Golden Gate University School of Law
Golden Gate University School of Law (informally referred to as GGU School of Law, GGU Law and Golden Gate Law) is one of the professional graduate schools of Golden Gate University. Located in downtown San Francisco, California, GGU is a California non-profit corporation and is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). History. GGU School of Law was founded in the autumn of 1901 as the YMCA Evening Law School, offering the first evening law program in the state of California. Like other YMCA Law Schools across the nation, it was established  to provide full-time workers the opportunity to attend law school at night. The first graduating class in June 1905 had four male students. As a component of the San Francisco Central YMCA, classes were held in the YMCA's five-story building at the northeast corner of Mason and Ellis Streets in the Tenderloin until it was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. After the earthquake, the school was conducted out of tents and later leased space at 1220 Geary Street, now Geary Boulevard, in the Western Addition. On June 1, 1910, the school was incorporated as the  YMCA Law College for the purpose of conferring LL.B degrees under authority of law. In November 1910, the Law College moved with the YMCA to its purpose-built home at 220 Golden Gate Ave in the Tenderloin. The Law College's graduates enjoyed the diploma privilege from 1915 to its abolition in 1917. In 1923, the Law College and the YMA's local educational programs incorporated as "Golden Gate College," separating from the San Francisco Central YMCA. The college became fully independent of the YMCA in 1962. In December 1964, the school moved to its present location, a 1924 warehouse  known as the "Allyne Building" at 536 Mission Street near 1st Street in the South of Market, with the rest of the college moving there in June 1968. In September 1966, the law school added a full-time three-year day program. Following the national trend, the school replaced the Bachelor of Laws with the Doctor of Jurisprudence on December 1, 1967, effective spring 1968. The law school held provisional accreditation from the ABA from 1956 until full approval was granted in 1971. In 1972, the college elevated to university status and became "Golden Gate University," with "Golden Gate University  School of Law" as its law school. A new "west wing" of the university was completed in 1979, where most of the school's classroom space is now located. Academics and degrees. The school offers a first degree in law (J.D.) and first graduate degrees in law (LL.M. and doctoral S.J.D.) programs in intellectual property, environmental law, taxation, U.S. legal studies and international law. Students also may earn combined degrees: J.D./M.B.A. with Golden Gate University's Ageno School of Business or J.D./Ph.D. with Palo Alto University. In 1978, the law school developed a graduate legal program in taxation. In  the 1990s, the school developed a graduate legal program in environmental law and an International Legal Studies Program. The law school's Public Interest Scholars Program includes the Environmental Law and Justice Clinic, Veteran's Legal Advocacy Center, and the Women's Employment Rights Clinic. In 1994, the school's Environmental Law and Justice Clinic (ELJC) was founded. The Clinic provides pro bono legal support to low-income and minority communities suffering from pollution and environmental impacts. It has received numerous awards for its collaboration with grassroots, regional, and national groups in effecting change, most notably for bringing attention to  the health disparities resulting from pollution concentrated in the Bayview Hunters-Point neighborhood of San Francisco. The Clinic's work with other groups and the City of San Francisco resulted in the closure of two power plants and the prevention of other power plants from being built in Bayview-Hunters Point. In its third decade, the Clinic has focused attention on clean drinking water for low-income communities while also continuing its work to reduce air pollution and to support clients who have long made the connection between civil rights and environmental benefits and harms. In 1998, the school established  the Honors Lawyering Program through which students participate in two full-time, semester-long legal apprenticeships. Accreditation. The school has been accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since August 1956. Golden Gate graduates qualify to take the bar exam in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The School of Law held provisional accreditation from the ABA longer than any other in history, from August 30, 1956 until full approval was granted on July 6, 1971. The school has also been accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California since 1940. It is  also a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). On an institution-wide basis, Golden Gate University has been fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) since 1959. It was accredited by what is now the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools from 1950. Bar passage rates. 44% of Golden Gate graduates who took the California bar for the first time in October 2020 passed, vs. a statewide average of 74% for first-timers and an 84% average for graduates of ABA-approved California law schools. Cost of attendance. The total cost of attendance (indicating  the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) for continuing students at Golden Gate University School of Law for the 2018-2019 academic year was $77,750. Post-graduation employment. According to Golden Gate University School of Law's official 2020 ABA-required disclosures, 34.6% of the Class of 2019 obtained full-time, long-term employment in positions that required bar passage. 62.6% of the Class of 2019 obtained some form of employment within nine months of graduation, while 21.5% of graduates were unemployed and seeking employment. Rankings. The law school is ranked #148-194 (bottom quartile) overall and #54 -69 (bottom quartile) in part-time law by "U.S. News & World Report." In 2018, the law school received an "A+" in The National Jurist's rankings in the "Best For Diversity" category. For three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018, Golden Gate University was ranked #1 in the nation for "adult learners" by "Washington Monthly." In 2005, the law school's Environmental Law Program was ranked #18 in the nation and #3 in California by "U.S. News & World Report".