Prospective students

Requirements for Admission to the JD Program

Admission is granted to all qualified persons regardless of age, race, disability, religion, or ethnic origin.

It is the applicant's responsibility to make all arrangements for transcripts. Failure to fully complete the Application for admission and furnish supporting transcripts will delay action on the application.

Prior to submitting an application for admission to the WSLS JD Program, Prospective Students should review the requirements for admission to practice law in California as set forth in CA BPC § 6060.

Applicants are required to meet the State Bar of California's Pre-Legal Education Requirements in order to be admitted to the JD Program, which may be satisfied as described below:

First Year Applicants

Applicants must have satisfactorily:

(A) earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree at a regionally accredited or approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners, or

(B) earned an Associate of Arts (AA) degree or Associate of Science (AS) degree at a regionally accredited or approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners, or

(C) completed 60 semester (90 quarter units) of college work applicable to a Bachelor degree at a regionally accredited or approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners, or

(D) achieved passing scores on the CLEP examinations.

Note: Pre-law studies at institutions outside the United States or its territories and possessions may be accepted after evaluation.

Applicants with Bachelors degree (BA, BS) or Associates (AA, AS) degree

Applicants who have either a Bachelors degree or an Associates degree at a regionally accredited or approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners will be deemed to satisfy the Pre-Legal Education requirement.

Applicants with 60 semester units (90 quarter units) of college education

Applicants that have completed at least 60 semester units (90 quarter units) of college work applicable to a Bachelor degree at a regionally accredited or approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners, with an average grade at least equal to that required for graduation, must submit an Application for Evaluation of Pre-Legal Education with the State Bar of CA prior to the beginning of starting law school. Please note that evaluations generally take 3-4 weeks to complete.

Applicants with less than two years of college (CLEP exam)

Applicants that have not satisfactorily completed at least two years of college work, may apply on the basis of passing examinations given by the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), which upon such passing will satisfy the requirement to study law. Please see the State Bar of CA’s requirements for College Equivalency Education.

Applicants with Foreign Undergraduate Work

An applicant who intends to begin the study of law who has completed their undergraduate work in a foreign country must first have an evaluated course breakdown of all-postsecondary education completed. This must be done by a credential evaluation agency approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners. The applicant must request that one copy of the evaluation be sent directly to the law school. An exception to this evaluation requirement is when the applicant has earned a Master's degree at a regionally accredited or approved school recognized by the Committee of Bar Examiners. Such an applicant must request that one copy of their Master's degree transcript be sent directly to the law school.

WSLS does not participate in programs administered by the Department of Homeland Security for the enrollment of foreign students.

Requirements for Admission to the JD Program

Admission is granted to all persons regardless of age, race, disability, religion, or ethnic origin. It is the applicant's responsibility to make all arrangements for transcripts. Transcripts delivered by the applicant in person will be accepted if they are official transcripts (in a sealed and unopened envelope). Failure to fully complete the Application for admission and furnish supporting transcripts will delay action on the application.

Advanced Student (Transfer) Applicants

Applicants who have completed law studies at other law schools may apply for advanced standing in the fall, spring, and summer and are subject to the rules of the State Bar. The awarding of transfer credit is subject to the following limitations:

(A) No credit may be granted unless the applicant has passed the First-Year Law Students’ Examination or became exempt while attending an accredited law school. To be exempt from the examination, the student must have successfully completed the first year at the accredited law school and have been advanced to the second year by the same law school.

(B) Credit should ordinarily be granted for whole courses completed not more than twenty-seven (27) months prior to the date the applicant begins study at the admitting law school. This time limitation does not apply to students who have passed the First-Year Law Students’ Examination. In some instances, such as illness, personal tragedy or military service, it may be appropriate to permit credit for studies completed more than twenty-seven (27) months prior to admission.

Applicants previously disqualified for academic reasons may be granted admission when there is an affirmative showing by the applicant that he or she possesses the requisite ability for the study of law. Such a showing may be made:

(A) at any time, if the applicant presents credible evidence that the prior disqualification was not caused by the applicant's lack of capacity for the study of law, but resulted from a traumatic event or serious hardship that prohibited the applicant from performing at her or his normal level; or

(B) after at least two (2) years have elapsed since the disqualification, if the applicant demonstrates that work, study, or other experience during the interim has resulted in a stronger potential for law study than the applicant exhibited at the time he or she was previously disqualified for academic reasons.

Decisions made regarding admission are made on a case by case basis. Factors considered include previous grades earned, and how the student might fit into the program at WSLS while meeting the requirements of the State Bar. WSLS reserves the right to refuse any credit for advanced standing. The law school has not entered into a transfer or articulation agreement with any other college or university.

We recommend submitting an Application for Evaluation of Law Study Completed and Contemplated with the State Bar of CA if you are unsure whether you are exempt from the First-Year Law Students’ Examination. An evaluation generally takes 3-4 weeks to complete.

Required Disclosures

The method of instruction at this law school for the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree program is principally in physical classroom facilities.

Students enrolled in the J.D. degree program at this law school who successfully complete the first year of law study must pass the First-Year Law Students’ Examination required by Business and Professions Code § 6060(h) and Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 1 Rule 4.3(I) of the of the Rules of the State Bar of California as part of the requirements to qualify to take the California Bar Examination. A student who passes the First-Year Law Students’ Examination within three (3) administrations of the examination after first becoming eligible to take it will receive credit for all legal studies completed to the time the examination is passed. A student who does not pass the examination within three (3) administrations of the examination after first becoming eligible to take it must be promptly disqualified from the law school’s J.D. degree program. If the dismissed student subsequently passes the examination, the student is eligible for reenrollment in this law school’s J.D. degree program, but will receive credit for only one year of legal study.

Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or to satisfy the requirements for admission to practice in jurisdictions other than California. A student intending to seek admission to practice law in a jurisdiction other than California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding the legal education requirements in that jurisdiction for admission to the practice of law.

Information Report

Tuition Summary

Students must take 120 units (on average 30 units/year but no less than 27 units/year per the CA State Bar’s rules) to earn a Juris Doctor degree from WSLS. See Curriculum for a list of courses offered based on student year.

Tuition is approximately $10,500/year (based on 30 units). Tuition is due in full by the end of the registration period prior to the start of the quarter that the student is registering to attend. A student with an outstanding tuition balance will not be permitted to register for the next quarter’s classes which may affect California Bar Exam eligibility. Tuition is subject to change.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition per unit: $350
Registration fee per quarter: $200 (non-refundable)
Application fee: $50 (non-refundable)
Diploma fee: $60
Official transcript fee: $10
Graduation Ceremony fee: $400 (non-refundable)
Credit Card transaction fee: 3%

Refund Policy

The student has the right to withdraw the enrollment agreement and obtain a refund of funds paid for tuition only prior to the start of the student’s first quarter’s classes. The application fee and registration fees are non-refundable. Intent to withdraw must be made in writing via email to registrar@wslawschool.com and is effective on the date of receipt.
If a student cancels registration before the start of the quarter’s classes, all funds paid for tuition only will be refunded. The registration fee is non-refundable. Intent to cancel registration must be made in writing via email to registrar@wslawschool.com and is effective on the date of receipt.
If a student cancels registration after attending classes, tuition only will be refunded according to the pro-rata refund policy below.
Academic disqualifications and dismissals are treated the same as registration cancellations for refund purposes.
All refunds will be issued within 30 days after student withdrawal or cancellation of class registration.

Pro-rata refund policy

Students who have completed 50% or less of classes in a particular quarter shall be issued a pro-rata refund of tuition within 30 days of the student’s emailed request to cancel registration. This refund is based on the percentage of the number of classes that have transpired as related to the total number of classes in a particular quarter.
Students who have completed more than 50% of classes in a particular quarter shall not receive a refund and shall be charged 100% of tuition and fees.