VENTURA : School Passes 1st Accreditation Step
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A Ventura-based law school founded seven years ago has won preliminary accreditation from the California State Bar, a first step toward making it the second fully approved law school in the county.
The Southern California Institute of Law received preliminary accreditation for its Ventura campus after a committee of attorneys from the State Bar visited the campus, attended class and inspected the curriculum.
The school, which has about 70 students, will now have three years to act on recommendations from the State Bar and apply for full accreditation.
The institute, based at 1280 S. Victoria Ave., has not yet received preliminary accreditation for its satellite campus in Santa Barbara.
Students at unaccredited law schools must pass the “baby bar” exam during their first year in order to be eligible later for the State Bar exam.
Ventura College of Law is the only fully accredited law school operating in Ventura County. The school has 185 students enrolled at its Ventura campus and 135 in Santa Barbara.
Robert L. Plunkett, vice dean of the Southern California Institute of Law, said the school offers a four-year program of evening classes.
“The vast majority of our students are people who are already working,” he said.
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