Law Schools Directory
There are three types of law schools in California: law schools approved by the American Bar Association (ABA-approved), those accredited by the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners (California-accredited law schools, or CALS), and unaccredited law schools that are not accredited by any regulatory agency but are registered with the State Bar of California as required by state law.
Law schools in California approved by the ABA
The following schools are accredited by the American Bar Association and by such approval are deemed accredited by the State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners.
*This law school is not accepting new students.
California Western School of Law
Chapman University Fowler School of Law
Loyola Law School
Pepperdine University
Rick J. Caruso School of Law
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263
Santa Clara University School of Law
Southwestern Law School
Stanford Law School
University of California Berkeley Law
University of California Davis School of Law (King Hall)
University of California Irvine School of Law
University of California Law San Francisco
University of California Los Angeles School of Law
1242 Law Building
385 Charles E. Young Drive East
Los Angeles, CA 90095
University of San Diego School of Law
University of San Francisco School of Law
University of Southern California Gould School of Law
University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
Western State College of Law at Westcliff University
15101 Red Hill Avenue
Tustin, CA 92780
Law schools in California accredited by the State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners
The following schools are accredited by the State Bar of California through its Committee of Bar Examiners. Accredited law schools may teach in fixed-facility classrooms, online, or in a combination of these methods. Please contact the law school to confirm their teaching modality. All accredited law schools must maintain a Minimum, Five-Year Cumulative Bar Passage Rate (MPR) of 40 percent or more. See the Cumulative Pass Rate Statistics of California-Accredited Law Schools report.
Cal Northern School of Law
Empire College of Law
(A branch campus of Monterey College of Law)
3035 Cleveland Avenue, Suite 101
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Empire College School of Law*
Golden Gate University School of Law**
Humphreys University Drivon School of Law
JFK School of Law at National University
Kern County College of Law
(A branch campus of Monterey College of Law)
1731 Chester Avenue, Suite 200
Bakersfield, CA 93301
Lincoln Law School of Sacramento
Lincoln Law School of San Jose
Monterey College of Law
Northwestern California University School of Law
Purdue Global School of Law
10100 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 362
Los Angeles, CA 90067
San Joaquin College of Law
San Luis Obispo College of Law
(A branch campus of Monterey College of Law)
4119 Broad Street, #200
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
St. Francis School of Law
The Colleges of Law (Santa Barbara Campus)
The Colleges of Law (Ventura Campus)
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Trinity Law School, Trinity International University
University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service
University of West Los Angeles School of Law San Fernando Valley Campus
University of West Los Angeles School of Law West Los Angeles Campus
*This law school is not accepting new students.
**This law school was previously ABA-approved and will be teaching out its currently enrolled students in the ABA-approved program through 2027.
Unaccredited law schools in California
The lists below are published for informational purposes only. Please refer to the Unaccredited Law School Rules for the requirements for registration as:
- an unaccredited correspondence law school;
- a distance-learning law school; and
- a fixed-facility law school
Neither the committee nor the State Bar’s Office of Admissions will advise prospective students on the advantages or disadvantages of studying law through correspondence, distance-learning, or fixed-facility law schools or the quality of the legal education programs provided by the listed schools.
Prospective students should refer to available resources such as the law school pass/fail statistics on the bar exam and First-Year Law Students’ Exam, current and former students, pre-legal advisors located on college or university campuses and other career counselors, among others.
Applicants seeking admission to practice law in California will receive credit for their law study at a registered unaccredited law school only if such study is completed in accordance with the Admissions Rules and California Business and Professions Code 6060.
Students attending registered unaccredited law schools are required to take the First-Year Law Students’ Examination after successfully completing their first year of law school. They must pass this exam within three administrations of becoming eligible to take it in order to continue their law study and claim credit for their law study taken up to the point of passing the exam. If they do not pass within that time frame, they will be dismissed from the law school. If they pass the exam on a subsequent attempt, only one year of law study credit will be recognized toward meeting the legal education requirements needed to qualify to take the California Bar Exam.
Registered unaccredited correspondence law schools
The following institutions are currently registered by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California as unaccredited correspondence law schools. A correspondence law school is a law school that conducts instruction principally by correspondence. A correspondence law school must require at least 864 hours of preparation and study per year for four years.
American Institute of Law
Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy
Taft Law School
Registered unaccredited distance-learning law schools in California
The following institutions are currently registered by the State Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners as unaccredited distance-learning law schools. A distance-learning law school is a law school that conducts instruction and provides interactive classes principally online. A distance-learning law school must require at least 864 hours of preparation and study per year for four years.
Abraham Lincoln University School of Law
California School of Law
5276 Hollister Avenue #262
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
Pacific Coast University School of Law*
Southern California Institute of Law
*This law school is not accepting new students.
Registered unaccredited fixed-facility law schools in California
The following institutions are currently registered by the State Bar's Committee of Bar Examiners as unaccredited fixed-facility law schools. A fixed-facility law school is a law school that conducts its instruction principally in physical classroom facilities. A fixed-facility law school must require classroom attendance of its students for a minimum of 270 hours per year for four years.