Volume 2, Issue 1 Message from the Dean… INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Justice and Freedom to Study Law ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY 2 The study of law is a significant part of the search for justice in society. It should be GENERAL BAR PASS RATES 2 available to everyone, including the poor, working class people and those who live and THE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBIL- 4 work in cities far away from traditional ITY EXAM schools, without unreasonable restraints and REPLACEMENT DEGREE CERTIFI- 5 limitations. CATES Some of the greatest lawyers and public ser- AN INVITATION TO ALL STUDENTS 5 vants this country has ever known studied CALENDAR OF EVENTS 5 law in ways that are considered nontradi- tional.

DEAN CLANCEY RECEIVES LLM 6 The late Marvin Lewis, Sr., a famed San DEGREE Francisco Trial Lawyer, and former Califor- nia Governor Edmund G. (Pat) Brown, Sr. were both graduates of the same small eve- Quotes to live by ning law school in . Others, like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jef- Lincoln never even saw the inside of one. ferson, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice In Lincoln’s own words; he “...studied law John Marshall, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, “Let reverence for the laws with no one.” be breathed by every (Harvard) Dean Roscoe Pound, U.S. Su- American mother to the preme Court Associate Justice Robert Jack- Possibly the best and most respected Presid- son (U.S. Trial Judge at Nuremberg), Cla- ing Judge (late 1970's) the Orange County lisping babe that prattles rence Darrow, and many more, either spent Superior Court has ever had was Judge on her lap; let it be taught little or no time in law school. According to Robert Banyard who received his education in schools, seminaries, and the Lincoln biography by Carl Sandburg, in colleges; let it be written Continued on page 3 in primers, spelling books, and in almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, The NWCU Internet Campus proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in Administrators at North- website now includes a an online law library, courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the po- western Uni- discussion board where and place bookstore or- litical religion of the na- versity have been work- students can exchange ders for school materi- tion.” ing on updating and im- information with profes- als. Be sure to visit our proving our school’s sors, view and download Internet Campus located -Abraham Lincoln website. The revamped course material, link to at www.NWCULaw.edu Page 2 NWCU JOURNAL

Parlaying a Juris Doctor Degree The Bar Associations of school) have confirmed - ST. THOMAS UNI- some states may allow that they will accept VERSITY SCHOOL OF graduates of non- graduates of our JD pro- LAW - traditional law schools gram into their online nd such as ours, who have 16400 NW 32 Avenue LLM program in Interna- Miami, Florida 33054 continued on to complete tional Taxation. LLM degree programs at Phone:(305) 625-6000 ABA approved law Information regarding the In Florida Toll Free: schools, to take their bar LLM degree program at (800) 367-9006 exams for bar member- St. Thomas University Other States ship, without a require- can be obtained by con- (800) 367-9010 ment of prior active prac- tacting that school di- Website: www.STU.edu tice or bar membership rectly. The school’s mail- elsewhere. ing address, phone num- Students, prospective stu- ber and website address dents and graduates are Officials at St. Thomas are, as follows: advised to check with the University School of Law Bar of each state in which of Miami, Florida (an they wish to practice for ABA approved law eligibility rules. General Bar Pass Rates Our pass rate for first- The last published statis- admission, nor do we timers on the last Gen- tics of cumulative Gen- mandate that students eral Bar eral Bar Exam pass rates attend certain classes. Exam for a five-year period, in Instead, we provide a (July 1996, had our school’s program of the highest 2001) was five-year, first-timer pass quality with the lowest 43 per rate at 44.2 per cent (the law school tuition and cent. The highest then of all law give students the free- time be- schools in the correspon- dom to decide, for them- fore that dence law school cate- selves, whether or not (February gory). they will take bar review 2001) it courses. We strongly was 50 Our school (unlike oth- advise them to do so, per cent. It has been as ers of its type) does not while respecting each high as 75 per cent have a mandatory re- student’s individual right (February 1994). quirement that students to decide. take the LSAT before STUDENTS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS & ALUMNI Page 3

Justice and Freedom to Study Law continued from pg. 1 in law through office/chamber study. Appointed 12/24/81 by Governor Brown, Jr. American Extension School of Law* - 1958 William A. Smith, who is regarded by many to have been the best criminal trial lawyer for high profile cases in Cali- Teilh, Paul R.--Santa Clara County Superior Court fornia’s Central Valley before he recently retired, is a gradu- Election 6/80 ate of the LaSalle Correspondence Law School program. LaSalle University Law School* - 1957 Paula Turner-Abbiss, a graduate of our school, is a Deputy District Attorney for Tulare County in Visalia, California. [* LaSalle University Law School and American Extension Her current assignment is that of Juvenile Gang Prosecutor. School of Law have closed. Another graduate of our school’s correspondence law study ** Blackstone College of Law still exists, though it no program, Angel Price, holds the position of General Attor- longer offers a program leading to Bar eligibility. ] ney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commis- sion, Office of Federal Operations, in Washington, D.C. Far more numerous, are the currently sitting California Marcos Comacho received his education in law exclusively Judges who are graduates of unaccredited classroom-type through law office study and today is the General Counsel schools. for the United Farm Workers (UFW) in Keene, California. California certainly deserves credit for the variations in legal He and UCLA Law School Professor Gary Lee Blasi, who education allowed over the years to those seeking bar mem- also became a lawyer through law office study, have stated bership. This is especially so now that advanced electronic that such programs ensure us that economic obstacles will methods are available to communicate and teach. Education not prevent anyone from studying law. of the type President Lincoln received, through the reading Correspondence law school graduates also include the fol- of law books, can nowadays be supplemented with modern lowing named individuals who became California Judges: technologies such as videotapes, audiotapes, and computer online programs and libraries. Now, more than ever, alter- Banducci, Dominic D.--Humboldt County Municipal Court native methods of education can and should exist. Appointed 2/29/90 by Board of Supervisors LaSalle University Law School*-1978 Law schools like McGeorge School of Law of Sacramento (now a fully accredited and ABA approved law school) ini- Baysinger, Robert--San Joaquin County Municipal Court tially held classes in the living room of Mr. McGeorge, its Appointed 6/1/84 by Governor Deukmejian founder. It later moved to a couple of rented classrooms at a LaSalle University Law School* - 1972 local business college. From there, it moved to a small, leased premises and stayed there for many years. Over a Bishop, Eugene R.--Riverside County Superior Court period of decades, though not accredited until 1964, it pro- Appointed 3/27/85 by Governor Deukmejian duced some of the finest lawyers and jurists that the Sacra- Blackstone College of Law** - 1960 mento Valley and California has ever had.

Judge William White, for example, was one of the early Hoff, Michael R.--Los Angeles County Superior Court McGeorge graduates. He served on the Sacramento County Appointed 12/2/91 by Governor Deukmejian Superior Court Bench until his death in 1990 and was LaSalle University Law School* - 1971 thought of by many to be the best judge ever to have served

in Sacramento. His superior knowledge of the law and won- Jager, Jacob H.--San Bernardno County Municipal Court derful judicial temperament were displayed repeatedly in the Appointed 1/12/76 by Governor Brown, Jr. many complex cases that were assigned to him over the LaSalle University Law School* - 1969 years.

Rowland, Ronald D.--Humboldt County Municipal Court California has other, now fully accredited law schools with Election 6/26/84 beginnings similar to that of McGeorge. Golden Gate Col- LaSalle University Law School* - 1974 lege, School of Law (originally incorporated as the Y.M.C.A. Law School); the University of Southern Califor- Sullivan, Orville W.--Imperial County Superior Court nia Law Center (originally established as Los Angeles

Continued on pg.4 Page 4 NWCU JOURNAL

Justice and Freedom to Study Law continued from pg. 3

School of Law); California Western School of Law Committee of Bar Examiners is invited to participate in each (formerly Balboa Law College); Southwestern University review of a law school. School of Law; the University of Santa Clara School of Unaccredited and correspondence law schools not approved Law; the University of San Francisco Law School and oth- by the Bureau are not allowed to register with the California ers, all started as small, austere, part-time (evening) law Committee of Bar Examiners. Accordingly, students con- schools that were established to teach law to working class tinuing at non- BPPVE approved law schools are not al- people. Each school’s success has been exemplified from lowed to take the California Bar Exam. their beginnings, by graduates who have served their com- munities as lawyers and jurists. The BPPVE approved law study programs provided by un- accredited and correspondence law schools in California The State of California’s initial and follow-up review of un- provide needed opportunities to deserving citizens. accredited and correspondence law schools now protects the students of those schools. A large majority of the students in these schools possess bachelor degrees, and a substantial number are working indi- Currently, a list of State approved schools is maintained by viduals with postgraduate degrees. These people clearly the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Educa- deserve economic freedom to evaluate their own decisions tion (BPPVE), a branch of the California Department of regarding their pursuit of academic endeavors in the field of Consumer Affairs. Schools that are not classified as law. “approved” by BPPVE are not allowed to issue degrees un- der California State Authority. This is a result of sweeping In my opinion, the State of California has done a wonderful changes made to California Education Code Section 94310 job providing that freedom, and in the process has made the et. seq. To receive state approval, a school (including unac- study of law open and accessible. credited and correspondence law schools) must comply with

very particular regulatory requirements and successfully un- dergo a thorough investigation by a visiting committee sent • President and Dean Michael P. Clancey to the school by the Bureau. A representative from the

The Professional Responsibility Exam Students who haven't already in giving the exam. needed to make arrangements to taken the separate Professional take the Professional Responsibil- Responsibility Exam, and are be- The professional responsibility ity Exam is, as follows: yond their exam is only given in the months first year of of March, August and November. law school, It can be taken in most of the states of the United States, as well as in NATIONAL CONFERENCE need to OF BAR EXAMINERS make ar- Guam, Palau, the Northern rangements Mariana Islands and the US Virgin PO Box 4001 Islands. with the NA- Iowa City, Iowa 52243-4001 TIONAL CONFERENCE OF Most students take the Profes- USA BAR EXAMINERS to do so. sional Responsibility Exam before This entity administers that exam they take the General Bar Exam. Phone: (319) 341-2500 and sends the results to the Cali- It can be taken at any time after Website: www.ncbex.org fornia Committee of Bar Exam- completion of the first year of law iners, which is not itself involved school. The contact information STUDENTS, FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS & ALUMNI Page 5

Replacement Degree Certificates Our Graduates who re- embossed school seal. current delivery ad- ceived NWCU Degree Cost includes all ship- dress (cannot be deliv- Certificates before ping and handling ered to a P.O. Box). 1997 may replace fees. Your new Northwestern them with our newer To order your replace- California University version. The cost of ment certificate please Degree Certificate will the classic-styled re- send a signed request arrive approximately 4- placement certificate and a check, made out 6 weeks after we re- is $35. This charge in- to Northwestern Cali- ceive your request. cludes a premium, fornia University. leather-like presenta- tion folder with gold Please include your An Invitation To All Students We would like to feature sues. your professional life, or articles written by our tell us how you became Think your story isn’t of students in the NWCU interested in the legal interest? Just try us. JOURNAL. And to help field. Stories can be of Being a non-traditional get you interested we’re any length. school, we have a di- offering to send a North- verse student body. Let You can email your story western California Uni- your fellow students to: [email protected] versity School of Law T- know what skills have or fax it to the attention Shirt to any student or helped you study law. of Kelly Spruiell at 916- Alumnus whose article Inform us how your edu- 487-5681. is featured in future is- cation has improved CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• June 22, 2002 - Mock Baby Bar at Northwestern California University in Sacramento (call for more information)

• June 25, 2002 - First Year Law Students’ Exam

• July 30, 31 & August 1, 2002 - General Bar Exam

• October 19, 2002 - Mock Baby Bar at Northwestern California University in Sacramento (call for more information)

• October 22, 2002 First Year Law Students’ Exam NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY School of Law

3620 American River Drive, Suite 115 Sacramento, CA 95836 Phone: 916-480-9470 Fax: 916-487-5681

Visit us on the Web for more information and student services www.NWCULaw.edu

Dean Clancey Receives LLM Degree from Regent University

In May of 2001 Dean Mi- national taxation with a knowledge of law chael P. Clancey gradu- particular focus on global through the struc- ated from Regent Univer- and offshore planning. It tured coursework sity School of Law in allowed students to also and the independ- Virginia Beach, Virginia examine areas of interna- ent research re- with a Master of Laws tional tax practice of par- quired for comple- (LL.M.) degree in Inter- ticular interest to them. tion of the Regent national Taxation. program. Dean Clancey, who re- The LL.M. Program at ceived his Juris Doctor Regent University con- (J.D.) degree in 1973 sisted of coursework de- from Western State Uni- signed to provide a so- versity , recently stated phisticated background in that he appreciated the basic principles of inter- opportunity to further his