School of Law

Golden Gate University School of Law is reopening its Juris Doctor program in Fall 2027. Learn more below, or have one of our enrollment advisors answer your questions.

San Francisco’s Law School Since 1901

Our innovative curriculum offers students the flexibility to select from a wide range of electives and practical training opportunities that help them explore their career interests. Our courses are taught by exceptional faculty, who have expertise across a broad range of academic fields and areas of legal study.

GGU Law will continue to offer a JD, as well as an LLM in Taxation and Master of Law Studies.

Current SJD and LLM students can find program information in the University Catalog.

GGU School of Law Programs


Program

Degree Level

Format

Field

Language

 

Law Studies, MLS

Master’s

Online, Hybrid

Law

Taxation Law

Graduate Certificate

Online

Law, Taxation

Taxation, LLM

Master’s

Online

Law, Taxation

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125 Years of Legal Education in San Francisco

Founded in 1901, Golden Gate University School of Law was the first Northern California law school with an evening program and is one of the oldest law schools in the Western United States.

The School of Law provides practical legal training combined with solid legal theory. Students are challenged to view law not merely as rules to be mastered, but as social policies to be explored and questioned. Through clinical offerings, a respected litigation program and a comprehensive writing curriculum, students build skills in analysis, document drafting, advocacy, trial technique, counseling, interviewing and negotiating.

The School of Law is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

The Law School Experience

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Clinics and Externships

Our award-winning clinics provide students with rich opportunities to receive practical training and gain valuable experience, all while leading the fight on critical social justice issues.

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AI in Legal Practice

Every GGU Law student learns to use AI as a tool of the trade. The practical and ethical uses of AI in legal research, drafting and client service are integrated across the curriculum rather than taught as a single course.

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Student Success

Academic support is built into every GGU Law program, from orientation through bar preparation.

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Bar Preparation

GGU Law provides students no-cost bar prep materials from the moment they enter school until the time they pass the Bar, through our partnership with Themis Bar Review.

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Career Development

We are here to guide you in your professional development, including career counseling, networking and recruiting programs, career panels, and more.

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Accessible Education

We are committed to working with students and employees with disabilities or temporary injuries to achieve full and equal access to all aspects of life at GGU.

Innovation is Our Tradition

U.S. News and World Report, Best Grad Schools, Law Trial Advocacy 2023-2024

U.S. News and World Report
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U.S. News and World Report Best Grad Schools, Law, Clinical Training 2023-2024

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Clinical Training
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What I received at Golden Gate is a unique set of skills that I can take anywhere in life. The expertise that I received transcends across my many careers in real estate, finance, law, and have taken me from Presiding Judge to District Attorney.

Accreditation and Consumer Information

Golden Gate University School of Law has applied to the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 538-2000, calbar.ca.gov, for accreditation of its Juris Doctor program. The application is pending. Until the Committee grants accreditation, GGU makes no representation that graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the California Bar Examination.

Golden Gate University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001.

Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or be licensed to practice law in jurisdictions other than California. A student who intends to seek licensure to practice law outside of California at any time during their career should contact the admitting authority for information regarding its education and licensure requirements prior to enrolling at this law school.

In compliance with California Business and Professions Code Section 6061.7(a), GGU School of Law provides the following information about its J.D. program:

[State Bar of California J.D. Disclosure Statement (PDF)]
[Bar Examination Pass Rates]
First available after the inaugural class sits for the bar.
Accredited Law School Rules and Guidelines, State Bar of California