 82nd in the nation by the 2010 Super Lawyers Law School Rankings.
In 2008, Southwestern's moot court team was ranked 11th in the U.S., and is currently ranked 47th.
Southwestern's negotiation team finished first place in the 2008-09 regional negotiation competition sponsored by the American Bar Association
, and placed second in the 2010 National Environmental Negotiation Competition.
A compilation of Brian Leiter's study of "Most Cited Law Professors By Specialty 2000-2007" reveals that Southwestern faculty ranked in the top 50 of the nation's law schools in total citations.
Nationally, Southwestern ranks 43rd in the percentage of students employed at graduation with 85.2%. According to the Internet Legal Research Group (ILRG), Southwestern graduates rank in the top 10 of all U.S. law schools by median salary in public practice, and in the top 50 for median salary overall.
The "PLEAS" (Part-time Legal Education Alternative at Southwestern) program is a 4 year part-time day curriculum designed for students with child or elder care responsibilities.
to Southwestern. The Journal of Legal Education is a quarterly publication of the Association of American Law Schools
that fosters an exploration of ideas and information about legal education and related matters and serves as a medium for communication within the law school world. The co-editors at Georgetown were Professors Carrie Menkel-Meadow and Mark Tushnet. The co-editors at Southwestern are Dean Bryant G. Garth and Professor Angela R. Riley, with Dr. Molly Selvin serving as associate editor.
The law students participate in a weekly classroom component at Southwestern to prepare them to go into the community and teach one ninety-minute lesson each week for a period of 10-weeks. Through the class, the law students learn and practice the skills necessary to teach practical participatory education about the law. In addition, attorneys from public interest agencies visit as guest speakers to review the laws and answer questions in their areas of expertise that relate to this special population. During the semester, the law students also have the opportunity to visit Dependency and Delinquency courts to observe hearings, as well as speak with attorneys and judges to gain a deeper understanding of these court systems, as many of the students they are teaching are involved or at risk of entering this system.
of the American Bar Foundation (ABF), and Dean of the Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington from 1986-1990. He succeeded Dean Leigh H. Taylor.
According to Brian Leiter's study of Most Cited Law Professors By Specialty 2000-2007, Dean Garth's scholarship in Law and Social Science has been cited at least 550 times.
34°03′40.67"N 118°17′17.33"W
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
-accredited law school
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...
(Mid-Wilshire), with about 1,000 students. Its campus includes the Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot Art Deco building.-Design:...
building, an admired art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
landmark built in 1929. Southwestern is an independent law school with no affiliation to any undergraduate university. It is an American Bar Association approved law school since 1970.
History
John J. Schumacher
Dr. John J. Schumacher founded Southwestern University School of Law in 1911. Schumacher intended the university to be an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian institution....
, its founder, intended the nonprofit institution to be a law school that reached out to women and minorities. The school is one of the oldest law schools in the state of California and the second oldest law school in Los Angeles.
Southwestern received a university charter
University charter
University Charter redirects here. For the middle school in California, see University Charter School .University charter is a charter given by provincial, state, regional, and sometimes national governments to legitimize the university's existence.-Canada:In most Canadian province's university...
in 1913 after it expanded to include a number of other disciplines including a business school
Business school
A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in Business Administration. It teaches topics such as accounting, administration, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems, marketing, organizational behavior, public relations, strategy, human resource...
. Southwestern's first "home" was in the Union Oil Building in downtown Los Angeles, followed by a small campus on South Hill Street, where it existed for the ensuing decades.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
took a severe toll on the school's enrollment, and by the end of the 1930s the law school was the only school that remained. However, as veterans returned home the school experienced a surge of interest, and in 1974, the campus was moved to the school's current location on Westmoreland Avenue in the Wilshire Center area of Los Angeles.
It joined the Association of American Law Schools
Association of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools is a non-profit organization of 170 law schools in the United States. Another 25 schools are "non-member fee paid" schools, which are not members but choose to pay AALS dues. Its purpose is to improve the legal profession through the improvement of legal...
(AALS) in 1974.
In 1994, Southwestern acquired the adjacent Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot Art Deco building.-Design:...
building, an historic landmark which was subsequently renovated to house the school's law library, classrooms, faculty offices, and a high-tech state of the art court room and advocacy center.
Campus
Mid-Wilshire
Mid-Wilshire is a district in the City of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Wilshire region.It mostly encompasses the area bounded by La Cienega Boulevard to the west, Melrose Avenue to the north, Hoover Street to the east and the Santa Monica Freeway to the south, although some...
district near downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
. Currently the campus contains two buildings, the Westmoreland Building and the Bullocks Wilshire Building. Both buildings house classrooms, administrative offices, and faculty offices; the Bullocks Wilshire Building also houses the Leigh Taylor Law Library (named for a former Dean of the law school), the Julian Dixon Courtroom and Advocacy Center, a fitness center, a dining area, and a number of student lounges.
The Westmoreland Building is a building typical of college and university campuses, while the Bullocks Wilshire Building is a fully restored art deco landmark that pays tribute to its history in many ways. Every level of the building has been renovated (back to its original 1929 state) down to the smallest details such as the clocks on the walls and the "showcases" in the area now occupied by the library.
At over 83000 square feet (7,711 m²) and featuring over 470,000 volumes, the Leigh H. Taylor Law Library is the second largest academic law library facility in California.
Currently, Southwestern Law School has no on-campus housing, so the student body is composed entirely of commuters. The current layout of the campus reflects this, with about one-third of the campus devoted to a dual-level parking facility. Plans are being formulated to build on-campus housing in the future.
Law school rankings and faculty reputation
Southwestern placed 121st in the 2011 U.S. News and World Report "Best Law Schools" rankings.Southwestern is ranked 11th in the nation for diversity. The Part Time program was ranked 27th in the 2009 edition of U.S. News and World Report, and is currently ranked 40th.
Southwestern is ranked 82nd in the nation by the 2010 Super Lawyers Law School Rankings.
In 2008, Southwestern's moot court team was ranked 11th in the U.S., and is currently ranked 47th.
Southwestern's negotiation team finished first place in the 2008-09 regional negotiation competition sponsored by the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
, and placed second in the 2010 National Environmental Negotiation Competition.
A compilation of Brian Leiter's study of "Most Cited Law Professors By Specialty 2000-2007" reveals that Southwestern faculty ranked in the top 50 of the nation's law schools in total citations.
Bar passage rates
Based on a 2001-2007 6 year average, 63.1% of Southwestern Law graduates passed the California State Bar.Post-graduation employment
Based on a 2001-2007 6 year average, 90.2% of Southwestern Law graduates were employed 9 months after graduation.Nationally, Southwestern ranks 43rd in the percentage of students employed at graduation with 85.2%. According to the Internet Legal Research Group (ILRG), Southwestern graduates rank in the top 10 of all U.S. law schools by median salary in public practice, and in the top 50 for median salary overall.
Recent changes
Recent changes under Dean Garth include hiring additional staff, adding resources for counseling, and bringing the grading curve in line with that of other law schools so that the average grade is now a B rather than a C+. Along with Professor Catherine Carpenter's study on law school curricula for the American Bar Association, Dean Garth assisted in changing the first-year curriculum to better fit the needs of the students. The curriculum is now more focused on career development and lawyering skills, including interviewing, counseling, and negotiation. As part of the new program, the first week of school is dedicated completely to the new LAWS program (Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills).Full-time program (3 years)
Traditional program is three academic years of full-time study that allows students to pursue a broad-based legal education with opportunities to focus on a particular area of the law, such as: entertainment, criminal, international, business, family, or tax law, among others. In 2007, Southwestern introduced its new, innovative first-year curriculum based on doctrinal legal theory foundation with focus on legal research, writing, interviewing and advocacy skills to bridge the gap from theory to practice. Southwestern's curricular reforms led the school to be chosen as one of ten distinguished schools by the Carnegie Foundation to participate in a groundbreaking study on the future of legal education.Part-time programs
Ranked 27th in the nation, the Evening program is four academic years of part-time study based on the traditional curriculum, designed for working professionals and other students who are unable to devote full-time to the study of law.Part-time day
The "PLEAS" (Part-time Legal Education Alternative at Southwestern) program is a 4 year part-time day curriculum designed for students with child or elder care responsibilities.
SCALE Program (2 years)
Established in 1974, Southwestern founded the first two-year J.D. course of study offered at an American Bar Association-approved law school. SCALE (Southwestern's Conceptual Approach to Legal Education) is a unique, accelerated J.D. program with emphasis on interdisciplinary study, critical thinking and simulation training. SCALE's frequent deadlines, challenging curriculum, extensive writing assignments, intense schedule, and demanding workload prepare students for the rigors of practicing law. Low student-faculty ratio in the classroom promotes cooperative teaching and intellectual discussion among classmates. The program has a limited enrollment of select highly motivated and exceptional students, which requires applicants to interview with the Program Director as part of the application process.J.D./M.B.A. Joint Degree Program
Southwestern has joined forces with The Drucker Graduate School of Management to create dual-degree programs that will expand students' educational and career options. Students at Southwestern and the Drucker School, part of Claremont Graduate University (CGU), will be able to earn a J.D. and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), a J.D. and Master of Arts in Management (M.A.M.), or a J.D. and Executive Master of Business Administration (E.M.B.A.). The combination of legal training and management skills is increasingly in demand, and this new collaboration presents an excellent opportunity for both Southwestern law students and Drucker management students to expand their academic credentials and professional opportunities. The collaboration reflects the two institutions' core values and the genuine desire to prepare graduates not only for fulfilling careers, but to make a positive difference in society.Entertainment and Media Law
Drawing from the resources of the Donald E. Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute, Southwestern established the nation's first Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in Entertainment and Media Law. Beginning in Fall 2010, Southwestern will offer an online option for its Entertainment and Media Law LL.M.General Studies
Southwestern offers a stimulating, individualized LL.M. program for students who have already earned a law degree and are interested in furthering their legal education. The program allows students to choose their own focus of study - from American Legal Systems to International Law to Technology Innovation and Commercialization - in line with their individual personal and professional goals.Advocacy Training
In 2006, Southwestern was awarded a federal grant to train Mexican lawyers and law faculty in advocacy skills as part of a USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) effort to assist Mexican legal reforms.Donald E. Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute
The Institute hosts guest speakers, conferences, and an annual symposium in the area of entertainment and media law, providing opportunities for students to interact with professionals in these fields. It boasts distinguished faculty of the country's most eminent entertainment scholars, publishes a semi-annual law journal, and offers the nation’s first LL.M Degree in Entertainment and Media Law.Moot Court Honors Program
Select students represent Southwestern in local, regional and national interscholastic competitions as oralists, brief writers or team coordinators. Southwestern's Moot Court Honors Program is recognized as one of the most active moot court programs in the country, sending teams to over a dozen major competitions annually. At the 2007 Intramural Moot Court Competition, Honorable Steven Levinson, Associate Justice for the Supreme Court of Hawaii, commented that Southwestern has "by far, the best First-Year Moot Court program in the nation." The moot court program was ranked 52nd in 2007, 11th in 2008, and is currently ranked 46th in the country (running tally).Negotiation Honors Program
Southwestern’s newest honors program provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate core lawyering skills in the context of negotiating contracts. Members of the Negotiation Honors Program compete in competitions that allows them to apply the skills of legal research, writing, advocacy and client counseling through negotiation exercises. Professors Cristina Knolton and Nyree Gray serve as faculty advisors to the program. Although only recently created as an honors program, it enhances what was already in place when Southwestern regularly sent teams to ABA competitions. In 2008, a team from Southwestern won First Place at the ABA Negotiation Competition.Trial Advocacy Honors Program
Teams participate in national and regional mock trial competitions, consisting of both criminal and civil trials, throughout the academic year. Advocates compete in some of the nation's most prestigious invitation-only competitions, judged by distinguished members of the bench and bar. Faculty include Joseph P. Esposito, Head Deputy of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Major Narcotics Division; Bill Seki, Former LA County Prosecutor and founding partner at the litigation firm Seki, Nishimura & Watase, LLP; and Karen R. Smith, Former Prosecutor for the California Attorney General's Office, Former Senior Deputy Federal Public Defender for California and then for the Federal Public Defender's Office, Current Full-Time Professor.Southwestern Law Review
Law Review is a student-edited quarterly journal that publishes scholarly articles and commentary on a variety of legal issues in California and federal law contributed by prominent jurists, practitioners, law professors, and student members of the Law Review staff. Annual Symposia and the Distinguished Lecture Series are sponsored by Law Review. These programs feature prominent members of the legal community lecturing on areas of legal expertise and participating in panel discussions on relevant emerging and contemporary legal issues.Southwestern Journal of International Law
Formerly the Southwestern Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas, the journal focuses on issues of international law and trade, publishing scholarly articles and notes exploring areas such as international insolvency, environmental law, international trade issues, NAFTA, international arbitration, privatization in Central and South American countries, immigration, human rights, international crime, and a host of other comparative issues. On October 3, 2008, the Southwestern Journal of International Law hosted one of the first U.S. conferences on Arctic Sovereignty, featuring distinguished legal scholars from both the United States and Canada.Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law
In association with the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law and Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries, the Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law explores the complex and unsettled legal issues surrounding the creation and distribution of media and entertainment products on a worldwide basis, which necessarily implicate the laws, customs, and practices of multiple jurisdictions. Additionally, it examines the impact of the Internet and other technologies, the often conflicting laws affecting those issues, and the legal ramifications of widely divergent cultural views of privacy, defamation, intellectual property, and government regulation.Journal of Legal Education
In 2008-2009, the Journal of Legal Education was transitioned for a five-year term from Georgetown University Law CenterGeorgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
to Southwestern. The Journal of Legal Education is a quarterly publication of the Association of American Law Schools
Association of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools is a non-profit organization of 170 law schools in the United States. Another 25 schools are "non-member fee paid" schools, which are not members but choose to pay AALS dues. Its purpose is to improve the legal profession through the improvement of legal...
that fosters an exploration of ideas and information about legal education and related matters and serves as a medium for communication within the law school world. The co-editors at Georgetown were Professors Carrie Menkel-Meadow and Mark Tushnet. The co-editors at Southwestern are Dean Bryant G. Garth and Professor Angela R. Riley, with Dr. Molly Selvin serving as associate editor.
Immigration Appeals Practicum
Southwestern has aligned with the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (MTO) to establish a new Immigration Appeals Practicum (IAP). Beginning in the Fall 2010 semester, students selected for the IAP will work closely with MTO attorneys and represent pro bono clients in appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).Children's Rights Clinic
Provides representation to low-income children in the areas of school discipline, special education and other education-related issues. The clinic is staffed by law students who represent clients under the supervision of faculty. Students have the opportunity in a real-life context to hone their lawyering skills such as interviewing, negotiating, counseling, pre-trial litigation, and oral advocacy.Immigration and Human Rights Clinic
Provides immigration relief to children and caretakers who have been abused, abandoned or neglected or who have been victims of crime. Students are taught to navigate complicated bureaucracies and to support indigent and otherwise underrepresented clients who are often confused and intimidated by the immigration process. The clinic offers valuable services to the Los Angeles community, while giving students hands-on experience.Street Law - Youth in Transition
Students enrolled in the Street Law Clinic teach law-related critical life skills to youth in Los Angeles, most of whom are involved in the dependency or delinquency system. Many of these young students also have learning disabilities, which qualifies them for special education services.The law students participate in a weekly classroom component at Southwestern to prepare them to go into the community and teach one ninety-minute lesson each week for a period of 10-weeks. Through the class, the law students learn and practice the skills necessary to teach practical participatory education about the law. In addition, attorneys from public interest agencies visit as guest speakers to review the laws and answer questions in their areas of expertise that relate to this special population. During the semester, the law students also have the opportunity to visit Dependency and Delinquency courts to observe hearings, as well as speak with attorneys and judges to gain a deeper understanding of these court systems, as many of the students they are teaching are involved or at risk of entering this system.
Study abroad programs
- Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Summer and Semester)
- London, England (Summer)
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Summer)
- Guanajuato, Mexico (Summer)
- University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada (Semester)
Alumni
Southwestern's 10,000 alumni include prominent public officials—from members of Congress to mayors, and over 200 judges—as well as founders of major law firms and general counsels of multinational corporations.Politics and government
- Tom BradleyTom Bradley (politician)Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
— former mayor of Los Angeles, CA - Marcia ClarkMarcia ClarkMarcia Rachel Clark is an American prosecutor, author, and television correspondent who gained fame as the head prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder case.-Early life:...
— prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder case - Julian Dixon — United States Congressman, 32nd Congressional District (California) (former Chair, House Ethics Committee)
- Denise Moreno DuchenyDenise Moreno DuchenyDenise Moreno Ducheny is a California State Senator who represents Senate District 40, which includes southern San Diego County, part of Riverside County, and all of Imperial County. Ducheny is a Democrat. She lives with her husband, Al, in San Diego, California.-Background:Ducheny was born in...
— California State Senator, 40th District - Matt FongMatt FongMatthew Kipling Fong was a Republican who served as the 30th California State Treasurer and was also the adopted son of Democrat March Fong Eu, the 25th California Secretary of State....
— former California State Treasurer - Jim Gibbons — GovernorGovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, former United States Congressman, 2nd District (Nevada) - Bill PaparianBill PaparianBill Paparian is an American politician, a former mayor of Pasadena, California, serving from 1995 to 1997. He was also a member of the Pasadena City Council from 1987 to 1999, and a Green Party candidate for Congress in 2006. He was the first Armenian-American mayor of Pasadena, as well as the...
— former mayor of Pasadena, CA - Robert PhilibosianRobert PhilibosianRobert Harry Philibosian is an American politician. He served as Los Angeles County District Attorney from 1981 to 1984. He attended Stanford University, graduated from Southwestern Law School and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1968. He is now Of counsel at the law firm of Sheppard,...
— former Los Angeles County District Attorney - Norris PoulsonNorris PoulsonC. Norris Poulson served as the 36th Mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1953 to 1961, after having been a California State Assemblyman and then a member of the United States Congress for eight years...
— former mayor of Los Angeles, CA - Ira ReinerIra ReinerIra Kenneth Reiner is an American politician. He was the Los Angeles City Controller from 1977 to 1981, and was the Los Angeles City Attorney from 1981 to 1984, both times being succeeded by James Hahn. He is the Los Angeles County District Attorney from 1984 to 1992...
— former Los Angeles County District AttorneyLos Angeles County District AttorneyThe District Attorney of Los Angeles County prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, California.... - Edward R. RoybalEdward R. RoybalEdward Ross "Ed" Roybal was a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council for thirteen years and of the U.S. House of Representatives for thirty years.-Biography:...
— United States Congressman, 30th and later 25th Congressional Districts (California); Los Angeles City Council member - Gordon Smith — United States Senator from OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
- Tom UmbergTom UmbergThomas John Umberg is a U.S. politician, who was a Democrat in the California State Assembly, representing the 69th District.-Military service and family:...
— former California State Senator, 69th District - Sam Yorty — former United States Congressman and mayor of Los Angeles, CA
Judiciary
- Stanley MoskStanley MoskStanley Mosk was an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court for 37 years , and holds the record for the longest-serving justice on that court. Before sitting on the Supreme Court, he served as Attorney General of California and as a trial court judge, among other governmental positions...
— former Justice of the California Supreme Court - Ronald S.W. LewRonald S.W. LewRonald S.W. Lew is a U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California in the Ninth Circuit. Outside of Hawaii, Judge Lew was the first Chinese-American appointed to the federal bench after being appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987...
— United States District Court for the Central District of California - Paul PeekPaul Peek (politician)Paul Peek was an American attorney, Democratic politician and jurist. Peek practiced law in southern California prior to his election in 1936 to the California Assembly, where he served as Speaker during the 1939 session. He was appointed Secretary of State in 1940 and then to the Court of Appeal,...
— former Justice of the California Supreme Court - Vaino Spencer — former Presiding Justice of the California Court of AppealCalifornia Court of AppealThe California Courts of Appeal are the state intermediate appellate courts in the U.S. state of California. The state is geographically divided into six appellate districts...
s, Second District and California's first black woman judge - third in the nation - Otis D. Wright IIOtis D. Wright IIOtis D. Wright II is a United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of California.-Early life and education:...
— United States District Court for the Central District of California - Justice J. Gary Hastings — California Court of Appeals, Second District
- Scott GordonScott GordonScott Gordon is an American born professional hockey coach and former professional hockey goaltender. He is an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and a former head coach of the American Hockey League's Providence Bruins and the National Hockey League's New...
; Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge
Entertainment industry
- Jean CasarezJean CasarezJean Casarez Born on April 20, 1960 in Mexico City, Mexico, is a truTV correspondent of live daytime trial coverage, reporting on courtroom trials across the country. Casarez has covered such cases as the Coral Eugene Watts trial, the Kobe Bryant rape case, and Scott Peterson sentencing hearings...
— Court TVCourt TVtruTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
correspondent - Stacey Gardner — model on Deal or No Deal
- Kevin A. RossKevin A. RossKevin A. Ross is an American host of the syndicated television program America's Court with Judge Ross, a producer, communications strategist, and former California Superior Court judge.-Early years:...
— host and producer on America's Court with Judge RossAmerica's Court with Judge RossAmerica's Court with Judge Ross is a nationally-syndicated American television show that debuted in several top U.S. markets on September 20, 2010. This show uses a former real-life judge presiding over fictionalized small claims court cases. Here, Kevin A. Ross is the presiding judge...
Sports industry
- Chris BahrChris BahrChris Bahr is a former professional American football and soccer player. He was a placekicker in the National Football League and played midfielder in the North American Soccer League.-Soccer:...
— Olympian, NFL kicker - Donald SterlingDonald SterlingDonald T. Sterling is an American real estate mogul, attorney, and the owner of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers. Sterling acquired the Clippers in 1981 for $12.5 million, and as of the 2008 rankings, the team is valued at $297 million by Forbes magazine, ranking them...
— Owner of the Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
Legal practice
- William John CoxWilliam John CoxWilliam John Cox is an American public interest lawyer, retired prosecutor, author and political activist.- Background :...
— public interest attorney (Holocaust DenialHolocaust denialHolocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
case and publication of Dead Sea ScrollsDead Sea scrollsThe Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
), author and political activist - Daniel HorowitzDaniel HorowitzDaniel Horowitz is an American defense attorney who has represented several high-profile clients including talk show host Michael Savage and is a frequent commentator in the media on criminal cases in the news.-Background:...
— high-profile defense attorney and legal analyst - Daniel M. PetrocelliDaniel M. PetrocelliDaniel M. Petrocelli is an American defense attorney, known in part for his work in a 1997 wrongful death civil suit against O.J. Simpson and for representing Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling...
— Partner, O’Melveny & Myers. Notable clients include Fred Goldman and Jeffrey SkillingJeffrey SkillingJeffrey Keith "Jeff" Skilling is the former president of Enron Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas. In 2006 he was convicted of multiple federal felony charges relating to Enron's financial collapse, and is currently serving a 24-year, four-month prison sentence at the Federal... - Stefani SchaefferStefani SchaefferStefani Schaeffer may refer to:* Stefani "Sissy" Schaefer, a television anchorperson from Cleveland, Ohio who appeared on iVillage Live* Stefanie Schaeffer, a California attorney who appeared on The Apprentice...
— defense attorney and winner of Donald TrumpDonald TrumpDonald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
's The Apprentice 6The Apprentice 6The Apprentice: Los Angeles is the sixth installment of the US version of The Apprentice reality television show. It was confirmed on November 30, 2005. Like the other Apprentice seasons, Donald Trump is the executive producer and host in his quest to hire a sixth apprentice...
Authors
- Richard T. WilliamsonRichard T. WilliamsonRichard T. Williamson is a non-fiction writer who has authored multiple books and articles on asset protection, estate planning, and capital gains tax planning. He is a California attorney specializing in estate planning and forming business entities such as corporations and limited liability...
— non-fiction author of books on asset protectionAsset protectionAsset protection is a set of legal techniques and a body of statutory and common law dealing with protecting assets of individuals and business entities from civil money judgments...
, estate planningEstate planningEstate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging for the disposal of an estate. Estate planning typically attempts to eliminate uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximize the value of the estate by reducing taxes and other expenses...
, and capital gains taxCapital gains taxA capital gains tax is a tax charged on capital gains, the profit realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a lower price. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals and property...
planning
Religion
- Howard W. HunterHoward W. HunterHoward William Hunter was the fourteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 to 1995. His nine month presidential tenure is the shortest in the history of the Church...
— 14th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dean Bryant G. Garth
Southwestern's current dean is Bryant G. Garth. Prior to joining Southwestern, Dean Garth was the DirectorExecutive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
of the American Bar Foundation (ABF), and Dean of the Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington from 1986-1990. He succeeded Dean Leigh H. Taylor.
According to Brian Leiter's study of Most Cited Law Professors By Specialty 2000-2007, Dean Garth's scholarship in Law and Social Science has been cited at least 550 times.
Former professors
- Christopher DardenChristopher DardenChristopher Allen Darden is an American lawyer, writer, lecturer and practicing attorney. He was a 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles County District Attorney, where he was assigned to the prosecution of O.J. Simpson. Darden gained fame during the O.J...
— prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder case - James Rogan — former judge and member of the House of Representatives who was a House Manager in the Senate impeachment trial of Bill Clinton
- Lawrence Sullivan (1991–2007) — scholar and expert in antitrust law
- Paul E. Treusch (1974–2004) — expert in tax law
External links
34°03′40.67"N 118°17′17.33"W