ABA Required Disclosures

The following information is provided to ensure accessibility and transparency of information about the law school. The College’s accreditors, the American Bar Association (ABA) and WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), require that certain information be made easily available on a public website. It is always the school’s goal to make data accessible to our constituencies, so we maintain this page as a landing page for many pieces of key information that may be available on other pages of the website. If you have any questions about this page or the information contained or referenced on it, please do not hesitate to contact the Director of Accreditation & Assessment, Andrea Bing, at wellesan@uchastings.edu or (415) 565-4733.

ABA Standard 509 Information Reports

• 2022 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2021 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2020 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2019 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2018 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2017 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2016 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2015 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2014 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2013 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2012 Standard 509 Information Report
• 2011 Standard 509 Information Report

Bar Passage Rates

• 2023 ABA Bar Passage Report (includes 2022 First Time and 2019 Ultimate Bar Passage)
• 2022 ABA Bar Passage Report (includes 2021 First Time and 2019 Ultimate Bar Passage)
• 2021 ABA Bar Passage Report (includes 2020 First Time and 2018 Ultimate Bar Passage)
• 2020 ABA Bar Passage Report (includes 2019 First Time and 2017 Ultimate Bar Passage)
• 2019 ABA Bar Passage Report (includes 2018 First Time and 2016 Ultimate Bar Passage)
• 2018 ABA Bar Passage Report (includes 2016 and 2017 First Time Passage)
• Please refer to the UC Law SF /  UC Law SF ABA Standard 509 Information Report (above) for bar passage rates prior to the 2018 Report.

For more information on Bar Requirements and Resources, UC Law SF students should consult the Bar Passage Support Page on the Intranet.

General Information

• Student Handbook
• Course Catalog

History

Founded in 1878 by Serranus Clinton Hastings, the first Chief Justice of California, the University of California, Hastings College of the Law was California’s first law school and has been at the center of the legal community in the West for more than 120 years. On January 1, 2023 the College changed its name to the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

Mission

UC Law SF serves society as a center of higher learning committed to exceptional teaching, influential scholarship, and exemplary public service. We provide a rigorous, innovative, and inclusive legal education that prepares diverse students to excel as professionals, advance the rule of law, and further justice.

J.D. Program Learning Outcomes

1. Doctrinal and Substantive Knowledge
: Students will be able to identify, explain, and employ basic concepts, theories, procedures, and rules of law in both core legal areas and in their own chosen area(s) of specialization.
2. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: Students will be able to analyze, assess, and form independent judgments on a variety of legal issues, and will use these skills to solve client legal problems.
3. Practical and Communication Skills: Students will be able to gather and analyze evidence, communicate effectively in appropriate written and oral formats with a multiplicity of audiences, and demonstrate other professional skills.
4. Research Skills: Students will be able to independently retrieve, organize, analyze and evaluate paper and electronic legal and interdisciplinary sources, and differentiate between the types and relevance of authorities.
5. Professionalism: Students will demonstrate the professional skills necessary for effective and ethical participation in the legal profession.
6. Public Service: Students will be able to describe the roles and responsibilities of lawyers in overcoming obstacles to legal access and in promoting social justice.

Admissions FAQ

How we evaluate applications

Annual Fees

(2017-18 through 2022-23)

Academic Year

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

Resident Tuition/Fees*

$44,326

 $44,326

$44,480

$44,628

$44,728

$46,034

Non-Resident Tuition/Fees

$50,326

 $50,326

$50,480

$50,628

$50,628

$52,454

Estimated Living Expenses (9 months)

$26,508

$26,508

$26,508

$29,662

$29,662

$29,662

*Includes Enrollment Fee, Activity Fee, and Health Services Fee. Does not include UCSHIP Insurance Premium, which can be waived.

For more detailed and current information visit our Tuition and Fees page.

UC Law SF Board of Directors

UC Law SF Faculty

Employment Outcomes

Find employment statistics 

Credit Hour Policy:

• UC Law SF follows the ABA policy on credit hours (see Standard 310).
• The relevant Standard and Interpretations are below:

Standard 310. DETERMINATION OF CREDIT HOURS FOR COURSEWORK

(a) A law school shall adopt, publish, and adhere to written policies and procedures for determining the credit hours that it awards for coursework.

(b) A “credit hour” is an amount of work that reasonably approximates:

(1) not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of-class student work per week for fifteen weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

(2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in subparagraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including simulation, field placement, clinical, co-curricular, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Interpretation 310-1

Based on the fifty minutes of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of-class student work per week over the fifteen-week (or its equivalent) period required by the Standard, at least 42.5 hours of total in-class instruction and out-of-class student work is required per credit [15 x 50 minutes + 15 x 2 hours]. Time devoted to taking a required final examination may count toward the in-class time required, and time devoted to studying for a required final examination may count toward the out-of-class time required. However, merely scheduling a general “exam week” or “exam weeks” does not permit allocating “exam time” to every class. In order to count time spent studying for and taking a final examination, an exam of appropriate length must be required for the particular class.

Interpretation 310-2

A school may award credit hours for coursework that extends over any period of time, if the coursework entails no less than the minimum total amounts of classroom or direct faculty instruction and of out-of-class student work (42.5 hours) specified in Standard 310(b).

Transfer of Credit Policy:

Policies on the acceptance of transfer credits are outlined in the Academic Regulations and can be found on the following page on Visiting Another Law School.

Application requirements can be found on the Transfer Student page.

UC Law SF has articulation, exchange, 3+3, or concurrent degree agreements with different institutions for the following programs:

Concurrent degrees with:

• UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business (Concurrent JD/MBA)
• Presidio Graduate School (Concurrent JD/MBA)
• UC Davis Graduate School of Management (Concurrent JD/MBA in the process of being formalized/approved)

Exchange Programs with:

• Vermont Law School
• Austral University
• University of New South Wales
• Peking University Law School
• Shanghai Jiao Tong University, KoGuan Law School
• University of Copenhagen
• Bucerius Law School
• Freie University
• Central European University
• Tel Aviv University
• Bocconi University
• The International University College of Turin
• Waseda University
• Hitotsubashi University
• Leiden University
• Instituto de Empresa Law School
• The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)

Concurrent JD/LLM Programs

• University Paris II
• The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)

Library Resources:

• UC Law SF Library

Accreditation

Complaint Process

The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco takes very seriously complaints and concerns regarding the institution. Most complaints should be resolved at the campus level.

The Student Complaints and Grievances Procedures outlines the process for a student to file a grievance against a specific person or department at UC Law SF. The nature of the complaint determines to whom the complaint should be made.

Consult our Harassment and Discrimination Reporting Procedures page for more information with regards to harassment prevention and the complaint process.

If your complaint regarding UC Law SF has not been resolved at the campus level, you may present your complaint as follows:

1. If your complaint is associated with the institution’s compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards you may file a complaint with WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), the regional agency that accredits UC Law SF’s academic programs, or with the American Bar Association.

A. To file a complaint with WSCUC, go to http://www.wascsenior.org/comments.

B. To file a formal complaint that the Law School is not in Compliance with American Bar Association (ABA) Standards, please use the following process:

1. A Student who wishes to assert that the College is not in compliance with one or more ABA Standards should file a written complaint with the Academic Dean, specifying the College’s alleged failure to comply and citing to the specific ABA Standard or Standards at issue.
   • The complaint may be submitted by email, US Mail, or personal delivery.
   • The complaint should include the Student’s contact information to facilitate further communication.
   • The absence of contact information may prevent a thorough investigation and/or resolution of the matter. When contact information is available, the Academic Dean shall acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 5 business days.
2. The Academic Dean shall investigate the alleged failure to comply with the ABA Standard and provide the Student with a written response within 30 calendar days of receipt of the assertion. The written response shall provide a substantive response to the complaint, describing the steps taken to investigate.
3. If the complaint is found to be valid, the written response shall include steps to be taken or already taken to address a failure to comply.
4. If the Student is dissatisfied with the Academic Dean’s response to or resolution of the complaint, the Student may file a written appeal with the Dean. The appeal must be filed within 30 calendar days of the Academic Dean’s response.
5. The Dean shall either affirm or reverse, in whole or in part, the Academic Dean’s determination. The Dean’s response will be communicated to the Student within 30 calendar days of receipt of the appeal. The Dean’s decision shall be final.
6. The College shall maintain a record of each complaint and its resolution in the Academic Dean’s office for a period of 8 years from the date of final resolution of the complaint.

2. For all other complaints about UC Law SF that are not about compliance with academic program quality and accrediting standards, you may file a complaint:

a. At this website: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/23531/index.html.  Your complaint will be conveyed to appropriate college officials and may be shared with other relevant parties.

b. To the State Attorney General by contacting the Public Inquiry Unit of the California State Department of Justice using on‐line forms available at:

• http://ag.ca.gov/contact/complaint_form.php?cmplt=PL.
• Or by telephone or fax: Public Inquiry Unit    Voice: (916) 322‐3360   or (Toll‐free in California) (800) 952‐5225   Fax: (916) 323‐5341

*UC Law SF has provided this disclosure to you in compliance with the requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, as regulated in CFR 34, Sections 600.9 (b) (3) and 668.43(b).

Academic Freedom

The Faculty Executive Committee adopted this policy in 2011 after consultation with individual faculty members.

UC Law SF is committed to the principle that the pursuit of knowledge and the free expression of ideas is at the heart of the academic mission, whether in the classroom, in the selection of clinical projects and clients, and in research, scholarship, public presentations, and contributions to public fora. This is especially true when the ideas or subjects are unpopular or controversial in society, as orthodox ideas need no protection.  No person or organization outside the academic community should be permitted to determine which ideas or projects may be explored, expressed, supported or endorsed.

With the rights and privileges of academic freedom come corresponding responsibilities.  All faculty and students should strive to make accurate statements and voice opinions that have been reflected upon after a sincere attempt to understand contrary views.  This does not mean that any member of the academic community is responsible for representing all views on a controversial matter, only that community members should aspire to issue opinions after making a good-faith effort to appreciate why others believe differently.

In an age where public funding of universities has diminished vastly, it becomes acutely important to ensure that the influence of money not be permitted to dictate academic decisions.  Private donors may, of course, give or withhold gifts as they see fit, but members of the academic community have a responsibility to exercise independent judgment on academic decisions, and it is further the responsibility of other members of the community to protect the right of fellow members to make such independent judgments.

UC Law SF fully subscribes to the American Association of University Professors’ Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, which can be accessed at http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/policydocs/contents/1940statement.htm

Statement Regarding Opinions Voiced by Members of the UC Law SF Community or by Non-Members on the UC Law SF Campus

The Faculty Executive Committee adopted this policy in 2011 after consultation with individual faculty members.

The comments or opinions expressed by speakers at events held on the UC Law SF campus are the speakers’ own and should not be taken as a statement, opinion, position, or endorsement by UC Law SF.

The comments or opinions expressed by UC Law SF faculty, staff or students in any kind of publication or public forum are their own and should not be taken as a statement, opinion, position, or endorsement by UC Law SF.