Laurence Drivon
School of Law
OVERVIEW AND ACCREDITATION
Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law, founded in 1951, offers a professional program of education leading to the Juris Doctor degree, preparing students for the California State Bar examination and the practice of law.
We remain faithful to our original goal of providing this opportunity for those who need a night program to fulfill their dream. Additionally we have deliberately kept tuition affordable and offer an extraordinary value for a respected and excellent legal education. The School of Law attracts recent college graduates as well as those returning to college after several years. Many of these students hold full-time jobs while pursuing their studies. Even so, admission requirement standards are maintained.
Our goal is to develop the next generation of lawyers who protect the public interest, behave responsibly and ethically and leave this Institution knowing how to lawyer with practical and hands on experience. The classes are small and the Professors available. There is more to being a lawyer than intellectual understanding.
Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. The College is also accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities.
Law students earn a Juris Doctor degree in four or five years of evening study, which qualifies them to take the California Bar Examination leading to the practice of law in California.
Humphreys graduates constitute a large network of respected attorneys and judges, especially in the many central California counties easily accessible to the school.
The San Joaquin County Bar Association has honored the College with its Law Day Award for its extraordinary contribution to the legal community in the central valley.
For more information e-mail Law School.
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PRACTICE IN STATES OTHER THAN CALIFORNIA
Study at or graduation from this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination in other states or satisfy the requirements to practice law in other states. Therefore, if a student intends to seek admission to practice law in a state other than California, the student should contact the admitting authority in that state for information regarding the legal education requirements for admission to practice law.
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CALENDAR AND INSTRUCTION
The Law School program is a four or five year course of study. Classes are held in the evenings three evenings a week during the regular school year. Classes meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings from 6:50 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. There are occasional classes or clinics on Thursday evening or Saturday. Case study and discussion constitute the format of the core subjects. The Socratic method is the primary vehicle for class presentation. Other courses provide opportunity for library research, mock court practices, and written exercises. Attendance at all class sessions is expected for all students.
The School of Law operates on a quarter system with 12 weeks of instruction each quarter. The academic year, consisting of three quarters, begins in the third week of August and ends in May. A six-week summer quarter offers elective courses. Students are required to take two summer courses. These include Legal Research between first and second years and an elective during any summer. A variety of electives is offered each summer.
There are internships available for credit and clinics where students interact with the public and real legal problems.
The School of Law does consider a late start program each year, depending on applications. The late start program begins with the second quarter and these first year students miss out on summer break and join the earlier starting class in the second year.
Typical Course of Study
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter | |
| First Year | Contracts I | Contracts II | Contracts III |
| Torts I | Torts II | Torts III | |
| Criminal Law I | Criminal Law II | Legal Writing | |
| Summer | Legal Research | ||
| Second Year | Property I | Property II | Property III |
| Civil Procedure I | Civil Procedure II | Civil Procedure III | |
| Professional Ethics | Evidence I | Evidence II | |
| Summer | ** | ||
| Third Year | Constitutional Law | Constitutional Law | Constitutional Law |
| Wills & Trusts I | Wills & Trusts II | Criminal Procedure | |
| Family Law | Community Property | *Trial Practice | |
| Summer | ** | ||
| Fourth Year | Business Entities | Business Entities | Business Entities |
| Remedies I | Remedies II | *Alternative Dispute Resolution | |
| *Income Tax | Advanced Legal Writing | ** |
* denotes electives
** Other electives offered over the four years (past and present) are Appellate Practice and Moot Court, Immigration Law, Intellectual Law, Bankruptcy, Disability (Workers Comp., SSI, and private plans) Conflicts of Law, Administrative Law, Juvenile Law and a special Advanced Trial Practice which brings experts in major plaintiff practices from around the country for a special six week seminar every second year.
Additionally, third year students who qualify to become a Certified Law Student under the Bar Rules qualify as interns in several government offices and receive credit. These students can even appear in court under supervision.
The College is a partner with the courts in putting on a Small Claims Clinic every month. Here, the students meet with and counsel citizens with real legal problems.
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APPLICATION AND ADMISSION
Interested applicants should contact the Law school for more information. Inquiry may be made in writing, in person, or by phone. Interested persons are encouraged to speak directly with an admission counselor at (209) 478-0800. The application is available online, see the entry "Apply Now" under the Law School area in the sidebar.
The Admission Committee considers a candidate’s academic achievement and performance on the LSAT. Also considered are references, motivation, work experience, civic involvement and maturity. Maturity and the ability to show completion of goals through hard work is highly considered.
Decisions are made when an application and all supporting documents have been received by the Law School. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all documents are received by the Registrar in a timely manner. Admission decisions are made on an on-going basis. The college prefers to receive applications by June 1 for the upcoming fall quarter; however, applications will be accepted past this date as long as space is available.
The school year starts the third week in August; classes for the first year start twice a year, once in August, and once in November. The last Law School Admission Test (LSAT) that will qualify a student for admission in a particular year is given in June of that year. See below for information on the LSAT test. Students are encouraged to take the LSAT as soon as they believe they may be interested in attending law school.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Completed application along with non-refundable application fee.
- Two copies of official transcripts of all previous college work.
- LSAT scores. Results within the last three years are acceptable.
- At least one letter of recommendation.
- For those students without the college requirements see the section on Special Students below.
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day, standardized test prepared and written and graded by a national organization, LSAC, designed to measure the ability to read, understand, and reason at the law school level. The LSAT is offered at Humphreys College in October, December, February, and June. Contact the Admission Office for registration materials, dates and fees.
The Law School prefers candidates who possess a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
However, the Law School does admit students without a Bachelor’s degree who meet certain other requirements. Candidates fall into two main admission categories:
Regular Applicants are applicants who either:
- Hold Bachelor’s degrees from a regionally accredited college or university. No specific major or course of study is required. These students constitute the majority of our student body; or
- Have earned 60 semester or 90 quarter units creditable toward a Bachelors degree, as determined by the Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law Registrar. These applicants will need to demonstrate a higher LSAT score.
Special Student Applicants are applicants who complete the following requirements:
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Students must take the English Composition exam and may choose two from the following: Humanities, Mathematics, Social Sciences and History, or Natural Science.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Interview with the Dean of the Law School.
- Obtain a score of 50 percentile or better on the LSAT
- Passage of the First-Year Law Students Examination (A Baby Bar) following completion of the first year of study.
For more information e-mail Law School Admissions.
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FACILITIES
Humphreys College is located in north Stockton at the corner of Inglewood Avenue and Benjamin Holt Drive. The Laurence Drivon School of Law is located at the eastern side of the campus, in a new building dedicated in 2005. The School of Law includes classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, study lounges and an extensive law library which includes a computer research center. Additional computer facilities and the College administrative offices are on the main campus. The building surrounds a beautiful courtyard.
The law library houses collections of federal and California codes, California and regional reporters, California administrative regulations, attorney general opinions, law journals and treatises. In addition, the School of Law provides students and faculty access to popular national online research database services and a computer laboratory.
In October of 2005 the courtroom addition was completed and dedicated as the Carcione Courtroom in honor of Joseph Carcione (of KCBS fame) by his son, Joseph William Carcione Jr. Clinics and public events as well as trial practice for law students, paralegal students and court reporter students take place therein. Beginning in 2006, the Judge Consuelo M. Callahan American Inn of Court, a chapter of the prestigious Inns of Court began meeting in the Courtroom; the Courtroom will house the Distinguished Speakers series.
Stockton is about 50 miles south of Sacramento, 80 miles east of San Francisco, and is easily accessible from major highways and public transportation.
On-campus parking is free. A limited number of on-campus student apartments are available. Additionally, child care is also available.
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Humphreys College Administration
Robert G. Humphreys, President of the College. California State University, Stanislaus; University of California, Davis; Ph.D. University of Santa Clara.
School of Law Administration
The Honorable Nels B. Fransen, Dean Emeritus of the Law School. J.D. University of California, Hastings College of Law; Judge, San Joaquin County Superior Court (retired). Judge Fransen has served the College for over fifty years.
L. Patrick Piggott, Dean of the Law School.B.A. University of Kansas, J.D. University of California, Hastings College of Law, former Assistant Counsel, Office of General Counsel, Department of the Navy, former Deputy District Attorney, Monterey County, Assistant Attorney General American Samoa, founding member of Dickinson Society of International Law and founder of the law firm, Piggott, Ford and Dalton. In 2000 Dean Piggott was awarded the Law Day Award as Attorney of the year.
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FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS
Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law, with its WASC accreditation, is pleased to be able to offer Financial Aid in the form of student loans. Such loans are awarded to students who demonstrate need or who qualify for non-need based aid. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filed to qualify for and receive any federal financial assistance. Financial Aid applications are processed throughout the year.
Several scholarships are offered directly through the School of Law. The Laurence Drivon Scholarships are awarded each fall to qualifying students in the fourth and second years of study. The Wallace Caldwell Scholarship is awarded each year to the qualifying student at the end of the second year of study. Other new scholarships are in the process of being established.