Mission 

The mission of the University of West Los Angeles (UWLA) is to be a leader in offering affordable legal education to men and women from diverse educational, occupational, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, without regard to age, sexual orientation or disability--especially to those who must study part-time--so as to contribute to the democratization of the legal community.

The Mission in Action—Passing Knowledge and Wisdom to the Next Generation

We apply our mission of being a leading Los Angeles law school to our programs, practices and policies in practical ways by striving to achieve these goals:

• To provide an effective and relevant curriculum and optimized learning environment to assist students in achieving their educational objectives
• To offer academic support and mentorship to help students successfully complete their programs
• To maintain admissions policies and program scheduling to offer access to qualified students who may not otherwise have an opportunity to pursue a legal education
• To maintain a professional  and well-qualified full-time and adjunct faculty
• To provide students with experience in practical applications of the law
• To offer to the community continuing legal education and non-credit law-related courses
• To enhance and sustain the active involvement of students, alumni, faculty, administrators, and members of the Board of Trustees in promoting the welfare of the UWLA community

History of UWLA

The history of an institution is often indicative of its traditions, methodologies, and vision.  Our rich history and dedication to providing opportunity to individuals seeking to obtain an affordable legal education began in 1966 when The University of West Los Angeles (UWLA), a non-profit, private educational institution, was founded by a visionary group of local educators who could foresee the need for educational programs geared especially towards the working adult.
UWLA's School of Law was one of the first to offer night classes and broaden the community's access to the traditionally elite field of legal education.

The School of Law became accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California in 1978 and has been continually accredited since that date. 
   
The people who have served UWLA as its faculty, staff, and administrators are an integral part of our history, and we take great pride in the nearly fifteen years of service that our distinguished President Emeritus, the late Bernard S. Jefferson, committed to the development of UWLA’s mission--and to the University’s standing as a leader in the democratization of the legal community. A retired Appellate Court Justice, Bernard S. Jefferson came to UWLA as one of the most beloved and highly respected jurists in the state of California. Author of the California Evidence Benchbook, he was recognized as the pre-eminent authority on evidence in California. Jefferson was one of the first African-Americans to have graduated from Harvard's School of Law and to have served as a California Appellate Court Justice.

Our Los Angeles law school continued to grow in service to its mission, and in July, 2002, acquired the San Fernando Valley College of Law.