Welcome from Dean Frederic White

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the World Wide Web pages of Golden Gate University School of Law. I greet you in the name of an educational institution that for more than 100 years has been guided by a proud tradition of access, diversity, innovation, and opportunity.

In 1901, when we began as a YMCA night school, our mission was to provide an opportunity for working people -- whose path into the legal profession would have otherwise been closed -- to complete their legal education at night. Since our humble beginnings we have evolved into a nationally recognized educational institution offering both day and evening JD programs, as well as a number of LLM programs.

We are located in the heart of the Bay Area, in downtown San Francisco. Thus, we are surrounded by the vibrant cultural, commercial, and legal center of one of the greatest cities in the world. Our location and reputation has enabled us to attract unsurpassed talent in teaching and in scholarship. In addition to their teaching and scholarship skills, our faculty members also act as concerned and effective mentors for our students.

Golden Gate's mission stresses both the abstract and the practical side of the law. Our students simultaneously learn legal theory and how to be intelligent, effective, and committed lawyers. Some become judges; some work in private law firms. Still others serve in corporations or in government agencies. In addition, some do not practice law at all, but use the skills they acquired at Golden Gate in the business world. From a career standpoint, our students develop strong and personal legal networks throughout the outside world.

Our graduates have made their mark upon the legal profession in the Bay Area, throughout California, and in every major city in the country. Further, because of our numerous LLM programs, many of our graduates continue to make a significant impact on the global legal stage.

Please bookmark our website. The materials contained here will offer you a "portrait" of our law school, including information about our diverse student body, our distinguished faculty, our academic programs, our alumni activities, as well as law school news, events and services. We are guided by a spirit of cooperation that makes Golden Gate an outstanding resource for the City of San Francisco, the legal profession in general, and our students and alumni. Contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Frederic White, Dean