Welcome, Prospective Students!

Hastings offers a vibrant intellectual community led by scholars who thrive on classroom teaching and clinical programs that enable students to develop their skills by representing clients and by assisting in decision-making as judicial externs. Theory and practice truly come together during your three years at Hastings.

J.D. students attend a full-time day program, with classes held in the fall and spring. Students enter the College in the fall.

You may attend Hastings as a transfer or visiting student. If you are a law graduate from another country, you may enroll in our international LL.M. program.

Links for Prospective Students

Features that make Hastings unique:

Hastings is located in the heart of San Francisco, near City Hall and state and federal courts. San Francisco is a thriving Pacific Rim city and sits within a 90-minute drive to Silicon Valley. The city offers many opportunities to enjoy nature, history, good food, great vistas, and more. Read more about the San Francisco community surrounding Hastings. RETURN TO TOP

J.D. Program Features

Although law schools don't have "majors," Hastings' concentrations enable students to focus their studies in an integrated manner. You may earn a certificate of concentration in one of the following areas:

• Civil Litigation
• Criminal Law
• International Law
• Public Interest Law
• Taxation

Hastings' outstanding and diverse clinical programs epitomize the College's commitment to integrating theory and practice. Clinical opportunities include:

• In-house and field-placement clinics, where students take lead responsibility in representing individual clients and in working on policy matters.
• An exciting variety of externships in courts and law offices take full advantage of Hastings' location in the heart of San Francisco.
• Simulation courses in trial advocacy, negotiation and mediation, professional role responsibilities, drafting contracts, problem solving, and other skill areas.

Each center at Hastings works in cutting-edge or innovative areas of the law and provides opportunities for students and practitioners to collaborate. Research results are shared with the legal community through special programs, events, and reports. Hastings has five on-site centers:

• Center for Gender and Refugee Studies
• Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
• Center for State and Local Government Law
• The Center for WorkLife Law
• Public Law Research Institute

LEOP recognizes that the traditional academic criteria used to determine admissions might not be the best indicators of academic potential for students from nontraditional backgrounds. LEOP admits students who have had to overcome significant obstacles and provides an academic support program to support success. Read more.

Hastings has one of the most successful and respected Moot Court Competition programs in the United States. Every year, our Moot Court teams win numerous national championships, Best Brief, and Best Oral Advocate Awards. Competitions provide practical legal experience and training. Many Hastings students say that the Moot Court experience is the best part of their law school lives. RETURN TO TOP

Students enrich their classroom learning with the education they obtain through writing for and editing law journals. Hastings has eight law journals:

• Hastings Business Law Journal>
• Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal (COMM/ENT)
• Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly (CLQ)
• Hastings International and Comparative Law Review (HICLR)
• Hastings Law Journal (HLJ)
• Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal (HRPLJ)
• West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy (WNW)
• Hastings Women's Law Journal (HWLJ)

Many Hastings students enrich their education by studying abroad. Students may design a program abroad or participate in one of the programs offered by Hastings in Argentina, Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. RETURN TO TOP

Hastings has a strong public interest law program, with many opportunities for students to serve the community. RETURN TO TOP

Hastings currently has more than 60 student organizations registered on campus. RETURN TO TOP

• Hastings has an impressive, accomplished faculty.
• You may be familiar with some law school ratings, but we suggest you look more broadly at what is said about Hastings. Visit, for example, toplawschools.com and Leiter's Law School Rankings.
• See Hastings for yourself by attending an open house, sitting in on a class, and taking a student-guided tour.

The San Francisco Community Surrounding Hastings

• The legal community is at our doorstep. Federal trial and appellate courts and state trial and appellate courts (including the California Supreme Court) are all within three blocks of Hastings.
• The Financial District, the center of the Bay Area's legal and financial community, is a 15-minute walk (or short transit ride) away.
• San Francisco's vibrant, multiethnic neighborhoods are all around us, featuring cultural activities; cafes and restaurants; and religious, political, and public service opportunities.
• The San Francisco Bay Area is known for its beauty. Find out about:
  • San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
  • San Francisco's Other Parks.
  • The Presidio of San Francisco, formerly an army base and now a national park.
  • The nation's most spectacular urban national park: Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
  • San Francisco Bay Area Hiker.
  • Free walking tours through San Francisco City Guides.
  • Parks and Recreational Opportunities in the area.
  • And that's just the beginning. Find out more about San Francisco at the Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

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