Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law
The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law is a regionally-accredited non-profit law school located in Santa Barbara and Ventura, California.
Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law | |
---|---|
Established | 1969 |
School type | Private, Not-for-Profit |
Dean | Jackie Gardina |
Location | Santa Barbara and Ventura, CA, US |
Enrollment | 200 |
Faculty | 38 |
Bar pass rate |
69% (11/16) (Santa Barbara) 67% (10/15) (Ventura) (Feb 2014)[1] |
Website | http://www.collegesoflaw.edu |
History and Mission
The Ventura campus was founded in 1969 and the Santa Barbara campus was added in 1975. As of 2007, The Colleges have over 1,600 alumni.[2]
The mission of The Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) is to prepare leaders, for law and law-related professions, through graduate-level legal education that emphasizes academic excellence and accessibility. The Colleges seek to develop well-prepared graduates capable of integrating knowledge of legal theory, practical skills, and professional values.
The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) announced the appointment of Jackie Gardina as its new Dean and Chief Academic Officer. Gardina was selected after an extensive national search and will assume her post on July 1, 2016. She succeeds Heather Georgakis, who served COL for three decades, including 15 years as Dean.[3]
Accreditation
The Colleges of Law is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Additionally, the Juris Doctor program has been accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California for more than 30 years. This accreditation applies to both campuses (Santa Barbara and Ventura).
Academics
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor graduates of the colleges are eligible to take the California State Bar Examination. For more than 30 years, the Juris Doctor program has been accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners [4] of the State Bar of California. In keeping with its mission to offer legal education that emphasizes both academic excellence and accessibility, The Colleges of Law has not sought accreditation from the American Bar Association (ABA).[5]
The Juris Doctor program is a part-time evening curriculum with classes generally held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in Santa Barbara and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in Ventura. The academic calendar consists of two 15-week semesters and a 10-week summer term. Typically, students complete the program within three to four years.[6]
The average class size is approximately 25 students.
Master of Legal Studies
In 2012, The Colleges of Law added a Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) degree to their course offerings. This program is available to students online, with an option to complete a campus residency. Upon entering the program, students choose between two concentrations: Frontiers in Law or Regulatory Compliance and Legal Risk Management. The M.L.S. degree can be completed in 18 months.[7]
Notable alumni
Superior Court judges
- Nancy Ashley, Stanislaus County
- James Brandlin, Los Angeles County
- Edward F. Brodie, Ventura County (retired)
- Edward Bullard, Santa Barbara County
- Troy Childers, Kern County (deceased)
- Frank Dougherty, Merced County (retired)
- Ersel Edwards, Nevada County
- Charles Henry, Siskiyou County (retired)
- David W. Long, Ventura County (retired)
- Rebecca Riley, Ventura County
- Colleen K. Sterne, Santa Barbara County
- Colleen Toy White, Ventura County
- Ellen Gay Conroy, Ventura County (retired)
- Heidi K. Whilden, Monterey County (term begins January 2015)
District attorneys and public defenders
- Mark Arnold, Public Defender, Kern County
- Lisa Bertolino-Mueting, Public Defender, Tulare County
- Joyce Dudley, District Attorney, Santa Barbara County
- Christie Stanley, District Attorney, Santa Barbara County
State Bar of California: President's Pro Bono Service Award Recipients
- Laura Bartels (Class of 2001)
- Debora Vierra (Class of 2001)
- Verna Kagan (Class of 2002)
- Carolyn Tulberg (Class of 2002)
- Pauline Zebker (Class of 2002)
- Michael Ford (Small Law Firm) (Class of 2003)
- Gabriella Navarro-Busch (Class of 2004)
- Susan Ratzkin (Small Law Firm (Class of 2005)
- DarAnn Dearing (Government) (Class of 2007)
- Kim Shean (Government) (Class of 2008)
- Deborah Jurgensen (Solo Practitioner (Class of 2010)
Elected officials
- Naomi Schwartz, County Board of Supervisors, Santa Barbara County (deceased)
- JoAnn Johnson, Commissioner, Ventura County
- William Redmond, Commissioner, Ventura County
References
- ↑ "General Statistics Report: February 2014 California Bar Examination" (PDF). California State Bar. July 30, 2014.
- ↑ "Colleges of Law Website".
- ↑ Law, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of. "The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law Names New Dean". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
- ↑ Law Schools in California Accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) 4/30/2015
- ↑ "ABA-Approved Law Schools by Year". ABA website. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ↑ Song, Jason (September 8, 2015). "Law school continues fight over minimum bar exam passage rate". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-santa-barbara--ventura-colleges-of-law-opens-enrollment-for-its-updated-online-master-of-legal-studies-program-300260112.html
- ↑ California Trial Court Roster
External links
Coordinates: 34°25′28″N 119°42′18″W / 34.42458°N 119.70505°W