Why Monterey College of Law community of law schools

Lisa Sperow
President and CEO

Monterey College of Law is an exceptional place to attend law school because of its emphasis on community service, ethics, and a high-quality legal education. As President and CEO of Monterey College of Law, I am honored to serve four campuses located throughout central and northern California that have been in the vanguard of community-based legal education for over 50 years. Our law school is truly community-based in that local attorneys and judges serve as faculty, administrators, and board members. These lawyers and judges bring real-world, contemporary experience from the courtroom to the classroom to serve as instructors and mentors for our students.

In addition, our students serve the community by participating in various legal aid clinics that range from small claims to unlawful detainer and criminal record expungement. Through these clinics, our students learn essential legal skills while helping solve real problems for real people. We also provide a rigorous legal curriculum, which is complemented by small class sizes, a robust moot court program, dedication to mediation skills, and being at the forefront of legal technology. When students graduate from an MCL campus, they are well prepared to pass the California Bar Exam and excel in the legal profession. In fact, many of our graduates become judges, law professors, and prominent lawyers in their communities.

I went to law school to gain tools to help make this world a better place. Now more than ever, our communities need well-educated, ethical, and community-service-minded lawyers and legal professionals to improve the world around us. At Monterey College of Law, students gain the skills, knowledge, and connections they need to have successful careers while continuing to help their communities and improve access to justice for all.