Golden Gate Law School’s full-ride scholarship program initially brought excitement to Lyndsey Glasgow as she prepared to attend Golden Gate University School of Law. However, her enthusiasm was dampened during the new-student orientation in August. She learned that all full-time, in-person, first-year JD students were awarded full-tuition scholarships, leaving her concerned about standing out academically.
The law school announced these scholarships in a press release in September 2022, and Glasgow received individual notice of her award in March 2022. However, to her surprise, she discovered that her classmates had similar academic metrics. Despite taking out cost-of-living loans for law school, Glasgow was uncertain about how this scholarship equality would affect her academic journey.
The law school’s first-year class consisted of only 20 full-time students, with a median LSAT score of 154 and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.26, according to the law school’s 509 report.
See also: Golden Gate University Law School Commits to Remaining Open for Upcoming Academic Year
In June 2023, the San Francisco Standard reported that the future of the law school was at risk due to the university’s inability to sustain its operating deficit. The university’s real estate devaluation and the need to meet American Bar Association (ABA) standards were described as a “perfect storm” in a letter sent to the law school community. The letter emphasized that no decisions had been made yet.
Don’t settle for less – sign up for LawCrossing and find your dream legal job.
The law school’s dean, Mark Yates, and the university’s executive leadership team were actively reviewing options to address these challenges. They mentioned a plan to reduce the faculty significantly over the next two years and clarified that, regardless of the chosen course, the law school would continue to operate during the academic year 2023-24 and beyond. The priority was to ensure that all currently enrolled and entering students would receive their scholarships and be able to obtain an ABA-accredited degree.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the law school’s future, some students, including Glasgow, expressed their intention to remain at Golden Gate Law. They were reassured by the fact that the full-ride scholarship covered their tuition. Moreover, if the law school were to close before they graduated, they believed an ABA-approved teach-out plan would likely include transfer options based on ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools (Rule 29).
The law school faced several accreditation issues, adding to the uncertainty. It had received an extension from the ABA to come into compliance with Standard 316, which required a two-year bar pass rate at or above 75%. However, the law school had not met this benchmark since the class of 2017, according to ABA data. Additionally, the university received a formal notice of concern from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an accrediting commission, outlining reporting requirements and financial forecasts.
Despite these challenges, Golden Gate Law highlighted its commitment to diversity in a press release from September 2022, which mentioned the full-ride scholarships and new bachelor’s and master of law studies degree programs. However, the press release did not disclose any accreditation issues.
Reagan Rice, another student with a full-tuition scholarship, viewed Golden Gate Law positively as a law student, even though the situation appeared dire from a business perspective. He was also accepted at Seattle University School of Law but was unsure if he would regret choosing Golden Gate Law, depending on the transfer credit acceptance in the future.
Evan Lurie, another student with a full scholarship, questioned the law school’s ability to afford such extensive scholarships during the new-student orientation. He was told that other programs, like the bachelor’s and master of legal studies programs, would cover the costs. However, these programs were not approved by accrediting bodies until late in the recruiting process, resulting in low enrollment.
Despite the uncertainties and challenges, students like Lurie felt they had received a decent legal education and appreciated the professors’ investment in their success. They believed that, at the very least, they were getting an education for free at Golden Gate Law. However, the ultimate fate of the law school remained unclear as the university sought solutions to its financial and accreditation issues.
Don’t be a silent ninja! Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.