A Silicon Valley politician wants to create California State University’s first public law school and is eyeing San Jose.
State Sen. Dave Cortese’s Senate Bill 550 proposes establishing a law school at San Jose State University by integrating it with state-accredited, nonprofit Lincoln Law School of San Jose. If approved, it would be San Jose’s first public law school. The CSU board of trustees would also need to approve the plan. The bill has passed the Senate Education Committee and is headed to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
Cortese said creating the public law school would lower barriers to entry, as cost and location can turn people away from entering careers in public service — including first generation students and other underrepresented demographics. The expense and lack of public law schools make law careers out of reach, especially for people of color. Asians and Latinos are underrepresented among licensed attorneys statewide, he said. As the average law school debt exceeds $130,000, creating an affordable law school would help diversify Silicon Valley’s legal pipeline.
“We had all sides saying they’re willing to come to the table and try to negotiate a deal,” Cortese told San José Spotlight. “You need a bill to do something like this. It should be doable. It’s the right thing to do.”
Cortese discussed creating a law school at SJSU with Lincoln Law School Dean J. Jason Amezcua and SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson. Amezcua said merging Lincoln Law School with SJSU addresses a significant need in San Jose. Lincoln Law School offers evening classes so judges and attorneys can teach and students can work during the day. It’s serving about 30 students and can host up to 70. Merging with SJSU would provide increased services for students, Amezcua said.
“The more we can help contribute to legal representation, legal services and legal opportunities being available to more folks in this community … the better,” Amezcua told San José Spotlight. “It’s critical because the traditional law school path is expensive. What we see is people that would not even consider attending a law school … that’s one of the barriers it breaks down.”
San Jose State University representatives declined to comment.
Cortese said the bill has a good chance of going to the governor’s desk, as the Senate Judiciary Committee is poised to approve it with some technical changes.
But SB 550 is not without funding concerns, as Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing cutting $375 million from the CSU system. Cortese said tuition and fundraising could help support a new law school — and the financial situation could change in the years it may take to close the deal.
“It didn’t scare away the chancellor and the president yet,” Cortese said. “Let’s see if there’s a marriage here first. Then we can figure out how to handle the cost of the administration.”
Magnus Herrlin, president of the San Jose State University Pre-Law Society, said the university gaining an affordable and accessible law school would encourage more people of color to pursue a law degree.
“SJSU having a law school … will inspire people and tell them their dream can be achieved,” Herrlin told San José Spotlight.” It’s not unrealistic to think that you can attain a quality and affordable legal education.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at [email protected].
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