Golden Gate University School of Law

I am a 1L student currently on my second semester of law school.
When I was interested in law school I searched for reviews in every single platform so I wanted to come here and share my experience thus far.
Law school is hard, very hard no matter where you go. I was a paralegal for three years prior to law school and graduated top of my class.
Law school is different. You’re challenged in ways you could never imagine until you become a law student. The good about GGU– great small incoming class. Good scholarships if you’re smart (undergrad level) it’s not too hard to get a full ride. I selected this school for that very reason.
Faculty: among the best. My professors have all attended top 14 law schools. They’re amazing, accessible, intelligent and the best in their field. Classes are competitive but classmates are supportive and amazing. I found my study group at orientation and I thank the law school gods for them. If you’re thinking about law school and you’re sure about that decision-​GGU offers all you need to thrive and succeed.
I’ll update this review as time goes by especially after my first year :) good luck!

My girlfriend is a law student here and she LOVES it. She says her professors are accommodating and the faculty couldn’t be any better.

I recently graduated from GGU Law. This place has a wonderful and well-​connected faculty. All of my professors did a terrific job of preparing me with the skills and work ethic needed to succeed in the lawyer world. With GGU’s help, I was able to pass the Bar on my first try and quickly secure a job through connections made at GGU. Keep up the great work GGU Law.

As with most things in life, the law school experience is what you make it. GGU is a 4^th tier school, that’s true. There are other higher ranked schools nearby, also true. But, I had a great experience at GGU from 2003 – 2006. I started a job the week after I finished taking the bar exam. And I’ve been employed ever since. I started out at $ 80k a year with benefits and a yearly bonus that bumped me up to around $ 90k. I broke the $ 100k+/yr mark within two years of graduation.
While I was in law school, I didn’t slack off, do travel abroad programs (this is law school, for goodness sakes), or go out drinking from Thursday night to Sunday night. I did 6 internships, was a teaching assistant for 5 classes, competed with the mock trial team and did well in class. I treated it like it was a training ground for my future profession. Not like it was an extension of undergrad. I don’t think there are any law schools where they hand out jobs with your diploma. Maybe it’s easier to graduate in the bottom-​middle of your class at a top tier school and still get a job. I don’t know. But, the people I know from GGU that worked hard, did well, and got good experience to supplement their education — all have good jobs.
The teaching here is top-​notch. The Law Career Services offices did an excellent job of placing students in competitive internships/​externships. There are opportunities out there if you are willing to put the work in. It’s not a walk in the park — but law school shouldn’t be easy. Lawyers have an awesome responsibility to their clients. And not everyone is cut out for the legal profession.

Good school, good intructors, learned a lot. In my last semester of grad school. so glad it’s almost OVER~

I really enjoyed my experience at GGU and I got a number of interviews after graduating mostly through the BYU intercollegiate job bank which is a great resource for students from any ABA school that was while waiting for bar results. I passed on my first try and got several job offers thereafter. Yes real attorney paying jobs as an attorney so I am living proof that it can be done, but it was not easy and I am not making 6 figures, but any of these position pay enough to make loan payments, live in S.F., and more importantly allow me to go into court which I love doing.
My path was not easy and people were not knocking down my door to offer me jobs, but I got it done. So f you want people to tell you how special you are and have things handed to you do not attend this school or any law school for that matter it is a tough profession and not for everyone. If you want to be a lawyer and are willing to work hard for three years it can be a great place, but it is not for everyone. I give it 5 stars because it suits my style, but GGU may not be for everyone.
I wrote an article regarding my experience at GGU and I think it is insightful for anyone considering the school and gives a realistic view of what to expect.

This is a good law school and I received a solid education here. I cannot deny this. First the pros: the instructors were superb (although demand for the best instructors was so high it made getting into their classes awfully frustrating at times) and genuinely seemed to care about what they were doing; the programs were good, I was able to attend at night, which was mandatory for me, and fit my school schedule around my work schedule. These were all plusses for a working adult like me. I put myself through law school as a legal assistant (so you’d think I’d have known better than to go to law school, that’s what several lawyers told me, anyway), and I worked at top tier firms all over the city. I encountered first years from first tier schools who didn’t know the first thing about writing a motion, appearing in court, or anything else, really. Golden Gate graduates will know how to write briefs. They’ll even know how to format them and get them filed in the appropriate office. They’ll know how to argue their motions in court. In short, they will know how to be lawyers. And they will darn sure know how to pass the bar, because this school drills that into you.
The cons: it’s a fourth tier school in a town surrounded by top flight schools. The job market for new attorneys is absolutely in the toilet, and you’re going to be competing for scraps with people who went to Stanford, Boalt, Hastings, and even USF. That’s not good. I (along with all the first years in my firm) was laid off in 2008 (I graduated in ’07) and I have not been steadily employed as an attorney since. I did get a temp attorney job that paid less than I was making as a secretary and had no benefits, so yep, I’m back to being a secretary, the very same job I was trying to escape when I went to law school. That’s a bitter pill to swallow and owing $ 90K in student loans certainly does not make that pill go down any easier. But at least I had something to fall back on (I guess). Many of my friends have mainly been subsisting on unemployment. They assure me this is worse, but I’d rather have them come in and let attorneys with the exact same education and license talk down to them like they’re idiots all day and see which one of us really has it worse. I think it would be a toss-​up.
I would say, «If daddy is paying your way, then by all means go,» but even if daddy is paying your way, why would you want to invest all that time and energy into winding up unemployed? Every single recruiter I have met with here has said they cannot place me as anything but a damn legal secretary because of the JD on my record (and even that placement was through the agency that employed me while in school, so he could vouch for me). People who aren’t in the legal field apparently don’t understand why someone would have a JD but not want to practice, and assume (incorrectly in my case) that JDs will leave as soon as the market picks up (and I don’t think that’s ever going to happen, quite frankly).
Bottom line: I enjoyed the education I received because I like to learn simply for the sake of learning. My family members are impressed that someone in their family is a lawyer. Those aren’t good reasons to spend this kind of money on school. If you can’t get into any other school in the bay area, you’re better off finding something else to do with your life. But you won’t listen to me. Because I had many, many lawyers caution me against going to law school, and I didn’t listen, either. And I am absolutely miserable as a result. You cannot say you weren’t warned.

I graduated from GGU recently. I had a good experience here, and I’m sorry to see people on Unilocal blaming the school for their failures and broadcasting false information about GGU here on Unilocal.The school is not required to fail 33% of each class. Nor does it. Yes, there are people who are academically disqualified after the first year, but it is nowhere near 33%.
The fact is, GGU admits people who otherwise would not have the opportunity to go to law school (read: low college GPA and/​or low LSAT score). It’s great that the school offers them this chance, but if you haven’t been successful in prior academic endeavors, you shouldn’t be shocked when you don’t succeed in law school.
Law school is hard. Law school takes a great deal of effort. Very bright people can flunk out of law school because the study of law takes a certain type of thinking that not everyone can grasp (even very intelligent people – it’s just a strength that some people have and others don’t). So, between people who aren’t particularly strong students, and people who are good students but just don’t have the analytical mind law school requires – yes, the class size shrinks after first year. I think between 10 – 15 people from my class were academically disqualified.
The school offers a lot of academic support for those who struggle. Every 1L class has a teaching assistant, typically with weekly review sessions and/​or office hours. There is an academic support office. There are peer mentors. Professors hold office hours. Classmates are usually more than willing to share notes, outlines, commercial supplements, and study groups. If you work your ass off, you will be rewarded.
Sometimes the administration can be difficult. The registrar’s office is not on top of their game. Career Services could be better. But I’ve had many professors I’ve truly loved, and only one or two I despised. I had to work really hard to get good grades, but I did it. I had wonderful externship experiences. I got involved by becoming a peer mentor, a TA, a research assistant, and a student rep to a faculty committees. My classmates were some of the most amazing, down to earth people I’ve ever met. I met my best friends here. I felt prepared for the bar exam.
It’s true – the school is not a top tier school, and as another person commented, you have to make your own destiny. The job market is terrible right now and GGU doesn’t have a Yale-​type reputation, so who knows where I’ll land. But if I could do it all over again, I would make the same choice. It’s not perfect, but it is a good place filled with good people.

I’m in my second year at GGU and I am very satisfied, though I think because of the competition with all the other law schools in the Bay Area, you have to make your own destiny. The professors are incredibly supportive and knowledgeable and since it is a smaller school you can get to know them well if you make an effort to go to their office hours. The students, in general, are extremely motivated and involved, so you have to work just as hard as you would at any other school to create a competitive resume. I am pursuing Environmental Law so I can only speak to the public interest resources at the school, but between the Pro Bono Honor Society, the Public Interest Coordinator, and at least 10 clubs on campus, including ACLU, NLG, QLSA, and Dignity in Schools, there are plenty of ways to gain experience in the public interest legal sector.
I was admitted to a number of schools that are ranked higher than GGU but I eventually chose this school because I liked the urban location, they give a good deal of financial aid, there are tons of Environmental Law opportunities, and many of the professors are well known. If you are willing to work hard, which I think should be everyone’s goal for a graduate level program, GGU gives many opportunities for students to excel. I’ll edit my review in 2 years when I determine if I can get a job, but for now I’ve gotten competitive internships at the California Public Utilities Commission and the Sierra Club in just my first 1 ½ years so the rankings have not slowed me down so far.
P. S. Since I didn’t have the same experience as Amanda L., I can’t speak in too much detail about the disqualification process and perhaps GGU should communicate more with students who are in the situation. I hope that readers understand, however, that such a process is required by the American Bar Association so pretty much all schools MUST disqualify a certain percentage of 1Ls. If this is something that you are worried about, don’t fault GGU alone– research all potential law schools to determine their first year requirements because I guarantee that they will all be similar to, if not more rigorous than, GGU’s process.

I am a disqualified 1L. I’m definitely not bitter about it, but I do think that they should be more upfront with the 1Ls and their disqualification process.
Here is, basically, how it works. The first year professors are required to give a certain percentage of A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s, and (I think) F’s too. So this often results in the difference between an A and a D only a couple points, which can be one extra (even not very related) cause of action or a more organized paper. I don’t think the difference in just a couple points justifies the drastic difference between grades.
Then, after your first semester if you have a GPA below a 2.15 you do not take Crim Law, but a pass/​fail academic support class instead. Depending on your professor, it can help you. After 2^nd semester you have to get your grade up above a 2.15 or you’re kicked out. A 2.00−2.15 gets you kicked out at least for the summer, but you can repetition for the fall. A 1.50−2.00 GPA will get you kicked out for a full year at least, you have to petition after taking the Baby Bar. Under a 1.50 and you can’t come back. My friend was in the academic support class with me, she ended up getting a 2.27 or something for the first year, and she STILL isn’t in the clear with the school. She has to audit a class she did just fine in and has to let the school choose all her classes for a while.
Other than that, I think GGU is a great school. I really believe that the only reason it has such low rankings is because of the Ivy League schools right nearby.
The professors are fantastic! Especially Yates and Sylvester. Dean Sampat (Dean of Admission) is such a kind, supportive lady who goes out of her way to help you (even after you’ve been disqualified).
I did hear from the 3Ls how hard it was for them to get jobs in corporate law and anything related. Not surprising considering all the other school’s students competing for jobs.
The bottom line with this school is that they want to raise their bar passage rate and EVERYTHING they do is working towards that goal.
Anyway, I hope this helps some potential student or current 1L, so that they are a little less surprised at how GGU works. I do recommend the school, though. I did love my time there!

GGU Law is not a bad school. Honestly, what is taught here is more or less the same as what is taught at any other law school, including the big Ivies. The faculty is quite impressive, their moot court team always does well in competitions and their new dean is AMAZING.
However, none of this changes the fact the GGU Law has a crap ranking! This probably would not be a big deal if it were not located in such a competitive legal market surrounded by schools that are higher ranked and have much better reputations (Hastings, Boalt, Stanford, Davis).
No, going to higher ranked law school does not guarantee anyone a successful career, or even a job. However, it absolutely opens more doors in the beginning, which is extremely important when job hunting as a 3L. 3.0 from GGU just cannot compete with a 3.0 from Stanford simply because every law firm would love to have another associate from a T14 school. Fair? No. Fact? Yes! Considering the cost of law school and the state of the legal job market, WHY go broke for less opportunity?
If money isn’t an issue (rich parents, rich law firm founding partner parents, big scholarship or just don’t care) or you want/​need a JD to further your existing career (attending p/​t, maybe tuition assistance from your employer), then ignore everything I just wrote.
However, if Aunt Sallie Mae will be funding your education, public interest law is not your ultimate goal and you have even a drop of concern that you will not be a 4.0 superstar 1L-​3L, it would be in your interest to do whatever it takes to get into one of the higher ranked schools in the area. This is not because GGU Law sucks, but because law firms can be snobs and it really does help to have a *name* on your side.

I have had a great experience here. I am a 3L. I think the school is great!

Ok, so I’m only a 1L and hence haven’t been at GGU that long, but I love this place. I feel like I’m getting a great education; especially in Contracts. Professor Sylvester is a genius!
Yes, GGU did was put on probation by the ABA. However, the school implemented many reforms, such as increased student services, and increased its first time bar passage rate to above the state average.
Many of the students at GGU are returning students. I think that is just a testament to their dedication. Law school by itself is hard, but the students have lifted the school’s scores, and many of them have done it while raising families.
I’d put a GGU student in moot court against any other California law student and I’d bet money that the GGU student would whip their ass.
The only drawback of the school is that the elevators take forever. That’s it.

Good law school with excellent professors but an uneven experience dealing with support staff. They have had their problems in the past with bar passage rates but are making huge strides in that dept. They still need to work on their job placement numbers but that will come in time with higher US News rankings. A solid education, but they will be able to offer you more opportunities in the public interest sector than the private sector. Great professors, solid education, and friendly other students,

I went there in 92 – 93.
This place has been living off some kind of fraud in some way for a long time. I wish the ABA would get tougher with them.
When I was going there, they were dishonest about how many students failed their first year. They published 10% failure rate, but in reality they failed 23% of first-​year students.
Now they are having trouble with students passing the bar exam.
I think this school ducks behind the argument of providing access to students who would otherwise not get into law school. As if this was some kind of good thing. Law is hard, very very hard. And its not right for many people.
The reality is, too many of their students aren’t successful lawyers. And more than wasting years of their lives, they are wasting several thousands of dollars on law school loans and not entering high-​paying legal professions.
The lesson I learned from this school is that if you can’t get into a good school, go into another degree or profession.

It seems like people are quick to discredit GGU but all have no experience whatsoever with the school. How can that result in an accurate review?

Why waste your money at GGU unless you are rejected by every other law school?
«GGU Law School has a job placement rate of only 67%. Most students encounter difficulty in getting placed outside of the Bay Area. This may also be the case due to the fact that the first-​time bar passage rate is roughly 57%.»
Compare these pathetic figures with those for Hastings Law School, a few blocks away:
«Employment prospects for Hastings graduates are plentiful and on average there is a 93% job placement rate for its students. The bar passage rate for first-​time takers from Hastings Law School comes in at approximately 84%.»
See
for more information on law schools in the U.S.