Thomas Jefferson School of Law
San Diego, California
Our Residential and Online Law Degrees Prepare Students For The California Bar Exam
Thomas Jefferson School of Law is a private, non-profit California law school that has been preparing students for careers in law since 1969. We offer residential and online JD degrees as well as graduate LLM degree programs in American Legal Studies and in Practice Skills. Located in the heart of San Diego, California, TJSL is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California.
Our private, non-profit law school offers both online and residential law degrees. Flexible law programs allow students to enroll full- or part-time, attend classes in the daytime, evening, and online, and start in the Summer, Fall, or Spring.
Our curriculum includes academic centers in Criminal Law as well as Intellectual Property Law, Entertainment, and Sports Law.

Experienced Faculty
As industry professionals, our faculty draw from a wide range of experiences. Some have litigated before the World Court and U.S. Supreme Court, and others have authored books and produced research published in leading journals and cited in courts across the country. You can literally learn from professors who wrote the book.
Law Degree Programs At Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Residential JD Program
Our residential JD program is 80 units, including core and elective offerings. Full-time students typically graduate in three years, and part-time students in four. Graduates of the JD program are immediately eligible to take the California bar examination.
Online JD Program
Our residential JD program is 80 units, including core and elective offerings. Full-time students typically graduate in three years, and part-time students in four. Graduates of the JD program are immediately eligible to take the California bar examination.
LLM Programs
Our residential JD program is 80 units, including core and elective offerings. Full-time students typically graduate in three years, and part-time students in four. Graduates of the JD program are immediately eligible to take the California bar examination.

A Premier San Diego Law School
As one of only four law schools in San Diego, Thomas Jefferson School of Law offers a strong academic program with experienced professors and an array of hands-on, real-world experiential learning programs, including Mock Trial, Moot Court, and ADR Competition teams, Law Review, and three law school clinics.
Our campus is located in beautiful San Diego near downtown courthouses and legal practices—providing students with easy access to the legal community.
Hear What Our Students & Alumni Have To Say
Learn Through Practice at Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Study Abroad Program
Study law in one of the few cities in the world that rivals San Diego for both climate and beauty—Nice, France. The Nice Summer Law Program encourages students to experience international law in an international setting, to exchange ideas with students from a different land, and to explore cultural differences that influence international business and legal transactions.

Experiential Learning Through Clinics & Internships
Our hands-on learning experiences include clinics and externships. Students learn through practice while providing invaluable service to the local community. Clinical opportunities may range from assisting military veterans with legal issues, helping small business and nonprofit entities to incorporate, obtain patents and trademarks,
and more.
Get Ready For Your Career In Law
Your law career awaits. California lawyers have the third-highest income for lawyers in the nation, with an average salary of more than $125,000. In San Diego, job growth for lawyers is accelerating in fields such as wireless telecommunications, biotechnology, and manufacturing.

Your Law Degree Starts Here
A law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law is just the beginning. Join our more than 7,000 alumni and pursue your degree full-time or part-time in one of our JD or LLM programs.
Study at, or graduation from, this Law School may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or be licensed to practice law in jurisdictions other than California. A student who intends to seek licensure to practice law outside of California at any time during their career should contact the admitting authority for information regarding its education and licensure requirements prior to enrolling at this Law School.
News & Events
Academic Calendar
Labor Day Holiday
September 4, 2023
Midterm Exams
October 1–3, 2023
Last Day of Classes
November 22, 2023
Review Period
November 27–December 1, 2023
Final Exams
December 2–11, 2023
Semester Ends
December 11, 2023