Donations to the Annual Fund support student scholarships, faculty support, internships, and public-interest programs that provide students hands-on experience in a variety of areas while delivering needed legal services to the larger community. Your gift helps fund programs of central importance to our mission of training ethical, practice-ready lawyers, and enables our students to receive the same outstanding education their predecessors did.

The Anson Levitan Intern Program Fund supports California Western students who demonstrate an interest in public interest law and who intern with the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. The fund (and internship) are named for the late Anson Levitan to honor his vision of encouraging law students to consider careers in the public interest.

Professor Emeritus Barbara Cox and Steve Russell ’87, jointly established this endowed scholarship with support from their spouses and other California Western friends and alumni. The scholarship supports California Western students who demonstrate an intent to protect and advance the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) individuals. As Professor Cox explained, “This scholarship will encourage and inspire students to carry on the cause for equality—now and for generations to come.”

California Innocence Project (CIP) is a clinical program that helps release wrongfully convicted California inmates while giving students hands-on experience reviewing evidence and structuring a case as they work alongside CIP staff attorneys. CIP reviews more than 2,000 Claims of Innocence from California inmates each year. Your gift will help ensure that innocent men and women will not have to spend the rest of their lives in prison for crimes they did not commit.

CLP is a student-run project that provides pro bono legal services including legal advice, consultations, and referral services to low-income and indigent people in San Diego County. Working in collaboration with dozens of medical, social-service, and nonprofit partners, CLP provides clients a range of necessary services under one roof, while allowing volunteer students to experience the benefits of helping those in need and learn essential lawyering skills from experienced practitioners. Your gift will help provide needed legal services to our community's most vulnerable individuals and families.

This scholarship was established by alumnus Han P. Ching ’74 and his wife Meredith to inspire and reward the hard work and achievements of students from the state of Hawaii. This three-year award supports students who have resided in Hawaii for a minimum of 10 years and that demonstrate the spirit of Kulia i ka nu’u, the native Hawaiian proverb that means “strive for the summit or highest point possible.”

The Harvey R. Levine Scholarship was established in honor of esteemed trial attorney, author, and professor Harvey R. Levine, whose distinguished career in the courtroom and classroom will long be remembered. This scholarship is awarded to a second- or third-year law student at the start of the fall trimester who exemplifies interest and promise in the areas of consumer law, consumer rights, and/or consumer advocacy. Your gift will help provide $2,500 toward tuition fees, living expenses, and/or other incidental costs of study for one or more deserving students.

The Jane Bishop Intern Program Endowment Fund supports California Western students who demonstrate an interest in public interest law and who intern with the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. Preference is given to students with an interest in homeless advocacy. The fund (and internship) are named for the late Jane Bishop, a passionate advocate for the homeless who served as a committed volunteer to the Legal Aid Society for nearly 30 years.

The Murray L. Galinson Scholarship, established in honor of former California Western professor and Board Member Murray Galinson, who passed away suddenly in May 2013, is awarded to high-achieving admitted students who have overcome adversity and have shown a commitment to serving their community. Your gift will help provide $2,500 toward tuition fees, living expenses, and/or other incidental costs of study for one or more deserving students.

New Media Rights is an independently funded nonprofit program of California Western that provides one-on-one assistance (including legal services, education, and public policy advocacy) to internet users, artists, nonprofits, startups, and other entities who create and share their work online. Your gift will help New Media Rights provide legal guidance in areas such as copyright, trademark, internet, and media law, and invaluable training to five to six law students each trimester in public-interest internet law issues.

Student scholarships range in size and intent, providing up to 100% of tuition costs on the basis of academic merit, commitment to service, cultural/ethnic diversity, and more. Not only are these scholarships beneficial to the students who receive them, but they are vital to the success of the school; by helping us attract and retain high-quality students who otherwise could not afford the costs of tuition, institutional scholarships bolster our attractiveness to new applicants and ensure that our student body is the strongest possible. Your gift supports more than a dozen institutional scholarships for first-year and upper-division students at California Western and helps to maintain our legacy of academic excellence.

The Professor William C. and Sally B. Lynch Scholarship Endowment is awarded annually to students who have shown the greatest academic improvement after their first year of studies.