Whittier Law School

From my perspective, the best thing about Whittier Law School is the faculty. The professors really care about the students, and this shows by how they make themselves available for students outside of class, starting from day one. As finals approach, most professors add extended office hours, and they even answer their emails.
The study abroad program’s my second favorite thing. Last summer I studied environmental law in Mexico City and sexual orientation law in Barcelona. If I had designed my ideal law school experience by myself, I would have learned about half as much, with even fewer incredible experiences.
I“ll soon be finishing up my second year at Whittier Law School, and I remain a fan. For law students willing to invest time and energy in their legal education, WLS will exceed their expectations.

I visited this law school last year & had a very poor impression. I’m happy I got accepted somewhere higher ranked. I did NOT enjoy my conversations with the faculty nor the students. The campus is not pretty, it’s not exciting, I was depressed after leaving this campus.
I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone thinking of attending Law School to study harder, and get a higher LSAT score and try their best to get accepted to a higher ranked Law School. I think you will be MUCH happier. The students in this school seemed to be FULLY aware of Whittier Law School’s low ranking.
***I WOULD NEVER WANT TO GO HERE***
What I also disliked is that some law schools allow you to pay the deposit (half now & half later), but Whittier wanted the $ 400 up front & I should not have paid it. It was a complete waste of my money. While some other law schools let you pay even after the deadline, I hated that Whittier told me that I had to pay all the $ 400 by the deadline… It’s as if they made it seem like Whittier is this dream Law School where people are lining up to attend, and that if I didn’t pay my $ 400 by the deadline, that I would miss out on my ONE chance to attend the dream Law School (i.e. Whittier)…You GOTTA be kidding me.
I would not recommend this school to my family or close friends.
GO TO HELL WHITTIER LAW SCHOOL !!!

Nice law school and pretty large parking lot area. The classrooms are logically organized and relatively easy to find. The students were friendly and in tune. Good event from the Law Society. Provided catered food and a good array of panelists. I have to say the questions were a little sophomoric and lacked real substance, however, good effort overall. Thanks to the Law Society for hosting something like this. Hope you guys do more soon!

I graduated from Whittier Law School a few years ago. Yes, I know, it’s not the best of law schools, and I think it was even ranked as the worst ABA accredited law school by some law center in 2012, but it did everything that I needed it to do for me. I got a law degree, found a nice job, passed the California bar exam and now I’m an attorney. What more should I expect?
I had a really good experience while attending Whittier. The professors were all very helpful and I definitely feel like it was worth my time and money getting my education here. I even met some of my really close friends here.
For those of you starting or thinking about starting your legal education here, your experience at Whittier is definitely whatever you make it out to be. For me, it was 5 stars all the way.

I have been a student here for three years now, and about to graduate this May. I really enjoy going to school here.
The professors actually care! Every one of them have an open-​door policy, and if you can’t make it to their regular office hours, they will arrange to meet with you when it is convenient for you. A lot of the professors go the extra mile; on top of instructing, grading papers, meeting with students, and attending meetings, many of them oversee student organizations or honors groups, or otherwise are involved with what I consider to be «extracurricular activities» for them (I say that because it is not required as a part of their employment and they do not get paid for doing it… Like I said before they go the extra mile!). In addition, most are very well articulated and have practical experience that they bring into the classroom (I say «most» because I had one professor who was more theory-​based than I’m used to and so my brain hurt after every class from thinking too much… Nonetheless, many students say that he was their favorite professor because he really taught you to «think like a lawyer»).
The atmosphere is great. It’s a small campus so everyone knows your name and says «hello» (which is really nice considering that I attended a huge undergrad university where you only rarely see a familiar face and when you need assistance, you are addressed by your student ID number). There is always sufficient parking and the walk from the parking lot to your classroom is at most 3 minutes (again, I went to a huge undergrad where it took at least an hour to find parking and even then it could take up to 30 minutes just to get from my car to my classroom).
Like another person said, you get as much as you put in! Although that is true with anything in life, there are lots of great opportunities that are offered at Whittier Law School. In addition to the regular classes, there are honors boards to which you can either grade onto or try out for (Trial Advocacy, Moot Court, Children’s Journal, and Law Review), there are countless student organizations one of which is bound to be of interest to you (there are concentration-​based ones like Criminal Law Society, to ethnic-​based ones like Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, to professional law fraternities), there are a good number of centers and programs to which you can either be a fellow or certificate earner (Children’s Rights, Intellectual Property, etc.), there is an amazing externship program that has all sorts of connections (they placed me one semester with THE top-​notch criminal defense attorney and another semester as an in-​house extern (placements for in-​house positions are rare!)), and lastly the study abroad program is supposedly excellent (I myself had not been able to participate in this program however everyone who goes say nothing but good things about it).
All in all, I have enjoyed my time here at Whittier Law School and I hope you do too.

This is an amazing school! The school has a great sense of community. I felt that the faculty truly cared about me and my education. I made great friends and had a great time. I would enthusiastically recommend this school to anyone considering it.

EDIT: After having attended this school for an entire year I had to lower the rating from 4 to 3 starts…
Well there is a lot to be said about Whittier Law School, but for now I’ll give you a quick breakdown based on my first month here. Honestly, when I was admitted to WLS, I wasn’t exactly too thrilled because it was my back up school. I did go here because they offered me a ½ scholarship my first year.
⁵⁄₅ Scholarships: This brings me to the main point, WLS has established a generous scholarship program where top 20% of the class get some amount of their tuition covered ranging from 25−100%. That’s a big deal. Also, if you did not get one entering, you have just a good a chance as any to get one the following year because it’s based year by year according to your class ranking.
⁴⁄₅ Facilities: if you ever drove by this school, the front looks amazing with it’s fountains and great big lawn. Sadly, that’s pretty much the only place that looks new. The back buildings have faded paint, the benches look like they’re from the 80s and the library is pretty old looking too. However, the school is clean! The janitorial staff does a great job. And unless you’re looking for a school that’s all looks, this shouldn’t be a problem. On the plus side, the school is investing money into upgrading it’s buildings and classrooms. It was announced that they will upgrade and remodel our moot court room to simulate the real court experience with judges chambers, a jury room and everything else. Also, the classrooms do have very modern podiums that allow the professors to display and teach the class in very many mediums. Ps, the school offers plenty of free parking for students. This is a huge plus because I don’t have to worry about being late because I couldn’t find any or spending a ton of money every semester. I come from UCLA as my undergrad and we had to pay over a hundred dollars a quarter for a lot that was overcrowded and that is only if you were lucky enough to get permission to buy the permit.
EDIT: I can change the rating to 4.5÷5 because during my year there, the school took the time, money and effort to repaint most of the buildings, fix the parking lot and they started the construction of the moot court room.
⁵⁄₅ Faculty: this has got to be the best selling point of this law school. As Ive stated from earlier, I went to UCLA and I thought the professor-​student relationship was overrated. Boy was I wrong. My first week here I could tell that all of the professors, deans and the rest of the faculty are here to teach us! It is a little bit odd, but I love the personal attention we get, and the enthusiasm all the professors teach with!
EDIT: ⁵⁄₅ for professors, but a meager ¹⁄₅ for the registrar’s office. After having done well my first year, I applied to transfer schools. The registrars office took a very long time to release the final grades for the Spring semester so I was not able to send in my transfer applications until the very last minute. What made it worse, is that the school requires you to order the transcripts through a third party website. After making my order, I got a confirmation email from the company that my order for the transcripts was processed. The next work day (keep in mind this is only 7 work days before the transfer application deadline) I went in to the Registrars office and was told that everything was in order. Only a few days later was I informed by a school I applied to that they have yet to receive any transcripts. Upon returning to the office, I was told that there was some error and that Id have to contact the transcript site directly, but that would make me miss the deadline. I spent over an hour arguing with the dean until she finally printed the transcripts, handed them to me and said that they cant mail it out in time themselves. I had to spend an additional $ 180 to overnight the transcripts to the schools I was applying to in order to get them in before the deadline.
4.5÷5 Extra Curricular: This school has its fair share of clubs, organizations and what-not’s to last you a life time. From attending a few of the orientation meetings for the organizations I can say that some are by far greater than others. The externship programs are great, and plenty to satisfy any of your law interests. The clubs are a little less organized and seem slightly less involved (however, it does depend on each one). But most importantly, there are the regular’s like Law Review, Moot Court, as well as, Trial Advocacy and other clubs that seem like they would be extremely helpful post-​graduation.
In conclusion, I love the fact that I went here, I love the school, the other students in my section, my professors, and the many opportunities that are still ahead of me. And as much as Id love to give this school a 5/​5, I dont think I can until they upgrade the facilities a little and get all of their clubs to par. Hopefully, before my 3 years are out, I’ll be able to give this school

Came here for BarBri classes so I can’t comment on any of the professors however I think I have logged enough hours in the library to last me a lifetime.
There library is meh at best. The wooden seats suck (there is no padding and it is too low), sometimes the temperature is too high or the place gets stuffy (like the AC isn’t on or something), and they are so miserly with the study rooms (they only allow Whittier students to use the rooms even if the rooms aren’t filled). But all that pales in comparison to the fact that they don’t allow you to eat or drink anything but bottled drinks. Really? Really?!? Your not going to allow ADULT LAW STUDENTS who are studying 8+ hours a day to much on some food and drink some coffee — talk about making you feel like your a 5-​year old kid again.
Have to say the location is pretty nice. You got a couple food spots within walking distance (ie. Tommy Pastrami) as well as the OC Mart (check out Portola Coffee Lab). And, coming from LA, its great when parking is never a problem.

WLS is a sham. The school has maintained an attrition rate of OVER 50% since 2007 in an attempt to get full ABA-​accreditation. While they succeeded in doing so, the students are the ones who are paying for it.
With only a couple exceptions, the professors are bottom-​shelf. Office hours are extremely limited, and often conflict with classes. Some professors (achem, Cohen) do not even hold office hours, which is a violation of ABA rules.
One of the most abhorrent practices by the school is the leasing of study rooms and class rooms to private LSAT prep companys — DURING FINALS WEEK! My study group was kicked out of a room (several times) by one of these LSAT prep companies who had leased the room that we were studying in from the school. When I brought this to the attention of Dean Carnaham (AKA: Dean Carnasham) — I was given the run-​around and told that it wouldn’t happen again. Of course, it did happen again.
WLS has a terrible reputation in the legal community. The Legal Writing program is notoriously sub-​par, and you will most likely need supplemental instruction from Flemmings in order to write competently.
Too many people I know have graduated from Whittier about $ 100k in the hole, and with no prospective employment opportunities.

I do not recommend Whittier Law School, but if your thinking about attending this school it is probably because your choices are limited. However, this school has a huge attrition rate and the school has pressure to keep its bar rates at the minimum ABA standards. Although the school had its ABA probationary period removed recently, it still needs to maintain a minimal bar passage rate which is always in question; not sure why because the education is good enough. Basically, Whittier has one of the highest attrition rates because it will not flinch twice about taking your money and expelling you; it seems more focused on its business, than supporting your ability to graduate. The cut is rough, do your own research. I believe your money can be better invested elsewhere.
If you think you may have difficulty and will need extra aid and care, do not go this route. Whittier will provide you a fair education. However, the administration, which includes these professors, have the ABA examine every minute act of the school. So, do not assume you will attain any empathy; I believe there are many former students who could attest to this assessment. It is understandable, but just a forewarning.
As a consequence, be weary if your looking for a school that will care about the struggling student. Whittier will not even attempt to meet with you to discuss your unacceptable grades, almost like they want you to get kicked out since your already a poor student rather than invest the energy and systems to improve the student’s grade. So if this happens, be proactive before it is too late. Whittier will choose to finally communicate to you only after violation of the Student Handbook; however, at this time it will be too late and your already kicked out. Even though there is an appeal process, it is a joke; unless it is something major like a death. Do not think they will care about any other reason, even if it seems legitimate to your own personal experience.
If your going to be a «good» student, then you will be fine, but if you start struggling, do not expect any empathy, esp. from the academic board or the president. You may be at a huge risk of losing your money and time because Whittier Law costs more than the worth of its degree as to attaining a job; although the education is fine, don’t expect mid to large-​size law firms to think highly of this school. You may get stuck doing contract work your first year out of law school until you can establish your own reputation in the legal field; so I recommend going to a lower ranked school that will not only care for you if your a «good» student, or try to get really good grades and transfer. To re-​emphasize, Whittier Law School will generally make the choice to favor business interest over care of the student and commitment in his/​her success. My statements are from my personal experience; I enjoyed my personal relationships with colleagues and professors, as well as the administration, but I was disappointed in my experience at Whittier Law due to the aforementioned reasons. So apply and/​or attend weary of such risks. I am a concerned former student that would not like for anyone to make an uninformed choice.

You get as much as you put in!
This school isn’t an Ivy League, but it’s ABA approved, and I enjoyed my time there.
The professors are helpful (I heart Professor Martin!), and they’ll make the time to see you. The curriculum is really focused on passing the Bar, so they have a lot of classes that are geared toward that. The exams mimmick the exams on the Bar as well. There is not too much emphasis on the actual practice of lawyering, but you can’t be a lawyer unless you pass the Bar.
I passed the Bar on my first try, and I’ll give the credit to WLS!
Hints: Take all the classes that geared toward taking the Bar! Also, take any class that Professor Heilman teaches!

I’m a 1L at Whittier and am very happy so far. I have friends going to other so-​cal law schools and every time I hear their horror stories about library hours, terrible teachers, or massive memos I smile because I’m happy in law school. Most of my teachers are great and very helpful. I truly feel that the professors are teaching because they wanna help the students learn the law. I chose Whittier because they offer a trial and appellate advocacy certificate as well as a criminal specialization, which is perfect for a future criminal defense attorney. Good luck!

Where I go to school. Where I spend as little time as possible when I’m not in class. I really like this school because I found that the professors are amazing. Another great thing that I got from this school, is the group of close friends that I have accumulated in my first year.
The campus is beautiful. Small, but nice. It’s nice to just lounge in the grassy area or bring a homemade lunch to sit outside. The classrooms are nice and clean, mostly stadium seating. However, the wi-​fi here is soooo bad. We didn’t even HAVE Wi-​Fi the first year I was here, and i hear that it was promised years before me. Now that we finally have wi-​fi, it’s off and on… and somehow, we are supposed to take our exams on the net during finals week!!! Can’t wait to see how that works! Especially since our class will be the first class to use it. Guinea pigs we are!
The parking lot is awesome. I came from UCLA where we walk everywhere, and park nowhere. Here, there are PLENTY of parking spots, so much that we take it for granted. Every time I go to UCLA and park, I bitch and moan now.
The library is also nice, but I hate that i can’t have a study room to myself. You need to have 2 or more people to get a room. This is why I don’t study here. I’m a loner when I study. I hate the common study area because you can’t eat, can’t make noise, can’t type hard, etc. I need to have coffee flowing at all times, something to munch on all the time, and I type really loud.

I am jealous that I didn’t get to write the first review! I love whittier too.
I had three great years there learning how to be a lawyer or act as obnoxious as a lawyer.

Ha! Be jealous Roxanna that you didn’t think to review this first!
I went to school here. It’s fine. I got my law degree here so I must support it and give it 5 stars! Anything else would damage my degree!
GO POETS!