Emily Coates, Author at The Colleges of Law

Education Beyond Borders 2024: Inclusion in Context

The 2024 Education Beyond Borders study abroad program will give students the chance to examine the global topic of inclusion, culminating in travel to Vancouver, Canada, to examine the city’s Equity Framework.

Since 2016, the Education Beyond Borders study abroad program has brought learners together to cultivate a deeper understanding of the world. Born at the intersection of global engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Education Beyond Borders was created for the institutions that make up The Community Solution Education System as part of a shared mission to prepare agents of change to serve a global community.

Available to current students and alumni, the program consists of an online course and culminates in a study abroad experience that gives participants the opportunity to engage with diverse populations around the globe. Joined by others from four colleges and universities across the U.S., participants will examine the topic of inclusion through the lens of several disciplines, including psychology, business, education, law, and humanistic health.

The inaugural Education Beyond Borders program in 2016 took participants to Berlin, Germany, to examine the topic of immigration and the country’s refugee crisis. Subsequently, participants traveled to Johannesburg and Cape town, South Africa in 2018 to examine the topic of identity. In 2019, studies on the concept of balance led to an enriching trip to Tokyo, Japan.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the program was fully virtual in 2020, connecting participants from institutions across the globe to explore the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health & Well-being.

2024 Theme: Inclusion in Context

The next theme for Education Beyond Borders is inclusion, and participants will dive into the topic through a three-credit online course culminating in travel to Vancouver, Canada in April 2024.

Situated on unceded (taken without consent) traditional territories of the native xʷməθkʷəy əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, the city of Vancouver was selected as an ideal location for students to gain further insight on the theme of inclusion. In recent years, the city has undergone a reckoning with its colonial history, resulting in the creation of an Equity Framework that outlines initiatives to address injustices and inequities experienced by historically marginalized populations. This framework will anchor the course studies.

Registration for Education Beyond Borders 2024 is open to students and alumni from The Chicago School, Saybrook University, Pacific Oaks College, and The Colleges of Law.

At The Colleges of Law, we believe in serving our global community. By examining identity through the lens of other cultures, learners cultivate a more dynamic worldview and improve their overall approach to service. Professionals with diverse cultural knowledge are better prepared to manage decisions with global implications—setting themselves apart as leaders in an evolving and complex international global workforce.

Learn more about Education Beyond Borders and register for the 2024 program here:

The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law Board of Trustees Elects New Members

Judge Von Deroian, Dr. Julius Sokenu, and Attorney Lori Trofemuk Join Governing Board of Region’s Leading Law School Focused on Access, Opportunity, and Affordability

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA – Judge Von Deroian, Dr. Julius Sokenu, and Attorney Lori Trofemuk, and are the newest members of The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) Board of Trustees. All three were elected unanimously this fall to serve as fiduciaries for the region’s oldest and largest independent law school.

Judge Von Deroian (JD ’06) joins a distinguished pedigree of officers of the court elected to the Board, including Judges Colleen Toy White (JD ’77), Michele Castillo, Manuel Covarrubias, Frank Ochoa, Rebecca Riley (JD ’84), and David Long (JD ’83). She is currently the criminal supervising judge and Executive Committee member with the Santa Barbara Superior Court. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Deroian spent 11 years as a deputy district attorney with the Santa Barbara Co. District Attorney’s Office.

Dr. Julius Sokenu, president of Moorpark College, brings to the COL Board 27 years of extensive and progressive leadership experience in community college education and 14 years of managerial oversight of instruction, student services, career technical education, noncredit programs, and community relations.

Lori Trofemuk, JD,brings her expertise as a San Diego attorney specializing in employment law, with extensive experience in arbitration and hearing management, policy development, stakeholder relations, regulatory compliance, contract negotiations, and labor relations. Her professional journey included 12 years of service as a labor relations advocate at UC San Diego.

“What was already a strong board just got stronger thanks to the reputation and experience of these outstanding new fiduciaries and servants of our mission,” said COL Board Chair Jana Johnston (JD ’03). “We look forward to benefitting from their wisdom and community connections.”

COL President Matthew Nehmer agreed, adding, “Judge Deroian, Dr. Sokenu, and Ms. Trofemuk bring a distinct diversity of background, experience, and expertise to our governance work. Their election fills out of Board of 15 individuals, including numerous luminaires in higher education and the legal field, both locally and beyond. Speaking on behalf of all of us at COL, we welcome them to our academic community.”

About The Colleges of Law:

Established in 1969, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) was founded 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 launched a pioneering hybrid J.D. degree, the first of its kind in California. 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 www.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.

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M.A. in Law vs J.D.—What are the differences?

J.D. programs and M.A. in Law programs offer very different options in law education depending on your career aspirations. Learn more about the differences between a Master of Law vs. J.D.

Last updated: September 13, 2023

From a career perspective: Master of Law vs. J.D.

Examining the differences between two main types of law degrees: the Juris Master and a Juris Doctor can help prospective students plan for their education and career. While similar, J.D. and M.A. in Law degrees differ significantly in how they are typically used in the professional world. A J.D. degree prepares students to pass the exams they need to become lawyers or judges, while the M.A. in Law focuses on more specialized areas of business, nonprofit, or government jobs that do not require taking the bar exam.

In defining a Juris Master vs. a Juris Doctor, it’s important to note that an M.A. in Law degree is not intended for those who wish to practice law for their career. To become certified to practice law, it’s still necessary to get a J.D. Alternatively, M.A. in Law programs are created for those who are either already established in a field and are looking to gain legal expertise or for those interested in exploring new career options that might regularly intersect with legal matters.

In short, an M.A. in Law degree can help professionals enhance careers that they have already established, while a J.D. degree prepares students who are interested in practicing law to pass their bar exams and establish their careers. When considering whether they should choose between a Juris Master vs. a Juris Doctor, prospective students must first understand what their personal and professional goals are.

What is a Juris Doctor law degree?

What does J.D. stand for? J.D. stands for a Juris Doctor degree, also known as a Doctor of Jurisprudence, and is a graduate-level degree program designed to train students to become practicing attorneys able to represent clients in a court of law. In the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other common law countries, this degree is earned by completing law school and is needed to become a practicing lawyer.

Additionally, some schools, including The Colleges of Law, have begun to offer innovative hybrid J.D. programs. These hybrid J.D. programs combine online learning with short-term, intensive, in-person residencies for people who need a more accessible or flexible law school program.

Careers for a J.D.

People who have earned their J.D. can advance in multiple fields of law. There are several different types of lawyers and attorneys, but not limited to:

Mediation
Litigation Attorney
General Counsel
Corporate Counsel
Patent attorney
Labor and employment lawyer
Contract attorney
Compliance Manager
Immigration Lawyer

A J.D. degree prepares people for legal professions, mainly for lawyer careers. But there are other non-lawyer careers people with a J.D can pursue, such as:

Judge
Law Professor
Law Clerk
Judge advocate general
Political affairs officer

What is a MA in Law degree?

The M.A. in Law is a relatively new degree type, designed for those who require a working knowledge of the law but don’t intend on becoming practicing lawyers.

M.A. in Law degrees are typically pursued by established professionals who want to enrich and advance their careers, regardless of the industry in which they currently work. M.A. in Law students are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to carry out intensive analysis and interpretation of legal matters for multiple professional settings.

People who have earned their M.A. in Law may advance their career in multiple sectors, including, but not limited to:

Compliance
Regulatory agencies
Business and operations
Protective services
Criminal justice

Additionally, M.A. in Law programs may provide specialized training for several different fields if they intersect with the law. These career areas include:

Journalism
Social work
Health care
Consulting
Advocacy
Business
Law enforcement
Human resources
Criminal justice

Master in Law vs. J.D.: Making the choice

Ultimately, the main question to keep in mind when choosing whether an M.A. in law or a J.D degree would be right for you is what your professional goals are. If you are interested in becoming a lawyer, working in the law field with clients and in courtrooms, a J.D. program is likely to be the best path for you. If you are a professional in a different field who wants to expand your knowledge of the law to enrich your current position and future professional goals, you will most likely want to explore M.A. in Law programs.

Additionally, be sure to check out the different types of law degrees; there are various J.D. and M.A. in Law programs available and consider your needs concerning how much time you hope to spend completing your degree, as well as what specific courses you hope to explore, and what formats they’re offered in.

Some schools, including The Colleges of Law, have established accessible J.D. and M.A. in Law programs in online or hybrid formats that enable working professionals to earn a law degree even when busy raising a family or working full time.

Alumna spotlight: Duyen “Lulu” Tran

Duyen “Lulu” Tran, The Colleges of Law alumna, forged her own path to find her passion for law.

Duyen “Lulu” Tran will be the first to admit that her journey to becoming an attorney was far from straightforward. From immigrating to the United States from Vietnam as a child, to discovering her life’s passion as an undergrad, all the way to her recent graduation from The Colleges of Law and being sworn in as an attorney, Tran has become an independent and successful attorney who forged her own path to arrive where she is today.

Roots in perseverance

Tran and her family moved to the U.S. from Vietnam in 1999. The family settled in Sacramento, California, with few resources. “My parents didn’t speak English at all when we first moved, so I think it was really hard on them knowing they had to care and provide for my siblings and me in such a new environment,” she says.

The family bounced from place to place around Sacramento and Northern California as Tran’s parents made a living from whatever odd jobs they could find. “We were definitely very low income, but my parents worked hard for us,” she says.

From that time on, Tran became very independent, learning to take care of herself as her parents worked late hours to support the family.

Discovering the path

When Tran finished high school and was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley, she was not sure what she wanted to study. “I often think about how ridiculous it is to expect 18-year-olds to know what they want to major in and ultimately do,” she says.

It wasn’t until Tran’s final year at UC Berkeley that she discovered her path. She took a class called Twentieth Century American Legal History, hoping it would be an easy A, but it turned out to be so much more. The course covered the legal history of the United States and the U.S. Constitution, including its clauses and how those laws have now come into effect.

Tran was fascinated by the subject and found a mentor in the professor, who had been a practicing attorney for 30 years before he started teaching. “I’d go to his office hours and in addition to talking about class materials, he’d talk about his experiences as an attorney,” she says. “He could see how invested I was in his class, and he began encouraging me to become an attorney as well.”

After Tran completed her undergraduate degree with majors in political science and legal studies and a minor in molecular cell biology, she wasn’t immediately sure if she would be able to make this newfound dream a reality. But then she found The Colleges of Law.

As Tran was applying to the Master of Arts in Law program, she discovered the Juris Doctor program. “Everything I read about The Colleges of Law and the J.D. program matched the criteria I was looking for,” she says. “It was in the right location, it was perfect for my interest areas, it had small class sizes, and it was affordable.”

The Colleges of Law and beyond

In 2017, Tran began her first year at The Colleges of Law. Despite her UC Berkeley legal studies background, law school was challenging in new ways. It took some time to perfect her study methods and better prepare for tests. But she didn’t give up, and in time, things started to click. “I’d go back through old exams, figure out what I needed to improve on, and decided what and how I needed to study before each exam,” she says. The effort produced visible results. Tran made the Dean’s Honor List both her second and third years.

Tran speaks very highly of her law school experience. “I really appreciated having smaller class sizes and being able to have more personalized learning experiences with my professors,” she says. “They knew the material so well and were always happy to answer my many questions, because they knew how important it was that I understand the concepts for the bar exam. They made a huge difference in my education, my career, and ultimately my whole life.”

Tran graduated in December 2020, number four in her class. On June 4, 2021, she was officially sworn in as an attorney by Judge Von Nguyen Deroian, a fellow graduate from The Colleges of Law who also moved to California from Vietnam as a child.

Tran is looking forward to exploring new opportunities as she begins her career. “Currently, I’m working as an attorney for a law firm in Los Angeles, but in the long term, I’d really like to help victims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. I’d like to become an attorney for an organization specializing in women’s empowerment or human rights. I’m already planning on doing some volunteer work with an organization like this in Los Angeles, but I’d like to be able to make it my main focus someday.”

Tran also hopes to set an example for others like her. “I’m really proud to be an Asian woman and an attorney, because we are very underrepresented in the field,” Tran says. “As the first person in my family to graduate from college and go to grad school, I’m really proud to be able to set an example for my younger siblings and cousins. I hope they know they can accomplish anything they set their minds to and work hard for as well.”

“If there’s any advice I could give others hoping to pursue law school or other goals, it would be to always remain motivated and have goals set for yourself,” Tran says. “It’s not as important for other people to tell you what to do, as long as you have goals set for yourself, and that you work toward and are dedicated to achieving those goals.”

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Alumna Eva Umejido advocates for undocumented communities in Santa Barbara

Eva Umejido, J.D., can point to a specific moment from her past that inspired her to pursue a legal career.

“I was very young—I think around 10 or 11 years old. My mom was waiting for me at the school bus stop, as she always did. Except this time, I noticed that she looked sad,” Umejido recalls. “We started walking home from the bus stop, and I got the courage to ask her if she was OK.”

At the time, Umejido’s parents, undocumented immigrants from Mexico, were both working as housekeepers in Santa Barbara County. Umejido’s mother confessed that she’d had a particularly long, difficult day cleaning a client’s hardwood floors. Despite the uncomfortable and exhausting task, the client had callously denied Umejido’s mother restroom and water breaks.

The injustice was infuriating for young Umejido. “My mother was a crier, so as she was telling me this story, tears were falling from her eyes. I remember that my first emotion was pure anger,” she says.

When Umejido asked her why she couldn’t seek help from authorities, her mother explained, “I can’t because I am undocumented. If anyone finds out that I am undocumented, I will get sent back to Mexico, and I’ll be separated from you.”

It was in that moment that Umejido vowed to do something to help people in situations like her mother’s when she grew up.

“My mom then said, ‘oh you want to be a lawyer,’ which was the first time I ever heard that word,” Umejido explains. “I said, ‘yes, that’s what I will be.’ Little did I know at the time that I also was undocumented. I didn’t know the obstacles and hurtles that I would have to face to become an attorney.”

When Umejido eventually learned of her legal status while applying for colleges, the revelation seemed like a dead end to her future ambitions. Then a high school counselor introduced her to IDEAS (Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success)—a group of undocumented college students and allies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. With their support and guidance, Umejido was accepted to undergraduate school at the University of California, Riverside.

In 2002, Umejido’s mother began the official immigration process for the family—a notoriously slow process in the U.S. that can take years to decades. Nearly 10 years later, during her final year of undergraduate studies in 2011, Umejido finally received her Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status.

According to Umejido, “LPR status gives immigrants many benefits, but more importantly, it gives a sense of protection since it relieves us from the constant fear of being deported. This is when I became really interested in immigration law, as I had a firsthand experience of what it’s like to go through the U.S. immigration procedure to become an LPR.” She later became a U.S. citizen in 2017.

When Umejido completed her undergraduate education and was studying for her LSATs, her mother died suddenly of meningitis. The loss was painful, but also provided a new sense of resolve for the aspiring lawyer.

“I was there when she took her last breath and was declared brain dead. I knew she couldn’t hear me, but I still silently promised to her that I would continue my education to be an attorney and continue helping my father out because my three siblings were still very young.”

Though Umejido wasn’t entirely sure how she would accomplish this goal upon making the promise, she found the answer about a year later at The Colleges of Law. “I thought it would be perfect for me as I could continue working to help my dad financially and to be around to help my young siblings with school and sports,” she says.

During her time at The Colleges of Law, Umejido began working as a legal assistant at the office of Arnold Jaffe, Attorney at Law, a local law immigration law firm. There, her personal experience helped her relate to clients. “I closely understood what they were experiencing as I was once in their shoes,” she says. “My passion for immigration law began during my time working with Jaffe. I knew then it was the legal area I wanted to pursue as it would be a way to be an advocate for immigrants and serve the immigrant community in Santa Barbara County.”

In November 2019, Umejido found out she passed the California Bar Exam but took a temporary pause to help her family launch a new restaurant. “This restaurant was my parents’ dream since they arrived in the U.S.—except at the time, they couldn’t afford such a venture,” she explains. “I made the decision to pause my career to help my father because my parents sacrificed a lot for me. I felt like I could sacrifice a year of my career for my father’s dream.”

Then in December 2020, Umejido was awarded a legal fellowship from California’s first state-funded effort. She’s still helps her dad with the restaurant when she can, but since January 2021 has been working for the nonprofit organization El Concilio Family Services, located in Oxnard, through her fellowship.

“I feel extremely honored to have been selected for this fellowship,” Umejido says. “It will provide me with mentorship from experienced immigration attorneys and allow me to have full access to immigration law training, particularly in removal defense and immigration legal resources that will help me become a better advocate to our immigrant community in the Central Coast.”