2024 California Rules of Court
Rule 9.30. Law school study in schools other than those accredited by the examining committee
(a) Receipt of credit
A person who seeks to be certified to the Supreme Court for admission in and licensed to practice law under section 6060(e)(2) of the Business and Professions Code may receive credit for:
(1) Study in a law school in the United States other than one accredited by the examining committee established by the Board of Trustees of the State Bar under Business and Professions Code section 6046 only if the law school satisfies the requirements of (b) or (c) of this rule; or
(2) Instruction in law from a correspondence school only if the correspondence school requires 864 hours of preparation and study per year for four years and satisfies the requirements of (d) of this rule; or
(3) Study in a law school outside the United States other than one accredited by the examining committee established by the Board of Trustees of the State Bar under Business and Professions Code section 6046 only if the examining committee is satisfied that the academic program of such law school is substantially equivalent to that of a law school qualified under (b) of this rule.
(Subd (a) amended effective January 1, 2019; previously amended effective April 2, 1984, and January 1, 2007.)
(b) Requirements for unaccredited law schools in state
A law school in this state that is not accredited by the examining committee must:
(1) Be authorized to confer professional degrees by the laws of this state;
(2) Maintain a regular course of instruction in law, with a specified curriculum and regularly scheduled class sessions;
(3) Require classroom attendance of its students for a minimum of 270 hours a year for at least four years, and further require regular attendance of each student at not less than 80 percent of the regularly scheduled class hours in each course in which such student was enrolled and maintain attendance records adequate to determine each student's compliance with these requirements;
(4) Maintain, in a fixed location, physical facilities capable of accommodating the classes scheduled for that location;
(5) Have an adequate faculty of instructors in law. The faculty will prima facie be deemed adequate if at least 80 percent of the instruction in each academic period is by persons who possess one or more of the following qualifications:
(A) Admission to the general practice of the law in any jurisdiction in the United States;
(B) Judge of a United States court or a court of record in any jurisdiction in the United States; or
(C) Graduation from a law school accredited by the examining committee.
(6) Own and maintain a library consisting of not less than the following sets of books, all of which must be current and complete:
(A) The published reports of the decisions of California courts, with advance sheets and citator;
(B) A digest or encyclopedia of California law;
(C) An annotated set of the California codes; and
(D) A current, standard text or treatise for each course or subject in the curriculum of the school for which such a text or treatise is available.
(7) Establish and maintain standards for academic achievement, advancement in good standing and graduation, and provide for periodic testing of all students to determine the quality of their performance in relation to such standards; and
(8) Register with the examining committee, and maintain such records (available for inspection by the examining committee) and file with the examining committee such reports, notices, and certifications as may be required by the rules of the examining committee.
(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective April 2, 1984.)
(c) Requirements for unaccredited law schools outside the state
A law school in the United States that is outside the state of California and is not accredited by the examining committee must:
(1) Be authorized to confer professional degrees by the law of the state in which it is located;
(2) Comply with (b)(2), (3), (4), (5), (7), and (8) of this rule; and
(3) Own and maintain a library that is comparable in content to that specified in (b)(6) of this rule.
(Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2007; previously amended effective April 2, 1984.)
(d) Registration and reports
A correspondence law school must register with the examining committee and file such reports, notices, and certifications as may be required by the rules of the examining committee concerning any person whose mailing address is in the state of California or whose application to, contract with, or correspondence with or from the law school indicates that the instruction by correspondence is for the purpose or with the intent of qualifying that person for admission to practice law in California.
(Subd (d) amended effective January 1, 2007.)
(e) Inspections
The examining committee may make such inspection of law schools not accredited by the committee or correspondence schools as may be necessary or proper to give effect to the provisions of Business and Professions Code section 6060, this rule, and the rules of the examining committee.
(Subd (e) amended effective January 1, 2007.)
(f) Application
This rule does not apply to any person who, on the effective date of the rule, had commenced the study of law in a manner authorized by Business and Professions Code section 6060(e) and registered as a law student before January 1, 1976 (as provided in Business and Professions Code section 6060(d) and otherwise satisfies the requirements of Business and Professions Code section 6060(e), provided that after January 1, 1976, credit will be given such person for any study in an unaccredited law school or by correspondence only if the school complies with the requirements of (b)(8) or (d) of this rule, whichever is applicable, and permits inspection under (e) of this rule.
(Subd (f) amended effective January 1, 2007.)
Rule 9.30 amended effective January 1, 2019; adopted as rule 957 by the Supreme Court effective October 8, 1975; previously amended effective April 2, 1984; previously amended and renumbered effective January 1, 2007.
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