Western State College of Law at Westcliff University is a private law school in Tustin, California, with full-time and part-time JD programs. Its strengths include criminal law, business law, immigration, family law, and real estate.
This guide walks you through how to get into Western State Law.
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1. Western State Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
Western State Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 155 | Median: 152 | 25th: 150
- GPA: 75th: 3.64 | Median: 3.35 | 25th: 3.08
Western State Law Class of 2027:
- LSAT: 75th: 155 | Median: 152 | 25th: 149
- GPA: 75th: 3.58 | Median: 3.34 | 25th: 3.07
These are the full-time, three-year JD entering classes reported in the 2025 and 2024 ABA reports. Year over year, the LSAT median stayed at 152 and the upper quartile at 155, while the lower quartile rose from 149 to 150. The median GPA increased from 3.34 to 3.35, with the upper quartile rising from 3.58 to 3.64 and the lower quartile from 3.07 to 3.08. The full-time entering class grew from 95 to 96 students.
For the full-time program, aim to be at or above at least one median, a 152 LSAT or 3.35 GPA, 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. Western State Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (required)
The school's instructions:
“Although academic history and the LSAT score are very important in the application review process, the personal statement is a vital factor as well. The personal statement should be no more than three pages, typed and double-spaced. In the personal statement, you should focus on your accomplishments, skills, experiences and motivation that indicate potential for success in law school. Include any information such as extracurricular activities, career plans, leadership ability, or anything else that will help the Admissions Committee gain a clear and accurate picture of you as an individual.”
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
Diversity Statement (optional)
A diversity statement is optional. It gives the committee additional context about the experiences and perspective you would bring to the class.
For more on how to write a diversity or perspective statement, see my Diversity Statement Examples and Diversity Statement Guide.
For more on making all of these essays work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
Addenda and Character & Fitness Resources
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. Western State Law Resume Requirements
A resume is optional but highly recommended. It supplements the required personal statement with your professional and academic background.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. Western State Law Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required. Applicants who graduated within the last five years are strongly encouraged to include a faculty recommendation. Letters normally go through LSAC's recommendation service.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. Western State Law Interview Process
Western State offers a personal or telephone informational interview with an admissions advisor during the application process. The meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the program and application.
6. Western State Law Deadlines and Decision Options
Testing Policy
Western State accepts the LSAT or GRE. Anyone who has taken or will take the LSAT must submit LSAT results; applicants who have never taken it may apply with the GRE alone. GRE applicants must send all GRE scores from the past five years through ETS, using code 3375. CAS registration is required.
If you're considering the GRE, read my LSAT vs. GRE guide before deciding.
Application Dates and Fees
- Application opens: September 1, 2026, for fall 2027 entry.
- Application deadline: July 1, 2027.
- Last accepted LSAT: June 2027.
- Classes begin: August 2027.
Admissions operates on a rolling basis, and the school's application fee is waived for this cycle.
Program Formats
The Part-Time JD runs for four years, including summer study, compared with three years for the full-time program. Both lead to the 87-unit JD.
7. Western State Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
Merit Scholarships
Applicants receive automatic consideration for merit scholarships. Awards apply to tuition, not books, living expenses, or fees.
Western State Entering Student Awards
Entering awards are not renewable. They are generally divided between fall and spring and do not cover summer tuition.
Western State Continuing Student Merit-Based Scholarships
After the first full academic year, continuing scholarships are determined using cumulative spring GPA and the eligibility terms in the admission letter. These awards replace other Western State scholarship awards. The 2025 ABA disclosure reports that 76 of 115 students entering with conditional scholarships in 2024-2025 had awards reduced or eliminated.
Financial Aid and Cost
For 2026-2027, fall-and-spring tuition and listed direct fees total $58,738 full-time or $39,501 part-time. Summer tuition and living expenses are additional. Federal aid applications involve the FAFSA and Western State's separate financial assistance application. These figures are not a complete living-expense budget.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. Western State Law Joint Degree Programs
Western State offers a coordinated route for students whose interests cross legal practice and business management.
- JD/MBA: The partner is Westcliff University's College of Business. The published sequence combines the three-year full-time JD with an MBA in the fourth year, after the summer bar examination. Up to 15 JD credits can count toward the MBA, leaving approximately 16 to 32 weeks of MBA study. Eligible law coursework includes Business Associations, Corporate Finance and Accounting for Lawyers, Negotiations, and other approved courses.
9. Western State Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
Western State Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 79.6%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 5.4%
- Federal clerkships: 0.0%
- Public service (including government): 8.6%
California accounted for nearly all reported jobs, with Nevada the other employment state. Firms with 1 to 25 attorneys were the largest employment segment, while the 101-plus-attorney firm rate was much smaller. Western State's profile is closely connected to local California practice, making its regional firms, courts, and alumni network more central than national large-firm recruiting.
10. Western State Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Business Law: The Business Law Center connects foundational business courses with electives in areas such as securities, intellectual property, and sports law. Its certificate and practice-oriented programming combine legal doctrine with the financial and transactional issues lawyers encounter when advising businesses.
Criminal Law: The Criminal Law Practice Center brings together criminal procedure, trial preparation, and advanced subjects such as juvenile law. Its certificate connects classroom study with supervised experience and public service, with regional prosecution and defense offices providing relevant practice settings.
Immigration Law: The Immigration Law Practice Certificate combines required courses and electives with pro bono work serving low-income or modest-means noncitizens. The Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic provides a related setting for work on removal defense and other forms of immigration relief.
Family Law: The Family Law Practice Certificate combines focused coursework with a civil externship and public-service work. Its structure places experience outside the classroom alongside doctrinal study, rather than treating family law as a single elective detached from legal practice.
Real Estate: The Real Estate Practice Certificate similarly combines coursework, a civil externship, and public service. Professor Charles Sheppard advises the program, connecting its academic focus with his background in property, real estate transactions, and the title insurance industry.
11. Western State Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
Clinics
- Entrepreneurship Clinic: Students assist startups, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations under faculty supervision. Work includes client interviews, entity formation and governance, and drafting, reviewing, or negotiating agreements. The four-credit course combines a clinic component with a seminar.
- Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic: Students work on matters involving detained people, removal defense, and relief for vulnerable youth. Tasks include interviewing, counseling, research, and drafting under supervision. The clinic also provides information to people representing themselves at Santa Ana Immigration Court.
- Criminal Defense Clinic: Students work through the Orange County Public Defender's offices on live criminal matters. Interviewing, case development, motion work, and courtroom advocacy take place under supervision and applicable student-practice rules, rather than through independent student representation.
- Probate Clinic: Students help self-represented people with conservatorships, guardianships, estates, and trusts. Under faculty supervision and student-practice rules, work can include interviewing, case management, document preparation, and court appearances. The course combines practical work with a seminar.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
Criminal externships place students with the Orange County District Attorney or Orange County Public Defender. Civil placements involve firms, agencies, corporations, and other approved settings; judicial externs draft memoranda, opinions, or orders in state judges' chambers. Externships include a seminar and are subject to approval and academic eligibility.
The voluntary Public Service Program recognizes 40, 100, or 200 qualifying hours. Unpaid service under that program is separate from academic credit; clinic and externship hours cannot simply be counted again toward those awards.
12. Western State Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- Elizabeth Jones: Professor of Law and Director of the Criminal Law Practice Center. Her teaching draws on criminal defense work involving adult criminal cases and juvenile delinquency proceedings.
- Samuel F. Ernst: Professor of Law working in contracts and intellectual property. He is a former Covington & Burling partner and clerk to Federal Circuit Judge Timothy Dyk.
- Sabrina Rivera: Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic. She was the inaugural executive director of the Orange County Justice Fund and has experience in detention and deportation litigation.
- Charles Sheppard: Professor of Law whose fields include property and real estate. His professional background includes title-company counsel roles and leadership on the California State Bar Business Law Section's legislative committee.
Journals
- Western State Law Review: The student-run journal, established in 1972, publishes scholarship addressing California law and federal issues affecting California and hosts a symposium.
13. Western State Law Culture and Student Life
Western State's community includes full-time students and part-time students balancing law school with other commitments. Faculty accessibility, the Student Bar Association, and practice-area organizations provide points of connection across those schedules. The three-year full-time and four-year part-time paths lead to the same 87-unit JD.
Tustin places students within Orange County's legal community, with access to regional courts, firms, and public-service offices through approved placements. The school's local history and alumni presence make that regional connection more central to its identity than a residential, nationally dispersed law-school experience.
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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 Western State 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.