Western Sierra Law School (WSLS) is a private, independent and non-sectarian postsecondary degree granting institution located in San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

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State Bar registration

The law school

Law school in the United States

In the United States, a law school is an institution where students obtain a professional education in law after first obtaining an undergraduate degree.Law schools in the U.S...

 is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California

State Bar of California

The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...

. It is not approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) or accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE). Students at Western Sierra must take and pass the First-Year Law Students' Examination ("Baby Bar") after the first year of law study. Passing the "Baby Bar" means students are eligible to take more advanced law courses to achieve their J.D. degree.

Graduates of the school meet the legal education qualifications to take the California Bar Examination. When they pass the Bar, they may be licensed to practice law in the State of California.

Bar pass rate

For the years 1997 through February 2011, 80 Western Sierra graduates have taken the California Bar Examination as first-time takers; of that number, 15 passed the examination for a pass rate of 19%.