Navigating the CWSL Student Portal: A Comprehensive Guide

California Western School of Law (CWSL) offers a vibrant community and a supportive environment for students pursuing a legal education. This guide provides comprehensive information on accessing resources and navigating the CWSL student portal for prospective and current students.

Applying to CWSL

Admissions and Application Process

California Western welcomes students from across the globe and is committed to helping you through the admissions and application process. If you are ready to take the next step and apply to California Western, you can explore information on the application process.

For first-year Juris Doctor (JD) applicants, applications open September 1, 2025, for the Fall 2026 semester. Be sure to learn more about application deadlines to ensure your application is complete and ready for review. CWSL also accepts transfer and visiting students.

Support During Your Application Journey

CWSL is committed to assisting you throughout your application journey. The university is thrilled you are interested in joining their vibrant community.

Academics and Career Development

Personalized JD Curriculum

CWSL's downtown location, at the heart of San Diego's legal and political community, allows students to walk, bike, or take public transit to nearby internship, public service, and clinical learning opportunities. These experiences can be built into your personalized JD curriculum.

Dual Degree Programs

California Western School of Law and San Diego State University Fowler College of Business Administration cooperate in granting dual Juris Doctorate (JD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees.

Part-Time Evening Program

CWSL offers a part-time evening program designed for working professionals interested in legal education.

Competitive Advocacy Program

The Competitive Advocacy Program (CAP) at California Western has a winning tradition in San Diego and across the nation.

Bar Review Program

California Western offers a Bar Review Program that begins in the second year of law school, as early preparation is key to success.

Career and Professional Development

As a CWSL student, you have access to career advisors. The Career and Professional Development Office (CPDO) offers a wide variety of resources designed to help you identify and achieve your career goals. You can get information about practice areas of interest and seek guidance from the CPDO.

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One alumnus shared their experience: "My goal going into law school was to go into family law. I communicated with CPDO about my specific path and they taught me the importance of networking no matter what year you are in." This student secured numerous positions.

Resources Available

If you need to print out or scan documents to apply for a job, you can come to the lobby to copy, scan, fax, or upload a document. Donations are accepted to use the quality paper and envelopes for correspondence.

Campus Safety and Security

Commitment to Safety

Villanova University, similar to CWSL, strives to be a caring and welcoming community, rooted in the principles of Veritas, Unitas, Caritas-Truth, Unity, and Love, and has devoted significant resources to providing a safe campus for its community members.

Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety (Public Safety) employs both police and security officers. The department, located in Garey Hall, is responsible for providing law enforcement services and maintaining the security and safety of the campus community. The Department of Public Safety consists of approximately 75 Officers, including both sworn Police Officers and non-sworn Public Safety Officers who provide on-campus coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Villanova University’s Police Officers have law enforcement authority and responsibility for enforcing Federal and State laws, University Policies, and for making arrests. Villanova Police Officers have the responsibility and authority for patrolling the Campus Area and responding to calls for service, including reported crimes, as defined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), between the Radnor Township Police Department and the Villanova University Police Department.

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Villanova non-sworn Public Safety Officers do not have arrest authority and have no legal authority upon which to enforce criminal laws; however, they do have the authority to enforce University Policies. Both Villanova University’s sworn Police Officers and non-sworn Public Safety Officers are well-trained professionals. The Police Officers are certified Officers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and are held to the same training and credentialing requirements as any other Police Officer in the Commonwealth.

Emergency Resources

Emergency call boxes are located throughout the campus and parking lot areas in order to provide emergency assistance to the Villanova community. Call boxes offer a direct link to Public Safety to report an emergency, such as a suspicious person or circumstance, a medical emergency, or to request a safety escort.

Campus Security Measures

University sworn Police Officers and non-sworn Public Safety Officers patrol the exterior and interior of all campus residence halls as part of the normal patrols. In addition, CCTV cameras are installed throughout the campus in both interior and exterior locations. CCTV cameras and card access systems are viewable centrally by Public Safety Dispatchers as well as by Officers at three other fixed post locations throughout the campus.

Residence Hall Security

In 2023, the University housed approximately 5,000 undergraduates in 31 campus facilities. Accommodations ranged from traditional residence halls to halls with apartment units. First-year students were assigned housing and roommates by the Office for Residence Life. Upper-class students participated in a housing selection process and chose their room assignment and could also select roommates.

Students living in residence halls are provided with card access to operate the lock on their own room door. Key access is available as an emergency off-hours backup. Outside main entrances to all residence halls, except for Friar Hall, Dobbin Hall, Austin Hall, McGuinn Hall, Canon Hall, Corr Hall and St. Mary’s Hall, are locked 24 hours a day, seven days a week with access controlled by a computerized card access (Wildcard) system. Windows are equipped with locks operable by room occupants. The residential portions of Friar Hall, Dobbin Hall, Austin Hall, McGuinn Hall, Canon Hall, St. Mary’s Hall, and Corr Halls are locked and controlled through the Wildcard system 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Access to residence halls is restricted via the card access system. Students who receive permission to remain in residence during low occupancy periods are required to register with the Office for Residence Life. All invited guests are expected to share the same responsibility for the community as do its members. Even so, resident students are personally responsible for the behavior of, or damage caused by their guests. Students are strongly discouraged from propping exterior doors to residence halls.

Reporting Crimes and Emergencies

Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are encouraged to accurately and promptly report all potential crimes, suspicious behavior, medical, fire, or other emergencies to the Department of Public Safety, by calling 4444 or 9-4444 from an on-campus telephone or (610) 519-4444 from an outside telephone or cell phone. Public Safety Dispatchers are available at these telephone numbers 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer calls. The University’s safety app, Nova Safe, may also be used to report emergencies. In response to a report, the Department of Public Safety will dispatch an Officer(s) to the caller’s location to file an incident report or ask the victim to report to Public Safety to file an incident report. All reported crimes investigated by the University may become a matter of public record.

Villanova University encourages accurate and prompt reporting of all crimes and emergencies to the Villanova University Department of Public Safety or appropriate police agency including when the victim elects not to, or is unable to, make such a report.

Crime Prevention Programs

One of the essential components of any successful crime prevention program is an informed public. The Department of Public Safety offers a wide variety of security awareness and crime prevention programming for students and employees. Topics include personal safety awareness, theft prevention, sexual assault awareness, internet safety, alcohol education, Active Shooter Awareness Training, and the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) self-defense course. Anyone interested in having a Public Safety Officer speak to their classroom or group should contact them at 610-519-5800.

All crime prevention and security awareness programs encourage students and employees to be responsible for their own security and the security of others. Public Safety Officers participate in Resident Assistant (RA) training annually to ensure that RAs are fully aware of safety issues and resources available to Villanova students. Specific policy issues and problems are routinely addressed at residence hall floor meetings conducted by RAs. Public Safety Officers are available to attend floor meetings at the request of an RA to discuss safety concerns.

Additional Resources

Diversity and Inclusion

California Western believes a diverse student body enriches the academic and interpersonal experiences of law school.

Financial Aid

California Western offers more than a dozen institutional scholarships for first-year and upper-division students. There is more to every applicant than the numbers.

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