LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 805.644.2327 ׀ South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, California, 93003 1280 www.southerncaliforniainstituteoflaw.com LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS HISTORY 100.0 – HISTORY MISSION 101.0 - MISSION STATEMENT 101.1 - COMMITMENT TO FIRST AMENDMENT FREE SPEECH PRINCIPLES RESERVED RIGHTS 102.0 - GENERAL PROVISIONS 102.1 - RESERVATION OF RIGHTS LAW SCHOOL POLICY OF NON-DISCRIMINATION 103.0 - NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY INFORMATION REQUESTS 104.0 – INFORMATION ACCREDITATION 105.0 – LAW SCHOOL ACCREDITATION 105.1 - ADMISSION TO PRACTICE LAW OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA 105.2 – THE FIRST YEAR LAW STUDENTS’ EXAM (“FYLSX”) 105.3 - FOREIGN STUDENTS 105.4 - STATEMENT OF GOOD FINANCIAL STANDING ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 106.0 - CORPORATE STATUS 106.1 - BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE LAW SCHOOL’S ADMINISTRATION 107.0 – ADMINISTRATION THE LAW DEAN'S MESSAGE 108.0 - MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN THE JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE PROGRAM 109.0 - OVERVIEW 109.1 - PROGRAM DURATION 109.2 - ACADEMIC GOOD STANDING; PROBATION; AND EXCLUSION FIRST-YEAR LAW STUDENTS EXAM (FYLSX OR “BABY BAR”) 110.0 – STUDY AFTER THE FIRST YEAR OF LAW CATALOG 11-2020-2022 i LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS 111.0 - ADMISSIONS- JURIS DOCTOR PROGRAM 111.1 - ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS (J.D.) - REGULAR STUDENTS 111.2 - ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS (J.D.) - SPECIAL STUDENTS 111.3 - STUDENT ADMISSIONS, ACCEPTANCE AND DECLINES TRANSFERRING STUDENTS 112.0 - ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS (J.D.) - TRANSFER STUDENTS CREDIT TRANSFERS 113.0 - TRANSFERABILITY OF CREDITS 113.1 - TRANSFERABILITY OF CREDITS AND CREDENTIALS EARNED AT THE LAW SCHOOL PRE-LAW BACKGROUND 114.0 - PRE-LAW BACKGROUND FOR J.D. PROGRAM THE J.D. PROGRAM INSTRUCTION METHOD 115.0 - METHOD OF INSTRUCTION 115.1 - DISTANCE LEARNING 115.2 - CREDIT HOUR CALCULATION POLICY THE REGULAR ACADEMIC YEAR 116.0 – THE REGULAR ACADEMIC YEAR STUDENT ORIENTATION 117.0 – ORIENTATION 117.1 - STUDENT POLICY MANUAL 117.2 – ONLINE LOGINS -GENERAL INFORMATION FORMAL REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT 118.0 – FORMAL REGISTRATION 118.1 – LIMITED EXCEPTION STUDENT REGISTRATION WITH THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA 119.0 - REGISTRATION WITH THE COMMITTEE OF BAR EXAMINERS 119.1 - TRANSCRIPT VALIDATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA 120.0 – NOTICE 120.1 – REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA-GENERALLY 120.2 – LAW STUDENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT 120.3 – THE MULTISTATE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY EXAMINATION CATALOG 11-2020-2022 ii LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 120.4 - THE MORAL CHARACTER EXAM 120.5 – THE CALIFORNIA GENERAL BAR EXAM 120.6 – NOTE: ADMISSION TO PRACTICE LAW OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA THE LAW SCHOOL'S INSTRUCTION SCHEDULE; CLASS TIMES; FACILITIES; EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS 121.0 - INSTRUCTION SCHEDULE 121.1 - CLASS TIMES 121.2 - PROGRAM FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS 121.3 - LAW LIBRARIES 121.4 - COURSE MATERIALS 121.5 - LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS ACADEMIC COUNSELING 122.0 - DEANS AND FACULTY ACADEMIC COUNSELING 122.1 - INDIVIDUAL STUDENT COUNSELING & MENTORING STUDENT GROUPS 123.0 - STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION 123.1 - STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES THE LAW SCHOOL’S ALUM 124.0 - ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS 125.0 - SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS 125.1 - STUDENT PRIVACY 125.2 - EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE 125.3 – HOUSING 125.4 - STUDENT E-MAIL ACCOUNTS 125.5 - STUDENT FREE SPEECH 125.6 – STUDENT IDENTITY VERIFICATION-ONLINE EDUCATION LEAVE OF ABSENCE 126.0 - LEAVE OF ABSENCE POLICIES 126.1 – JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE PROGRAM COMPLETION 126.2 - STUDENT RECORD RETENTION CURRICULUM 127.0 - CURRICULUM OVERVIEW 127.1 - CURRICULUM (REQUIRED) 127.2 – FIRST YEAR LAW STUDENTS’ NOTICE 127.3 – TRACK A CURRICULUM 127.4 – TRACK B CURRICULUM CATALOG 11-2020-2022 iii LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 127.5 - TRACK C CURRICULUM 127.6 - TRACK D CURRICULUM 127.7 - TRACK E CURRICULUM 127.8 - TRACK G CURRICULUM 127.9 - CLINICAL WORK ELECTRONIC LEGAL RESEARCH 128.0 - ELECTRONIC LEGAL RESEARCH STUDENT-FOCUSED LEARNING 129.0 - STUDENT-FOCUSED LEARNING PLAN THE GRADING SYSTEM 130.0 - ACADEMIC GRADE INFORMATION 130.1 - GRADING SUMMARY 130.2 - GRADE CORRELATION 130.3 - BENCHMARK ‘C” (70) GRADE – DEFINED 130.4 - BASIS OF GRADE RECEIVED GRADING RUBRICS 131.0 - GRADING RUBRICS LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT FOR THE JD PROGRAM AND THE BSL PROGRAM 132.0 - LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT 132.1 - ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 132.2 - PROGRAM OUTCOMES RECORDING LECTURES 133.0 - RECORDING OF LECTURES STATUTORY ATTENDANCE 134.0 – ATTENDANCE 134.1 – CREDIT/CLOCK HOURS CREDIT/NO CREDIT COURSES 135.0 - CREDIT/NO-CREDIT REQUIRED LEGAL RESEARCH 136.0 - LEGAL RESEARCH GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND BAR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 137.0 - GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS HONORS 138.0 – HONORS CATALOG 11-2020-2022 iv LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 WRITING EXAMS 139.0 - EXAMINATIONS 139.1 - EXAM WRITING - UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR EXAM WAS GRADED-WRITING TIPS ABOUT LAW SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS 140.0 - EXAM INFORMATION 140.1 - EXAMINATION SCHEDULES 140.2 –ANONYMITY 140.3 - EXAM SOFTWARE 140.4 – TAKE-HOME EXAMS 140.5 - ONLINE EXAMINATIONS 140.6 - PROCEDURES FOR LATE EXAMINATIONS 140.7 - EXAMINATION ANSWER REVIEW EXAM GRADES -PROCEDURAL 141.0 - GRADE CHALLENGE 141.1 - GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR GRADE APPEALS PROCESS 141.2 - GRADE APPEALS PROCESS 141.3 – COURSE REPETITION ENROLLMENT 142.0 - ENROLLMENT AGREEMENT TUITION 143.0 - NO PARTICIPATION IN STATE OR FEDERAL FINANCIAL PROGRAMS 143.1 - TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS 143.2 - CURRENT TUITION AND FEES 143.3 - DEFERRED TUITION PAYMENT PLAN 143.4 - PAYMENT CALCULATION 143.5 - LATE FEES 143.6 - TUITION REFUNDS; CANCELLATION; WITHDRAWAL; REFUND POLICY 143.7 - DELINQUENT PAYMENTS TRANSCRIPTS 144.0 - TRANSCRIPTS; RECORDS LAW STUDENT COMPETENCY 145.0 - COMPETENCY IN LEARNING OBJECTIVES: ACADEMIC; PRACTICAL; PROFESSIONAL THE HONOR CODE 146.0 - HONOR CODE 146.1 - COPYRIGHT POLICIES FOR COURSE MATERIALS CATALOG 11-2020-2022 v LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND SMOKING POLICIES 147.0 - ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICY 147.1 - NO SMOKING POLICY GRIEVANCE 148.0 - PROCEDURE FOR FORMAL STUDENT COMPLAINTS 148.1 - STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE - NON-ACADEMIC MATTERS DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AND PROCEDURES 149.0 - MATTERS SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION 149.1 - HEARINGS-PROCEDURE 149.2 - APPEALS-PROCEDURE 149.3 - MINOR PROCEDURAL DEVIATIONS 149.4 - RE-ADMISSION FOLLOWING ACADEMIC EXCLUSION FACULTY 150.0 - FACULTY PROFILES COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 151.0 - FIRST YEAR LAW COURSES 151.1 - LEGAL WRITING COURSES 151.2 - MBE COURSES 151.3 - UPPER DIVISION LAW COURSES 151.4 - ELECTIVES 151.5 - LEGAL SKILLS TRAINING CATALOG 11-2020-2022 vi LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 THE LAW SCHOOL'S HISTORY 100.0 – HISTORY The Southern California Institute of Law was formed by a small group of legal academics and scholars, and incorporated in 1986, with its first law classes commencing in 1987. For 25 years, until June 1, 2020, it had been an accredited law school. On that Silver Jubilee anniversary, the Chief Justice of California was the Commencement Speaker. The law school has had three Justices of the state High Court as Commencement Speakers. Other jurists include several Presiding Justices of our state appeal courts, the Chief Judge of the U.S, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and other US Court of Appeals judges, a former U.S. Solicitor General and Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and several county superior court judges. Among its roster of keynote speakers are three State Bar Presidents, a state Attorney General, several state senators and local assemblymembers, the Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, and the President of the International Criminal Court. On October 31, 2017, a State Bar Accreditation Inspection Team Report that included a Chair of the Committee of Bar Examiners found, “[O]verall SCIL’s curriculum, admissions, scholastic standards, faculty, library, facilities, Dean and administrators [are] all compliant in offering students a sound program of legal education.” Prior to the establishment of the Law School there was only one other law school in the entire tri-county of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. With modest outside investments, small class sizes, and a mission to offer the low-priced accredited legal education in California, the Law School has continually sought to broaden access to legal education, especially to low-moderate socio-economic groups. The campus is located in the high-end professional office district in Ventura directly across the road from the Ventura County Courthouse and Law Library. It is located in a building that was formerly occupied by the state Court of Appeal, Division Six. THE MISSION 101.0 - MISSION STATEMENT The Law School’s primary mission is to provide low-moderate income individuals with an opportunity for a quality legal education. CATALOG 2020-2022 1 LAW SCHOOL CATALOG 2020-2022 The instruction is dedicated to providing students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical values needed for a career in law and law-related fields. This mission is intended to encapsulate the objective of helping to foster a society dedicated to the principles of liberty as reflected in our founding documents. The Law School works to broaden access to legal education by keeping tuition costs affordable, while providing students a curriculum designed to inculcate the highest standards in