LAW SCHOOL RELOCATES TO OCEANSIDE, PROVIDING NORTH COUNTY RESIDENTS ACCESS TO LEGAL EDUCATION

​Western Sierra Law School has provided affordable and accessible legal education to students in San Diego since 1979. During the pandemic, like other institutions, the law school transitioned to online learning to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 and decided to close its central San Diego facility. Recently, as cities within the county began to allow businesses to reopen, the law school explored potential locations for its new physical facility and found the city of Oceanside to be a favorable location.

“We believe the city of Oceanside has often made rational decisions concerning policies affecting local businesses, specifically during the pandemic,” said Joshua Schoonover, Dean of Western Sierra Law School. “When weighing our options, we were looking for a business favorable community, preferably one able to serve both San Diego and Temecula regions,” he continued. Schoonover added that “our law school seeks to provide quality legal education at an affordable cost of tuition, which requires relatively low overhead, and that is something we were able to find in the Ocean Ranch community of Oceanside.”
 
Western Sierra Law School maintains an open admissions policy where individuals who meet the pre-legal education requirements and appear to possess a good moral character are admitted and given an opportunity to study the law. Western Sierra Law School is differentiated from other San Diego law schools in that it requires only two years of college credit to begin studying law in its Juris Doctor degree program. This is an important distinction since Mira Costa College and Palomar College are each within a short drive to the law school. Moreover, the North County Courthouse – Superior Court of California and the San Diego County Public Law Library are each located nearby in the city of Vista.
 
“We are excited to bring a law degree program to North County and hope to serve the region by providing access to legal careers and developing the next generation of attorneys for serving North County communities,” said Hon. Robert B. Schneider (Ret.), professor of law at Western Sierra Law School.
 
Individuals that are interested in learning more about Western Sierra Law School’s Juris Doctor degree program and becoming licensed to practice law in California can visit the law school’s website.
 
For more information, contact:
Assistant Dean Erika Schoonover @ 760.855.3137 or email: [email protected]