China Program

Thomas Jefferson School of Law offers an intellectually rich and stimulating academic program, taught by a distinguished and uniquely accessible faculty in a supportive atmosphere. Our student-centered academic program is engaging and interactive, and offers a balanced, comprehensive curriculum that will prepare our graduates for practice in any field, whether it is law, government, business, or social service. The J.D. curriculum is designed so that graduates will achieve the knowledge and skills outlined in the JD Program Learning Outcomes.

Rapid technological change and globalization have transformed many areas of the law and given rise to entirely new issues. Our faculty is on the cutting edge of these trends and has special expertise in the areas of law that most reflect our changing world: technological change, globalization and the transformation of our social order.

The result is a modern faculty and a vibrant academic program of exceptional strength, with particular depth in Legal Writing, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property, Entertainment Law and International Law.

Our curriculum offers the highest quality classroom instruction, with more than 155 courses, and the personal attention of our world-class faculty, as well as a great variety of hands-on learning experiences, such as our student-run clinics and real world externships.

In addition to our Juris Doctor program, Thomas Jefferson School of Law's innovative online Graduate Programs [Master's of Law (LLM), Master's of Science of Law (JSM), and Doctor of Science of Law (JSD)] are nationally ranked, and have programming for Attorneys. Except as provided in rule 4.30 of the Admissions Rules (Legal education in a foreign state or country), completion of a professional law degree program at this law school other than for the Juris Doctor degree does not qualify a student to take the California Bar Examination or satisfy the requirements for admission to practice law in California. It may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or to satisfy requirements for admission to the practice of law in any other jurisdiction. A student intending to seek admission to practice law should contact the admitting authority in the jurisdictions where the student intends to qualify to sit for the bar examination or to be admitted to practice for information regarding their legal education requirements.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law was founded in 1969 as the San Diego campus of Western State University College of Law, a privately-owned institution based in Fullerton, California. The San Diego branch was located in downtown San Diego and offered Juris Doctor Degrees to working professionals who could attend law school only part-time in the evenings.

Over the years, local students began asking school leaders to start a full-time law program. To accommodate the need, the school relocated in 1983 to a new, larger campus in historic Old Town San Diego, just a few miles north of downtown San Diego.  Soon, the school had flourishing full-time and part-time programs. 

As it grew, the school became known for its high-quality teachers, for the individual attention and support it provided its students, and for its commitment to providing opportunities to non-traditional students from all walks of life. 

In 1995, the Law School became an independent school and was renamed Thomas Jefferson School of Law.  Thereafter, in 2001, the Law School became a private, non-profit institution.  Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s current location returns the law school to its roots in downtown San Diego.  The School’s four-floor campus in a high-rise building features state of the art classrooms, library, and study space.

Located in the heart of the city’s legal community, Thomas Jefferson School of Law has evolved into an innovative, cutting-edge law school devoted to the individual needs and the success of its students and alumni. The school has alumni across the United States and around the world, with many alumni serving as leaders in the legal community, particularly in San Diego.

Thomas Jefferson offers a part-time program of evening classes, in addition to the full-time program. Learn more about the faculty, the curriculum, admissions,  and academics.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law
701 B  St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 297-9700
E-mail: admissions@tjsl.edu

At Thomas Jefferson School of Law, we are all about our students.

Our commitment to you as a student is to give you the knowledge, skills, tools and support you need to be successful from the moment you set foot on campus until the moment you walk across the stage to get your diploma – and beyond.

You will be part of a highly diverse, technologically-advanced campus with an intellectually stimulating curriculum and the most innovative academic success program to be found at any law school.

Thomas Jefferson is renowned for our highly-accessible, world-class faculty. We also have an amazing array of hands-on opportunities for our students to gain real-world legal experience.

You’ll get all of that and the paradise that is San Diego - a unique city that has so much to offer professionally, economically and recreationally.

Please explore our dynamic website to find out what makes Thomas Jefferson different from other law schools and how we can be your gateway to a fulfilling legal career.