Mission :

The mission of the University of West Los Angeles ("UWLA") is to be a leader in offering legal education to men and women from diverse educational, occupational, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, without regard to age, sexual orientation or disability - especially to those who must study part-time - so as to contribute to the democratization of the legal community.

History :

The University of West Los Angeles (UWLA) is a non-profit, private educational institution. The University was founded in 1966 by a visionary group of local educators who could foresee the need for educational programs geared especially towards the working adult. The University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The School of Law is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California.

UWLA's School of Law was one of the first to offer night classes and broaden the community's access to the traditionally elite field of legal education. The University grew in service to its mission, and in July 2002, acquired the San Fernando Valley College of Law. UWLA now has over 7000 alumni who have changed their lives, the lives of others, and the face of the legal profession into one that more fully reflects the diversity of Los Angeles.

The University takes great pride in the nearly fifteen years of service that its distinguished President Emeritus, the late Bernard S. Jefferson, committed to the development of its mission-the democratization of the legal community-and to UWLA's standing in the community at large. A retired Appellate Court Justice, Bernard S. Jefferson came to UWLA as one of the most beloved and highly respected jurists in the state of California. Author of the California Evidence Benchbook, he is recognized as the pre-eminent authority on evidence in California. Jefferson was one of the first African-Americans to have graduated from Harvard's School of Law and to have served as a California Appellate Court Justice.

The University's mission continues to deepen its roots in the community and to inspire a flourishing of its values on campus. The current administration, faculty and staff adopted a Credo as a part of UWLA's 35th Anniversary celebration in 2001. The Credo expresses UWLA's commitment to a distinctively supportive campus culture, a culture of peace, tolerance, and respect.

Goals:

-To offer an appropriate curriculum and environment to assist students in achieving their educational objectives;
-To offer academic support to help students successfully complete their programs;
-To maintain admissions policies and program scheduling to offer access to qualified students who may not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue a legal education;
-To create a professional learning environment by maintaining an excellent, full-time and adjunct faculty;
-To expose students to practical applications of the law;
-To offer to the community continuing legal education, selected, non-credit law-related courses, and a free legal aid clinic, and
-To enhance and sustain the active involvement of students, alumni, faculty, administrators, and members of the Board of Trustees to promote the -welfare of the UWLA community.

Alternate Address:

West LA Campus
310-342-5250
9920 S. La Cienega Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90301-4423