Our History

California Western School of Law, located in downtown San Diego, is among the few independent, nonprofit law schools in the country.

Chartered in 1924, California Western was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1962 and became a member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1967.

In 1968, California Western University, which included undergraduate studies, changed its name to the United States International University. The law school retained the name California Western School of Law.

In 1973, the law school relocated from its Point Loma location to the first of its three downtown campus buildings at 350 Cedar St. In 1975, California Western ended its affiliation with USIU and became an independent law school.

In 1980, the new trimester system was announced, allowing two entering classes in one academic year, reducing individual class size and further increasing the quality of education.

In 1993, the law school opened a new administrative and campus center, housing faculty and administration offices, including student affairs, admissions, and financial aid.

In 1999, the law school launched the California Innocence Project, dedicated to the release of the wrongfully convicted.

In 2000, the law school created Proyecto ACCESO, a nonprofit legal think tank that trains lawyers and educates the public in Latin America about legal reform and the rule of law.

In January 2000, California Western proudly opened its new, state-of-the-art Law Library, which was dedicated by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

From 2009-the present, California Western has been the only law school named to President Obama’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, in recognition of the school’s strong history of community engagement.

In 2010, the State Bar of California presented California Western with the President’s Pro Bono Service Award, the first pro bono award presented to a law school by the State Bar.

In 2012, President and Dean Niels B. Schaumann took office.