San Joaquin College of Law (SJCL) is a private, non-profit law school in Clovis, California, US. It was founded in Fresno in 1969 by Fresno County Municipal Court Judge Dan Eymann, U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger, and attorney John Loomis. The school began instruction in 1970.
In 1996, SJCL relocated to the original Clovis High School building, following a multimillion-dollar renovation. The structure was built in 1920, but had deteriorated to the point where a coyote was living in the basement. The renovation, including a new courtroom, lecture hall, and enlarged library, allowed the Law School to expand, while still maintaining the historic character of the building. There remains no comparable institution for 120 miles (190Â km) in any direction in the central San Joaquin Valley.
More than 33% of the total practicing lawyers in Fresno County are SJCL graduates, including 39% of women and 39% of Hispanic lawyers.
Accreditation
San Joaquin College of Law Virtual Visit - A virtual visit of the San Joaquin College of Law campus located in Clovis, CA.
San Joaquin College of Law is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). SJCL is approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. Its most recent bar examination pass rate for first-time takers was 59 percent.
Cumulative Bar Pass Rate
All California approved law schools are required to calculate their bar pas rates for the preceding five-year reporting period. This data is used by the Committee of Bar Examiners to evaluate "the qualitative soundness of a law school's program of legal education." For the period ranging from August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2014, San Joaquin College of Law's five-year cumulative bar pass rate is 83%.
San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review
The San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review (SJALR), published by SJCL students since 1991, circulates nationwide. It is the oldest and one of only three law reviews in the United States focusing on agriculture law.
New American Legal Clinic
The New American Legal Clinic (NALC) is a non-profit immigration law clinic that operates out of San Joaquin College of Law. There is both a classroom and practical component to the clinical course which is offered every fall, spring and summer session. There is a director and legal director as well as clinical staff that instruct and assist the students in completing and filing cases with the Department of Homeland Security/USCIS as well as the immigration courts. Cases are handled by students and supervised by professors. The NALC Clinic is also recognized as a source of information for media, practitioners, immigrants’ rights groups and collaboratives and agricultural and other industry employers in the Central San Joaquin Valley of California.
Family Law Mediation Clinic
Students and faculty of San Joaquin College of Law provide alternative dispute resolution services in a free family law mediation clinic. They meet with husband and wife in the mediation setting to help them negotiate a legal agreement while avoiding the time and expense of going to court. In their role as mediators, they do not represent either party, nor do they represent the parties jointly.
Notable people
Notable faculty
- Magistrate Judge Stanley Boone
- Anthony P. Capozzi (1974â€"1978) Criminal law
- Superior Court Judge Hilary Chittick
- Superior Court Judge Jonathan Conklin
- Superior Court Judge Mark Cullers
- Magistrate Judge Erica Grosjean
- Superior Court Judge Kimberly Nystrom-Geist
- U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Joseph O'Neill (1986â€"1992)
- Superior Court Judge Michael Sheltzer
- U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger (1970â€"1991)
Notable alumni
- State officials
- Diana Dooley (J.D. 1995) Secretary, California Health and Human Services Agency
- United States Bankruptcy Court Judge
- W. Richard Lee, Eastern District of California
- United States Magistrate Judge
- Gary S. Austin, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- California Superior Court Judges
- James Aaron (resignation in lieu of removal), Fresno County
- Brian Alvarez, Fresno County
- Mark Bacciarini, Merced County
- Monica Diaz, Fresno County
- Glenda Doan (removed), Kings County
- Eric Helgesen (retired), Riverside County
- Efren N. Iglesia, Monterey County
- Michael J. Jurkovich, Madera County
- Rosemary T. McGuire, Fresno County
- Kimberly Nystrom-Geist, Fresno County
- Don Penner, Fresno County
- James Petrucelli, Fresno County
- R. I. "Chip" Putnam (retired), Fresno County
- Angus Saint-Evens (retired), Glenn County
- Houry Sanderson, Fresno County
- Alan Simpson, Fresno County
- Donna Tarter, Kings County
- Charles Wieland, Madera County
- Federal and State Administrative Law Judges
- Jose Banuelos (retired)
- Catherine Benko
- Edward Carrillo Jr.
- Eileen Deimerly
- James Donabed
- William Gunn
- Walter Johnsen
- Sharon Madsen
- Christine Nijjer
- Elizabeth Parker (retired)
- Debra Sandoval
- Geoffrey Sims
- Nancy Smith (retired)
- Barbara St. Louis (retired)
- Mary Thornton
- Georgia York (retired)
- Duane Young
Notes
References
External links
- Official website
36°49′28″N 119°41′51″W