The Registrar's Office has compiled a list of frequently asked questions. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please email the Registrar's Office at registrar@cwsl.edu so it can be added to the list.
This list is intended to give you brief answers to you questions. For more complete answers, please review the Student Handbook.
Order transcripts
Register for classes
Process student loan deferments
Change my name with the school
Find the latest Registrar announcement & notices
Academics
Minimum and maximum courseload
Take more or less units than allowed
Find information about class ranking
Change divisions (Full-Time to Part-time, or Part-time to Full-time)
Get credit for classes taken at another university
Find a list required & bar courses
Find out about areas of concentration
Bar Exams and Certifications
Sign-Up for practical training as a law student
Where do I find bar courses offered at California Western?
Find information on the Moral Character Requirement
Sign-Up for the California State Bar Exam
Find information about other state bars
Graduation
Have I met the graduation requirements
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Register For Classes
If you are a first-year student, your class schedule is set for your first year. Part-time, first-year students have a slightly different option their 4th trimester and can contact the Registrar's Office if they have any questions.
If you have completed your first year of classes, class schedules and registration information will be available in the Registrar's Office and online on the registration web page. Emails will be sent to all current students regarding registration as the registration date approaches. Students register for classes online. Please note that we are not MAC compatible.
Add/Drop and Wait List Classes
A first-year student may add, drop, or change courses ONLY with permission of the Associate Dean. Such permission will be granted only in exceptional circumstances such as physical or language handicap, illness, or family hardship.
Students who have completed their first year of classes can Add/Drop and Wait List classes. This process begins at the end of each trimester for the following trimester. Contact the Registrar's Office or check the Registrar's Annnouncements & Notices page or the Trimester Calendar for dates and notices about Add/Drop. You can turn in the Add/Drop form directly to the Registrar's Office or call in the changes (619-525-1414) starting the first day of Add/Drop.
If there is space in the class you have requested to Add and you have the prerequisites for that course, you will be added to the class automatically. Drops will also occur automatically. You will NOT be sent a new schedule once those changes are made, but you can request one at the Registrar's Office.
For Wait List procedures read below. Students must make sure that their adding or droppig of classes maintains the correct course load for their division. Brief administrative details of Add/Drop are below:
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No Fee Add/Drop – This applies for the first full week (5 days) of classes, with an Add/Drop form turned in to the Registrar's Office.
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$10.00 Fee Add/Drop – This fee applies for the second full week (5 days) of classes. You must have a signature from the instructor on the Add/Drop form for Adds and the form must be turned in to the Registrar's Office.
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$15.00 Fee Add/Drop – This fee applies after the first full two weeks (10 days) of classes through the last day of the class You must have a signature from the instructor and the Associate Dean, and the form turned in to the Registrar's Office.
To wait list classes that are currently closed, fill out the Add/Drop/Wait List form. Priority on the Wait List is given to students graduating in the current or following semester (through the first week of classes). Once you turn in your form, you are put on a wait list for that class in the order the form was received at the Registrar's Office. When a space opens up in the class, you are called at the number you provided on the form. You have 24 hours to respond and confirm you want the class. If you do not respond within 24 hours, the next person on the list will be offered the space.
Closed Class List
During the Add/Drop period of each trimester, the Registrar's Office maintains a list of classes that are closed. The list will be updated as frequently as possible. Due to numerous changes made throughout the Add/Drop period, it is best to check with the Registrar to verify the availability of classes. Please check the Registrar's Announcements & Notices page for updates on closed/open classes.
Minimum and Maximum CourseloadStudents classified in the full-time division are required to take 10-17 units.
Students classified in the part-time division are required to take 8-11 units.
Any deviation from these courseloads will need prior approval.
Taking More or Less Units Than Allowed
If you wish to take more units during a trimester than your division allows, you will need to submit a petition to Dean Aceves. Those forms are available at the Registrar's Office.
If you wish to take less units during a trimester than your division allows, you will need to submit a petition to the business office. Those forms are available at the business office.
Change Divisions (Full-time to Part-time, or Part-time to Full-time)
Students are not permitted to change divisions in their first year or last trimester, except in extraordinary circumstances. After completion of the first year, a student may change divisions due to “family circumstances, medical reasons, work or other good cause with the approval of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs." Students are not permitted to change divisions more than once.
Leave of Absence
A petition is required if you plan to take a leave of absence for personal or medical reasons. You can get more information about this from the Registrar's Office.
Request Letter
Use the Request Letter form for the following purposes:
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Proof of current enrollment and in good standing
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Dean's letter of good standing
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Letter with anticipated graduation date and/or class rank
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Other
An Enrollment Verification document is used to show enrollment dates and anticipated graduation date. It includes the Registrar's stamp and seal.
Come directly to the Registrar's Office to obtain the Request Letter form or download it here and return it to our office. Allow two (2) business days for processing.
Name Change
In order to change your name with the school, you will need to submit the Name Change form with proof of the change. One of the following is sufficient:
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Marriage License
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Social Security Card
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Other Legal Document
You can download the Change of Name form here.
Credit for classes taken at another university
Classes taken at other law schools will show up on your transcript with the name of the school visited along with the number of units transferred. The name of the class will not appear on your California Western School of Law transcript. To receive credit for a class taken at another law school:
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After completion of the course, submit an official transcript with posted grade, sent directly from the visiting school.
Petitions can be obtained from the Registrar's Office and must be submitted to the Associate Dean's Office along with a course description of the class.
Processing of Loan Deferment Forms
The Registrar’s Office processes Deferment forms. Please make sure that the following information is on the form(s) you turn in:
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Your current contact information
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Your signature & date
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Address where form should be mailed
The Registrar's Office DOES NOT have blank Deferment Forms. You will have to obtain a form from your lender. The Registrar's Office will provide an Enrollment Verification or letter for those lenders/loan companies who will accept them. You can fill out a Request Letter form and submit it to the Registrar's Office if you would like an Enrollment Verification. A copy of your signed deferment form is kept in the Registrar's Office in your student file.
