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The Colleges of Law Board of Trustees Elects New Member 

Ventura attorney Lauren Nicholson joins The Colleges of Law, focusing on the mission of access, opportunity, and affordability.

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA – Lauren Nicholson (J.D. ’17) is the newest member of The Colleges of Law Board of Trustees. A graduate of the school’s Ventura campus, Nicholson joins the 15-member governance body that oversees the region’s oldest and largest independent law school. 

Nicholson currently serves as president of the Women Lawyers of Ventura County, advocating on behalf of women and girls in the local community. She is also a board member at large for the Ventura County Family Law Bar Association, organizing local continuing legal education opportunities and contributing to the local family law community. Nicholson regularly volunteers with the Ventura County Superior Court as a Settlement Officer, acting as a neutral guide to help family law litigants understand the strengths and weaknesses of their cases and discuss settlements, and she is a volunteer attorney at the Conejo Free Clinic, providing free legal services to litigants in need of family law assistance. 

“I am honored to be joining the Board of Trustees,” said Nicholson. “The Colleges of Law is a wonderful law school. It provided me with an opportunity to study under professors who were accomplished lawyers and judges. I am proud to call it my alma mater and give back though board service.” 

Nicholson brings extensive knowledge of The Colleges of Law’s academia to her appointment. She was ranked first in her graduating class in 2017, with concentrations in Business Law and Family Law, and has also served as adjunct faculty at the college where she taught classes such as Litigation: An Overview of Processes and Procedures, Bar Studies, Legal Writing, and Remedies. 

“The Board made an inspired choice with electing Lauren as a trustee and fiduciary,” said The Colleges of Law President Matthew Nehmer, Ph.D. “As someone who knows and lives our mission, she is sure to make a difference in realizing our vision of modernizing legal education through innovation and better preparing graduates for where the field goes next.” 

The Colleges of Law Board Chair Jana Johnston (J.D. ’03) agreed. “By adding Lauren, we took what was already an excellent and engaged Board and made it better,” she said. “She will bring distinct perspectives to our work as a proud alumna, past faculty member, and rising star in the Ventura legal community.” 

Prior to The Colleges of Law, Nicholson earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from California State University, Fresno, and a Master of Arts in English from California State University, Bakersfield. Nicholson currently owns a solo practice in Ventura where she works as a family law attorney dealing with uncontested and contested dissolutions and legal separations, divorce mediation, division of marital property, child support, child custody, paternity, domestic partnerships, and domestic violence restraining orders.  

About The Colleges of Law:  

Established in 1969, The Colleges of Law was founded to expand opportunities and broaden access to legal education. The Colleges of Law 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 college’s 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 nonprofit organizations. An accredited nonprofit institution, The Colleges Law offers a Juris Doctor and a Master of Arts in Law. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, The Colleges of Law became the first accredited law school in California to offer a Hybrid J.D. degree.  

The Colleges of Law is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The Juris Doctor program is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California. The Colleges of Law is part of The Community Solution Education System, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact. For more information, visit www.collegesoflaw.edu. 

The Colleges of Law awarded DEI Leadership Seal by the State Bar of California

The Colleges of Law is the only law school among other legal employers that the State Bar of California has honored with this award.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. and VENTURA, Calif., June 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Colleges of Law is among an inaugural group of legal employers and the only law school to be awarded a DEI Leadership Seal by the State Bar of California. The DEI Leadership Seal Program recognizes legal employers who implement research-driven actions that further workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This prestigious recognition highlights The Colleges of Law’s commitment to improving access and promoting inclusion within the legal profession.

“At The Colleges of Law, we believe that diversity is not just an aspiration but a fundamental element of the justice system,” says Matthew Nehmer, Ph.D., The Colleges of Law president. “We are honored to receive this recognition as a testament to our mission of increasing access and opportunity within the legal profession.”

Cal Bar DEI seal

Since its founding in 1969, The Colleges of Law has championed accessibility and affordability in legal education. With the creation of the first Hybrid J.D. program in California, the college made significant inroads in diversifying its student body. Within California, the African American population is 6%, but within the Hybrid J.D. program, it’s 12%.

Last year, the college established the Access, Belonging, and Community (ABC) Task Force. Focused on creating meaningful experiences around DEI initiatives, the task force established a supportive environment that encourages collaboration and dialogue among individuals from all backgrounds through constituent research, educational events, and community gatherings.  

In its 2022 Diversity Report Card, the State Bar published calls to action that legal employers could implement to support greater DEI in the workplace with the aim of encouraging and recognizing firms, legal departments, and law schools that demonstrate exceptional leadership in this area. As part of the first cohort in the State Bar’s DEI Leadership Seal program, The Colleges of Law was named a silver tier recipient for its work on DEI-focused initiatives.

The DEI Leadership Seal is a significant milestone for The Colleges of Law, highlighting its leadership role in fostering diversity and inclusion within legal education. These efforts reflect the college’s commitment to nurturing future legal professionals who will advocate for justice and equality in their communities.

“Accessible, high-quality legal education is the founding principle for our institution,” Chief Academic Officer and Dean Jackie Gardina, JD, says. “By working to diversify the legal profession and increase equity we are building a stronger justice system that better serves its citizens.”

About The Colleges of Law:

Established in 1969, The 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. COL’s 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 nonprofit organizations. An accredited nonprofit institution, COL offers a Juris Doctor and a Master of Arts in Law. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, COL became the first accredited law school in California to offer a Hybrid J.D. degree. COL is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The Juris Doctor program is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California. The Colleges of Law is part of The Community Solution Education System, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact. For more information, visit www.collegesoflaw.edu.

Exploring Alternative Pathways to Licensure

Given the changing landscape of the legal profession, Dean Jackie Gardina, Ed.D., J.D., calls on the California Supreme Court to explore alternatives to determining readiness to practice law. 

In May of 2023, The Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the California Bar Exam (BRC) released its final report and recommendations to the State Bar of California Board of Trustees. The commission, a joint effort between the California Supreme Court and the state bar, was tasked with developing recommendations concerning changes to the California bar exam and whether to adopt alternative pathways, additional testing, or tools to ensure minimum competence to practice law.

This charge was to follow up on the findings of the California Attorney Practice Analysis Working Group (CAPA), which identified the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed by entry-level attorneys in California to practice law ethically and competently. Under consideration were two separate paths to licensure—a bar exam and an alternative pathway. Ultimately, the commission did not reach a consensus on exploring an alternative pathway to licensure that does not involve a bar exam.

However, the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California Board of Trustees continues to recognize the importance of starting an alternative pathway to licensure. On May 19, 2023, the Trustees directed members who supported an alternative pathway to submit a proposal for consideration.

As noted throughout the work of the BRC, such alternatives could include requiring law graduates to practice under the supervision of an experienced lawyer or requiring specific coursework in law school. This presents a critical opportunity to increase the focus on assessment of knowledge, skills, and abilities for entry-level practice, deemphasizing the need for memorization of doctrinal law.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities in Law

Currently, the California bar exam does not reflect the KSAs necessary for new attorneys. Indeed, until 2018, California had never even assessed whether the content of the bar exam reflected what new attorneys did in practice. Even more astounding, California had chosen the 1440 passing score without any evidence to support that it was the score necessary to establish minimal competence. Thousands of bar applicants were failing to meet the standard of minimal competence when minimal competence in California had never been established through any studies.

The ability of standardized exams to measure skills or concepts is dubious. For example, the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ job analysis study found that legal research is the most important skill for new attorneys. Yet, it is not tested. Additionally, a standardized test cannot measure negotiation skills or assess work produced for clients.

Moreover, the legal profession is in flux. What lawyers need to know and what skills and abilities they need to have will change rapidly. There is a mismatch between an exam designed to meet the needs of an industrial economy and a test of competency necessary to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving knowledge economy. Using the same examination format introduced 100 years ago is inadequate to assess the competency of a 21st century attorney.

It’s time to consider alternatives to a standardized exam that has limited value in determining who is prepared to enter the profession as a skilled, competent, and ethical attorney. Even if an exam is necessary to establish foundational knowledge, it is ill-suited to assess many other skills and abilities.

In 2018, the California Practice Analysis Working Group (CAPA) surveyed California attorneys to discover the KSAs needed by new attorneys, defined as those in their first three years of practice. Any alternative pathway must assess the bar applicants on the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for new attorneys as identified by the CAPA Working Group.

Jim Henderson, Ph.D., who served as a consultant to help design the surveys for CAPA and later was invited to join the BRC, stated that a supervised pathway to practice alone may be insufficient to assess breadth of knowledge, although sufficient to assess general skills and abilities. Thus, an alternative pathway to licensure may need to include an exam or other assessment of knowledge. Questions regarding the adequate assessment of the KSAs will need to be addressed in any exploration of an alternative pathway to licensure.

It is important to acknowledge that California has already implemented a temporary alternative pathway to licensure.

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court directed the State Bar to create a Provisional Licensure Program (PLL) for 2020 that granted law graduates a limited license to practice law under the supervision of fully licensed attorneys. To become fully licensed, however, they must pass the bar. The following year, this provisional program was expanded to a pathway programs for individuals who scored between 1390 and 1439 on the bar to become licensed through supervised practice. While both of these provisions have been extended to December, 2025, they are not permanent and still rely on law graduates either taking or passing the bar to ultimately become fully licensed.

The BRC heard from both the provisionally-licensed attorneys and their supervisors during our discussions. While the State Bar has begun to study the PLL program and its participants, the BRC did not have access to the data during its deliberations. The PLL data will be relevant to any exploration of an alternative pathway to licensure.

To be sure, many questions and concerns need to be addressed such as the validity, reliability, and fairness of any measure of competency, as well as concerns about equity. But these issues, and others raised throughout the debate, can be vetted during the next stage in the process. Any proposals for an alternative pathway would need to be submitted for further review and approval.

In the end, advancing the exploration of an alternative pathway is low risk and high reward and should be pursued without delay for California to keep pace with the evolving landscape of the legal profession.

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Introducing “The Colleges of Law”

The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law launches new identity and rebrand

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. and VENTURA, Calif., April 13, 2022 — The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) is changing its name. The nonprofit law school with campuses in Ventura and Santa Barbara is introducing a new identity, rebranding as “The Colleges of Law.”

With the change comes a new logo that showcases a foundation in law using classic pillars, signifying traditional legal education with forward momentum that captures the college’s commitment to innovation and progress. The column iconography represents something being built and still taking shape—a modern take on a classic design feature. It will be the school’s first brand update since 2010 while streamlining its various naming conventions—Ventura College of Law, Santa Barbara College of Law, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law—into one.

“It’s a project more than 50 years in the making,” said The Colleges of Law President Matthew Nehmer, Ph.D. “We were founded in Ventura in 1969 with Santa Barbara forming five years later. We’ve been using ‘The Colleges of Law’ informally for years. Our new identity simply makes it official with a look that communicates a school committed to innovation and building something new.”

The rebrand is among the signature initiatives featured in COL’s current strategic plan. Key stakeholders—including students, faculty, alumni, and trustees—contributed to the effort through focus groups and other feedback channels.

“We learned that the Ventura and Santa Barbara campuses are an important part of the COL legacy,” said Alison Baumann, vice president of marketing at TCS Education System and COL’s brand manager.

“We took this feedback to heart and created variations of the logo that identifies the school’s founding locations.” The new identity debuted on the COL website on April 12 and will eventually be featured on campus signage, advertisements, and other places in the weeks to come. Read an FAQ about the project.

To learn more about innovative course offerings at The Colleges of Law, fill out the form below.

The Colleges of Law opens enrollment for new Master of Arts in Law program

Recruitment underway to welcome first cohort in fall 2022

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. and VENTURA, Calif., April 11, 2022—Responding to rapid changes in the legal services industry, The Colleges of Law has launched its new Master of Arts in Law program. Recruitment is underway to enroll an inaugural cohort in a pioneering online program that intersects cross-disciplinary studies with a legal curriculum.

The Colleges of Law dean and chief academic officer, Jackie Gardina, J.D., first proposed the program to the college’s Board of Trustees in 2019 to address emerging trends in the practice of law. “Our field is being disrupted,” says Gardina. “Technology is transforming how people access services and how lawyers perform their jobs. While there will always be a need for competent and ethical attorneys, those with knowledge of where the field is going next will be poised to help lead the change.”

The Master of Arts in Law program was designed for entry-level master’s students seeking knowledge of law applied to specific areas of expertise. The program is also applicable to professionals currently working in the legal industry—including those with a J.D. degree—in order to access new areas of expertise and apply them to their practice, effectively providing opportunities for upskilling to meet a changing job market.

Jeannette Eicks, a recognized expert in the legal field who joined The Colleges of Law in 2021 to lead the Master of Arts in Law initiative, developed the curriculum and ushered the program through WASC Senior College and University Commission review.

“As has been the case for many other sectors, technology is transforming the legal industry. This transformation brings new opportunities for legal professionals at all levels and will address the demand of underserved legal markets,” says Eicks. “To better prepare students and alumni for this transformation, the school’s curriculum has expanded to address the cross-disciplinary needs of this growing legal marketplace. We have dedicated ourselves to bringing the knowledge driving the legal industry’s transformation to students at all graduate levels.”

The Master of Arts in Law program is the latest venture of a college that has staked its future in modernizing legal education.

“The bar is high for this project,” says The Colleges of Law President Matthew Nehmer, Ph.D. “Nearly three years in the making, it is our follow-up to delivering the first accredited Hybrid J.D. program in California. From the beginning, it was conceived to be something new and different. We wanted to go beyond just offering a new master’s degree. We wanted to create a learning experience with multiple applications with high value to learners and the legal services industry at large.”

The Master of Arts in Law program launches this fall, delivering 30 units of academic content across 21 months of study. Students can specialize in one of four concentrations—Business Operations, Entrepreneurship, Emerging Law, and Technology—and will complete a capstone project. Courses will also be available as electives for The Colleges of Law’s J.D. population, opening up the college’s J.D. curriculum to new career pathways.

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About The Colleges of Law

Established in 1969, The 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. COL’s 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 nonprofit organizations. An accredited nonprofit institution, COL offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Arts in Law (M.A. in Law) program. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, COL became the first accredited law school in California to offer a Hybrid J.D. degree. COL is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The Juris Doctor program is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California. COL is a part of TCS Education System, a national nonprofit system that works collaboratively to advance institutional sustainability, student success, and community impact.

To learn more about innovative course offerings at The Colleges of Law, fill out the form below.

A New Era of Legal Innovation

For more than 50 years, The Colleges of Law has been an innovator in the legal education space. Many significant milestones have been reached in that time, including the first commencement in 1973, the Ventura and Santa Barbara campuses coming together in the late ‘70s, State Bar accreditation, TCS Education System affiliation, WSCUC accreditation, and the development of new programs like the Hybrid J.D. 

This year a new, exciting milestone was reached—the launch of a new brand identity and logo. The Colleges of Law is streamlining its many naming conventions (Ventura College of Law, Santa Barbara College of Law, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law) into one: The Colleges of Law. This name change will foster continued innovation and allow for broader community reach and impact. 

In support of this new brand identity, a new logo has been developed. The logo design showcases a foundation in law using classic pillars, signifying traditional legal education with forward momentum. It communicates a school committed to innovation and building something new. 

This rebranding serves as a start of a new era for The Colleges of Law. More information can be found in the FAQs below. 

COL Rebrand FAQ 

What is happening with the COL name? 

We are retiring “The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law” naming convention and brand; instead leading with “The Colleges of Law.” It will be our first major rebranding effort since 2010 when the stacked logo and palm tree (yes, that’s a palm tree) iconography was introduced.  

Why the change? 

We’ve come a long way as a school since our last brand update in 2010. For one we are no longer exclusive the Santa Barbara and Ventura communities, as was the case during our first decades. We now draw students throughout California and beyond thanks to our hybrid J.D. and master’s programs.  

And second, we’ve been using The Colleges of Law and “COL” as an identifier for many years. For instance, we introduced “The Colleges of Law” formally in our institutional seal when it debuted in 2019. The new identity is simply a better reflection of who we are today while providing flexibly for tomorrow.  

How did you engage with the community in the process and decision? 

We’ve involved our key stakeholders throughout this project, staring with holding focus groups on mission and vision as part of our strategic planning process in 2017. Out of that came a renewed emphasis on “access,” “opportunity,” and “academic excellence” in our mission statement and a new vision statement “to be a pioneer in modernizing legal education.”  

From there we presented a proposal to the COL Board of Trustees to review our name and identity and make recommendations for next steps. More focus groups with community members, including alumni, were held in 2021 on our name. We learned from them that our geographic identifiers, Santa Barbara and Ventura, still have relevance and should have a place in our identity. Our brand and creative teams incorporated this feedback into their work.  

What about the names Ventura College of Law and Santa Barbara College of Law? 

Both names are integral to our history. COL was founded as the Ventura College of Law in 1969; whereas, Santa Barbara was founded in 1974 as the California Law Institute and later changed its name. The first use of “Colleges of Law” dates to 1978, the first year a joint academic bulletin was published.  

We acknowledge that hundreds of graduates identify with those names, including having them on their diplomas. Nothing is going to change with that history. Just as UCSB was once known as the Santa Barbara State Normal School, we continue to evolve too.  

Our new identity will formalize what we’ve already been doing in practice, i.e., recognize Ventura and Santa Barbara as campuses versus separately named colleges: 

  • The Colleges of Law—Ventura  
  • The Colleges of Law—Santa Barbara 

Will signage change on the campuses?  

Yes. We have a plan to update all exterior and interior campus signage this year.  

What name will be on future graduate diplomas? 

“The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law” has been on our diplomas since COL has been accredited by WSCUC. Starting in 2023, diplomas will read “The Colleges of Law” and will feature the seal that says the same.  

What is the difference between the COL logo and seal? 

One way of framing the distinction between seals and logos is that “one looks backward while one looks forward.” Our seal indeed does look back, reflecting our founding, while emphasizing iconography from our founding (scales of justice) and palm leaves to reflect our heritage as being in California coastal communities. It also leads with the words “access,” “opportunity,” and “excellence” from our mission.  

Our new logo in turn is more forward thinking. The column iconography represents something being built and still taking shape. It’s a modern take on a classic design feature.  

Our logo will be more public facing, whereas, our seal will be more internal looking—including on diplomas and other formal documents.  

Will you publish guidelines for the new logo?  

Yes, we’re updating our brand book, which will feature guidelines for the logo and seal.  

To learn more about the Master of Arts in Law program at The Colleges of Law, fill out the form below.

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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California Supreme Court appoints Dean Jackie Gardina to committee on California Bar Exam

Gardina, who has helped propel The Colleges of Law’s mission to make legal education more accessible, will sit on the committee to consider changes to the state exam.

Jackie Gardina, dean and chief academic officer at The Colleges of Law, has been appointed to the Supreme Court of California’s Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the California Bar Exam. Gardina, who is currently the chair of the Committee of State Bar Accredited and Registered Schools, will serve on the commission’s California Attorney Practice Analysis Working Group.

The 19-person commission will recommend “whether to adopt alternative or additional testing or tools to ensure minimum competence to practice law.” This area of discussion has gained urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Bar Exam was administered online for the first time in October 2020, and the next online exam is scheduled for July 2021.

In addition to improving access to the California Bar Exam, Gardina views this committee and other recent steps by the California Supreme Court as necessary but not yet sufficient enough to promote greater equity and diversity in the profession. In a recent article for the Santa Barbara County Bar Association, she wrote, “The current bar exam does more than limit access to the profession, it drives law school curriculum and supports a profit-driven commercial bar exam preparation industry.” She goes on to say, “Yet, law schools spend an inordinate amount of time helping students gain the test-taking skills and knowledge necessary to pass an exam that bears little resemblance to the actual practice of law.”

During her time at The Colleges of Law, Gardina has been a visionary who is always striving to reimagine the teaching of law. She is a member of the California Attorney Practice Analysis Working Group, which conducted a job analysis study of the legal profession for the State Bar of California. In her first year as chair of the State Bar Committee for Accredited and Registered Law Schools, the committee drafted a new set of accreditation rules with a focus on best practices in accreditation and legal instruction.

Most significantly, through Gardina’s initiative, The Colleges of Law became the first accredited law school in California to offer a hybrid J.D. program with a distinct curriculum designed to prepare today’s law students for practice in the 21st century. Gardina conceived the hybrid degree in large part to bring down the cost of a J.D., which remains the largest obstacle to law school for many. With the creation of this Blue Ribbon Committee, Gardina believes that “California has an opportunity to reimagine how it licenses new attorneys.”

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WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) Reaffirms The Colleges of Law’s Regional Accreditation for Eight More Years

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA, Calif., December 3 — The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) received reaffirmed accreditation for a period of eight years from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The announcement marks the culmination of a five-year endeavor to show ongoing alignment with WSCUC’s standards of accreditation focused on institutional quality, sustainability, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

“It’s a great achievement,” said COL President Matthew Nehmer. “Because of our work with WSCUC, The Colleges of Law is stronger and more prepared to help our students achieve success and advance our mission onward. We are thrilled by the outcome.”

WSCUC is an accreditation agency for higher education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Among its duties is to establish institutional eligibility for federal funding, including student access to Title IV federal financial aid.

The commission’s reaffirmation decision followed a comprehensive vetting of the institution’s academic and administrative departments, along with numerous panel interviews with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and trustees.

“It was gratifying to have the team of peer evaluators recognize and validate our dedication to delivering an accessible, affordable, and quality education,” said Jackie Gardina, dean and chief academic officer. “They provided incredibly thoughtful recommendations that will guide our work going forward.”

Upon reaffirmation, WSCUC shared the following commendations about COL:

  • Continuous engagement with stakeholders, including students, faculty, and alumni
  • Focus on mission and commitment to transparency
  • Commitment to innovation and nimbleness to navigate a rapidly changing higher education landscape
  • Commitment to assessment of student teaching and learning
  • Strong financial position and the work it performs to deliver a high-quality, affordable legal education

Reaffirmation is the second part of a two-step review process designed to align institutions of higher learning with measurable best practices. COL’s WSCUC journey started more than a decade ago when it began to pursue initial accreditation, a goal that was achieved in 2015.

WSCUC will return in 2028 to again review COL’s alignment with WSCUC’s standards of accreditation. Until then, COL intends to incorporate what it has learned from the reaffirmation process and to update its strategic plan to become an even better place to learn, teach, and work.

About The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law
Established in 1969, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law 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. COL’s 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 nonprofit organizations. An accredited nonprofit institution, COL offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Arts in Law (M.A. in Law) program. Additionally, in the fall of 2018, COL became the first accredited law school in California to offer a hybrid J.D. degree. COL is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). 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.

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

The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law board of trustees elects three new members

Three distinguished leaders—Art Hernandez, Charlita Shelton, and Casey Summar—join governing board of the Central Coast’s leading law school focused on access, opportunity, and affordability

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA – Arturo “Art” Hernandez, Charlita Shelton, and Casey Summar are the newest members of The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) board of trustees, the governance body that oversees the region’s oldest and largest independent law school.

Art Hernandez brings to COL extensive experience in education governance. He served on the board of the Rio Elementary School District followed by the Oxnard Union High School District, where he helped supervise an enrollment of more than 16,000 students across five high schools. Thereafter, Hernandez was elected to the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) board of trustees for Area 5 representing Oxnard. The VCCCD spans three community colleges—Moorpark College, Oxnard College, and Ventura College—and serves 39,000 students annually.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Charlita L. Shelton is a proven leader as a higher education executive and diversity officer. Currently with Gonzaga University, serving the president’s office to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Dr. Shelton’s previous posts include president and chief diversity office at the University of the Rockies and as executive director of the Dallas Nursing Institute. She is an international lecturer on organizational diversity and equity and women in leadership roles and an accomplished research scholar who led research efforts to determine how best to retain Black and Latinx students and designed diversity initiatives for the world’s largest private educational institution for working adults. Her many recognitions include the Innovations in Diversity Award and Diversity Leader Award from Profile in Diversity Journal and the Champion of Diversity Award from Diversity Business.

Prior to relocating to Santa Barbara, Casey Summar founded the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in 2005, which grew to become the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville. In that role, she advised the boards and staff of more than 400 nonprofits at all stages of organizational life cycle from formation to operations to transition. Summar was recognized as the 2016 Nonprofit CEO of the Year for Middle Tennessee, was named one of Nashville’s Top 40 under 40 in 2015, and a finalist for the Nashville Emerging Leader Awards in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. She also serves as chair of the board of the Carpinteria Arts Center and secretary of the board of the Lois & Walter Capps Project. Having recently concluded a term on the Americans for the Arts Private Sector Council, she served as chair of the Nashville Arts Coalition, chair of the American Bar Association Entertainment & Sports Industries Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Division, and chair of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Entertainment & Sports Law Section. Currently, she enjoys being a partner with The Law Firm for Non-Profits, and is an adjunct professor of law at Vanderbilt University.  Summar received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and her BFA from Belmont University. She is licensed to practice law in both California and Tennessee.

“What was already a strong board has become even stronger, connected, and more distinguished,” said COL Board Chair Jana Johnston (J.D. ’03). “Art’s higher education experience will help us advance our mission of access and opportunity in Ventura, and Casey’s nonprofit expertise and passion for legal education doing the same in Santa Barbara. And then we have Charlita, whose work in diversity and higher education leadership will be invaluable. I am honored to serve with them.”

The newest additions join a diverse board of professionals representing numerous disciplines and experiences. Chair Johnston is a partner with Mullen & Henzell. Other trustee attorneys include Farfalla Borah (J.D. ’93), Judge Michele Castillo, Betty Jeppesen (J.D. ’80), and Catherine Swysen (J.D. ‘94). Trustees from higher education include Dr. Michael Horowitz, president of TCS Education System; Dr. Bernie Luskin, president and CEO of Luskin International and past chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District; Stacey Lydon, director of advancement for Student Affairs, UCSB; Dr. Matthew Nehmer, COL president; and Dr. Richard Winn, past president of the WSCUC Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

About The Santa Barbara & Ventura 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 nonprofit 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 COL Public Affairs Coordinator Kryztofr Kaine at 805-765-9729; [email protected].

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