Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles offers varied JD formats, including accelerated SCALE and full-time and part-time online study. Its strengths include entertainment and media law, advocacy, immigration, and labor and employment law.
This guide walks you through how to get into Southwestern Law.
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1. Southwestern Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
Southwestern Law Class of 2029:
- LSAT: Median: 159
- GPA: Median: 3.56
Southwestern Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 160 | Median: 157 | 25th: 154
- GPA: 75th: 3.72 | Median: 3.51 | 25th: 3.23
Across programs, the fall 2026 entering LSAT median rose two points and the GPA median rose 0.05 from fall 2025. The entering class decreased from 459 to 445. The profiles include SCALE and part-time students.
Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.
For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.
2. Southwestern Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (required)
The school's instructions:
“Southwestern does not provide a specific prompt or question for applicants to address when preparing their personal statement. An applicant's personal statement may address, but is not limited to addressing, issues such as interests, motivation toward law, personal qualities, academic experience, social background, or other topics not presented on the application form. The subject matter of the statement is up to the applicant, but applicants should keep in mind that the reviewer will be focused on determining their potential to be a successful law student and graduate of Southwestern. The personal statement should be two to three pages in length, typed, and double-spaced. When applying electronically, applicants must submit the personal statement as an electronic attachment to the application form.”
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
Optional Statements (Why Southwestern / Individual Journey) (optional)
The school's instructions:
“Applicants may submit optional statements addressing one or both of the following prompts: Tell us more about your interest in Southwestern. What makes our school a good fit for you given your academic or professional interests, and our offerings, learning environment, and community? Southwestern Law School is committed to understanding each applicant’s individual journey. Is there anything about yourself, your experiences, your perspective, or your path to law school that you would like us to know and that may not be evident from the rest of your application? These statements should not be a reiteration of information or insights already addressed in the Personal Statement, and each should be no more than two pages in length, typed, and double-spaced.”
For more on how to write a diversity or perspective statement, see my Diversity Statement Examples and Diversity Statement Guide.
For more on how to write a Why X essay, see my Why X Essay Guide.
JD/MBA Statement (required for concurrent-degree applicants)
Your personal statement must explain why you seek the concurrent degree. This modifies the ordinary open-ended assignment.
For more on making all of these essays work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
Addenda and Character & Fitness (if applicable)
Affirmative character-and-fitness answers require detailed disclosures. Southwestern strongly recommends an LSAT addendum for score changes of at least ten points.
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. Southwestern Law Resume Requirements
A resume is required. Southwestern generally prefers one to one-and-a-half pages, with flexibility for extensive experience. Leave out pre-college activities and avoid a CV-style document.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. Southwestern Law Letters of Recommendation
Submit one to three letters of recommendation through LSAC. Academic letters are preferred; employers are acceptable for applicants out of school. JD/MBA applicants need two, including one addressing business experience and suitability.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. Southwestern Law Interview Process
SCALE applicants must interview, and Southwestern initiates appointments. Some waitlisted applicants receive faculty interviews, but most applicants do not interview. Applicants cannot request one. For SCALE, be ready to discuss your preparation for the accelerated program.
6. Southwestern Law Deadlines and Decision Options
Testing Policy
Southwestern requires the LSAT, a writing sample, and CAS. GRE scores may supplement but cannot replace the LSAT. An application cannot be reviewed without all required materials.
Application Dates and Fees
- Application Deadline: April 1, 2027, for fall 2027 entry.
- JD/MBA Priority Deadline: February 1, with priority consideration for financial aid.
- Application Fee: $60, waived for Southwestern or LSAC fee-waiver recipients.
- Review: Rolling as files become complete; late applications receive individual consideration.
Apply early in the rolling cycle. Southwestern can establish a waiting list as early as February, and eligibility for preferred forms of financial aid may diminish substantially after April 1.
Program Formats
Program options include the three-year full-time day JD, two-year SCALE, part-time day study, and PLEAS for students with child or elder care responsibilities. Online JD students can study full-time or part-time through primarily asynchronous classes. Enrollment depends on authorization in the student's place of residence. Southwestern no longer admits new students to its on-campus evening program.
7. Southwestern Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
Merit Scholarships
Admitted applicants receive automatic consideration. For 2026-27, full-time fall/spring tuition is $65,686 and the off-campus attendance budget is $107,848. Part-time tuition is $43,810 before summer charges; SCALE I tuition is $92,272.
Wildman/Schumacher Scholarship
Awards can reach full tuition. Beginning with the entering 2024 class, renewal requires a minimum 2.900 law school GPA. The school's 2025-26 retention table shows 40% lost the award. Renewal conditions matter as much as the initial amount.
Southwestern Change-Maker Scholarship
This renewable award can reach full tuition. Its primary renewal criterion is a minimum 2.330 law school GPA after the first year.
Southwestern Admissions Scholarship
This award provides partial to full first-year tuition and is not renewable.
Southwestern Admissions Trailblazer Scholarship
Trailblazer also provides first-year tuition assistance only. Do not treat either first-year award as three years of funding.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. Southwestern Law Joint Degree Programs
Southwestern offers two distinct degree combinations:
- JD/MBA with Claremont Graduate University's Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management. Each school can accept up to 12 qualifying credits from the other; transferred courses require a B or better.
- BA/JD with California State University, Northridge, through a six-year 3+3 route.
The JD/MBA requires admission to both programs. To transfer all 12 MBA credits toward the JD, students must finish the MBA before or alongside the JD. Each school's scholarships apply only to its own courses.
9. Southwestern Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
Southwestern Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 78.6%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 10.0%
- Federal clerkships: 0.3%
- Public service (including government): 14.5%
California dominates placement. Small and midsize firms account for much more of Southwestern's employment than large firms, while government and public interest provide another substantial route. The entertainment curriculum is distinctive, but the broader employment picture is regional practice across several fields. Build your school decision around that California market rather than entertainment branding alone.
10. Southwestern Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law: The Donald E. Biederman Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law Institute connects specialized coursework, industry programming, and experiential work. Its Biederman Scholars program provides selected students with mentoring, while the Entertainment & the Arts Legal Clinic handles actual creative projects.
Civil Litigation and Advocacy: The Appellate Litigation Clinic takes students through Ninth Circuit appeals, including briefing and selected oral arguments. The Trial Advocacy Honors Program adds a separate advocacy setting, giving litigation-focused students opportunities beyond classroom discussion of procedure.
Labor and Employment Law: Christopher David Ruiz Cameron directs the Labor and Employment Law Concentration. His work spans collective bargaining, workplace disputes, and the intersections of labor law with bankruptcy, immigration, entertainment, and sports, connecting the field to several Los Angeles industries.
Immigration and Public Interest Law: The Immigration Law Clinic and Asylum Law Clinic provide distinct client-service settings. The Community Lawyering Clinic's partnership with California State University, Northridge adds campus-based representation and outreach, while the Children's Rights Clinic focuses on educational access.
11. Southwestern Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
Southwestern's nine clinical programs cover transactional work, litigation, and community education:
- Entertainment & the Arts Legal Clinic: Students draft production contracts and analyze rights clearance for independent creatives. Enrollment is by invitation.
- Appellate Litigation Clinic: Students research and brief Ninth Circuit appeals; selected students present oral argument.
- Asylum Law Clinic: Students interview clients, research country conditions, and draft declarations and asylum briefs.
- Children's Rights Clinic: Students represent children in school-discipline and special-education matters, including hearings and education-plan meetings.
- Community Lawyering Clinic: Students represent CSUN students in immigration matters and conduct community outreach.
- Eviction Defense Clinic: Students work with Inner City Law Center on tenant counseling, pleadings, discovery, negotiation, and trial.
- Family Law Clinic: At the Harriett Buhai Center, students prepare pleadings and counsel clients in family-law and domestic-violence matters.
- Immigration Law Clinic: Students interview clients, investigate facts, and prepare juvenile-status and U-visa-related cases.
- Street Law Clinic: Students teach legal rights and practical life skills to young people, including youth involved in juvenile or dependency courts.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
Clinic work provides pro bono services across Los Angeles. Externship placements include the Ninth Circuit, Los Angeles County Public Defender, Public Counsel, Disney, NBCUniversal, and SAG-AFTRA. Entertainment externships require Copyright Law. Some federal placements require applications at least six months in advance.
12. Southwestern Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- Kevin J. Greene: John J. Schumacher Chair and Professor of Law. Copyright, contracts, and entertainment law. A former Cravath lawyer and recipient of the California State Bar IP section's Vanguard Award.
- Christopher David Ruiz Cameron: Justice Marshall F. McComb Professor of Law. Labor and employment law. An elected member of the National Academy of Arbitrators.
- Meera E. Deo: Honorable Vaino Spencer Chair and Professor of Law. Legal education and empirical research. Author of Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia and director of the Law School Survey of Student Engagement.
- Hila Keren: Paul E. Treusch Professor of Law. Contracts, business law, and feminist jurisprudence. Author of Contract Law from a Feminist Perspective.
Journals
- Southwestern Law Review: General legal scholarship.
- Southwestern Journal of International Law: Articles and student notes on international and comparative law, including trade, arbitration, immigration and human rights.
- Journal of International Media and Entertainment Law: A joint ABA venture with faculty and practitioner editors and student participation. It covers media and entertainment law across jurisdictions.
13. Southwestern Law Culture and Student Life
Southwestern's 2026 entering class includes 445 students, with 103 in the online program. Most did not come straight from college, and the average entering age is 27. Work histories, caregiving, and career changes are part of the community rather than unusual exceptions.
Los Angeles gives students access to entertainment companies alongside courts, unions, local government, and legal aid organizations. The residential programs place that market nearby; the online program offers a different day-to-day experience, with geographic flexibility and externship opportunities beyond campus.
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Related Reading
→ How to Build a Smart Law School List
→ Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
→ How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships
→ 6 Proven Steps to Get Off a Law School Waitlist
→ How to Get Into Law School Below Both Medians
→ What Holistic Law School Admissions Really Means
→ Blog Directory
Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the Southwestern Law website before applying.
Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.