The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law Celebrates Half Century of Legal Education with Gala on Sept. 21

The 50th Anniversary Gala is set for Sept. 21 at Museum of Ventura County. The Hon. Colleen Toy White to be honored with the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award.

WHAT: The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) 50th Anniversary Gala

WHEN: Saturday, September 21, 2019, 6–10 p.m.

WHERE: Museum of Ventura County, 100 East Main Street, Ventura, California 93001

WHO:   Alumni, trustees, students, faculty, and the legal communities of Santa Barbara and Ventura;
The Hon. Colleen Toy White, recipient of the Colleges of Law’s Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA, Calif.: The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL), the region’s oldest and largest independent law school, celebrates a half century of service to the local legal and business communities with their 50th Anniversary Gala. Distinguished alumni, local attorneys, and business leaders will gather on Sept. 21 to recognize the law school’s historic achievements during an evening of fine dining and entertainment at the Museum of Ventura County.

COL was established as the Ventura College of Law in 1969. The Santa Barbara College of Law followed in 1974 with the schools merging in 1978. Since its inception, COL prided itself on having a faculty comprised of judges and practicing attorneys who brought real-world experience into a practical learning environment. Over five decades and more than 2,000 graduates later, COL alumni include numerous distinguished members of the local legal community. In Santa Barbara, recognized alumni include Judges Edward Bullard, Colleen K. Sterne, Von Nguyen Deroian and District Attorneys Joyce Dudley and Christie Stanley, among others. In Ventura, alumni include Judges Rebecca Riley, Edward F. Brodie, Ellen Gay Conroy, David W. Long, JoAnn Johnson, and William Redmond, among others.

In recognition of the caliber of service and outstanding contribution to the local legal community, one such illustrious COL alumnae, the Hon. Colleen Toy White, will be presented with school’s inaugural Distinguished Alumni Award at the 50th Anniversary Gala.  A 1977 graduate of COL, Judge Toy White served 23 years on the Ventura County Superior Court following 18 years in the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, 10 of those as Assistant Chief District Attorney. During her tenure at court, Judge Toy White served as Presiding Judge in 2007 and 2008, and as Supervising Family Law Judge. She initiated actions to develop the Community Intervention Court, Dependency Drug Court, Elder Law Court and Mental Health Court. Of special note is Hon. Toy White’s ground-breaking contribution to develop tailored, holistic solutions for veterans facing criminal charges under the auspices of the Veterans Court Treatment Program named in her honor in 2018.

TICKETS: Gala tickets may be purchased here or at the Colleges of Law campuses (located at 4475 Market Street, Ventura and 20 E. Victoria Street, Santa Barbara). Tickets are $125 per guest, or Table Sponsors $1,000 for table of 10; $900 for table of eight.

About The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law:
Established in 1969, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) was founded as a nonprofit to expand opportunities and broaden access to legal education. COL is dedicated to a student-centered approach that affords students of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue careers in law or legal-related fields. The Colleges’ faculty advances a real-world perspective and practicality on the application of law and includes practicing attorneys, judges, public servants, and leaders in business and non-profit organizations.  An accredited nonprofit institution, COL offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Arts in Law (M.A. in Law) program.  Starting in Fall 2018, COL became the first accredited law school in California to offer a hybrid J.D. degree. COL is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and the Juris Doctor program is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California.  For more information, visit admin.collegesoflaw.edu.

The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law is an affiliate of TCS Education System, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact.

For more information, contact the COL Public Affairs Coordinator Kryztofr Kaine at (805) 765-9729; [email protected].

Update: Joyce Dudley resigned as Santa Barbara County district attorney effective January 2023.