Southwestern Law School

Southwestern Law School is an independent nonprofit law school in Los Angeles, with its main campus in the historic Bullocks Wilshire building. Its strongest practical distinction is the range of ways to complete a J.D.: applicants can compare a conventional three-year day program, part-time schedules, an accelerated two-year curriculum, and a fully online option. The school also has a long-running focus on entertainment and media law, supported by its Biederman Institute. This variety can help applicants fit legal study around work or caregiving, but students should compare the pace, modality, scholarship conditions, and full cost before choosing a track.

J.D. pathways and specialized study

Southwestern lists five ABA-approved J.D. tracks: full-time day, two-year SCALE, PLEAS for students who need a flexible part-time schedule, part-time day, and full-time or part-time online study. SCALE uses an accelerated, small-class format with practical skills training; it is intensive and requires summer enrollment. The online J.D. is asynchronous, with weekly coursework and no required campus visits for classes or exams. Students can also combine a J.D. with an M.B.A. through a partnership with the Drucker Graduate School of Management, or pursue a 3+3 B.A./J.D. pathway with California State University, Northridge.

For lawyers seeking graduate study, Southwestern offers an LL.M. in Entertainment and Media Law. Its General LL.M. is currently not accepting applications. Courses and concentrations touch areas such as entertainment, sports, intellectual property, criminal, international, commercial, family, and tax law. Clinics, externships, advocacy programs, journals, and negotiation opportunities give students options to build experience alongside coursework. Review the J.D. and LL.M. program directory carefully: admissions requirements, state eligibility, scheduling, and available experiences vary by program. Southwestern’s J.D. programs are ABA-approved; applicants should verify the particular program’s bar eligibility in the state where they intend to practice.

2026–27 tuition, aid, and scholarships

Southwestern’s published 2026–27 tuition for the full-time J.D. is $65,686 for the fall and spring terms shown; part-time tuition is $43,810. SCALE I lists $92,272 in tuition, while SCALE II lists $101,040 including its required summer component. Summer sessions, annual increases, fees, and living expenses affect the amount a student ultimately pays. The school’s estimated off-campus cost of attendance is $107,848 for a full-time J.D., $84,134 for part-time, and $148,186 for SCALE; these budgets include estimated living costs and are not tuition bills. Compare the assumptions with your own housing, transportation, insurance, and borrowing needs using the official tuition and fees schedule and cost-of-attendance estimates.

Funding may include institutional scholarships, public-interest grants and fellowships, federal or private loans, work-study, and veterans’ education benefits. Southwestern participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program for eligible veterans and family members. Scholarship qualifications and amounts vary; some awards depend on academic merit, financial need, program, or other eligibility rules. Ask whether an award renews automatically and what academic conditions apply, then calculate the net cost across the entire degree. The scholarships, grants, and fellowships page describes current awards, and the financial-aid office explains application steps and federal-aid eligibility.

Admissions and visiting the Los Angeles campus

J.D. applicants register with LSAC and submit the required application materials; review factors include undergraduate academic work, LSAT results, motivation, and recommendations. Program-specific application details matter, especially for SCALE and the online J.D. A general application deadline is not a substitute for the current deadline for your intended start term. You can review J.D. admissions and apply through the school’s admissions page. Prospective students should ask about campus visits, program-specific advising, scholarship review, and the school’s latest ABA disclosures before making a deposit.

Main campus: 3050 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010; (213) 738-6700. Google Maps lists hours as Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, closed. Office and library schedules can differ. The campus sits near the Wilshire/Vermont Metro station, and visitor parking is available for a fee; parking may be waived for some prospective-student events. The school’s directions and campus page explains transit access and where to enter.

Student perspectives: supportive teaching, with real cost and workload concerns

Public student comments often praise caring professors, classmates, and supportive faculty or financial-aid staff. Some graduates describe the education and campus community positively. Critical comments raise high tuition and debt, scheduling or course availability, traffic and commuting, and concerns about administration or the pressure of law school. These accounts are individual experiences rather than a measure of every program. Before enrolling, talk with students in the track you plan to attend, ask how course schedules and support services work in practice, and compare the scholarship’s renewal requirements against the total borrowing you would need. A broader sample of graduate student reviews can help you prepare specific questions.