About USF Law

The University of San Francisco was established in 1855 by the Jesuit Fathers as San Francisco’s first institution of higher learning. The University has grown from a one-room school house to become San Francisco's largest independent university. The School of Law, established in 1912, has demonstrated a corresponding growth. Today there are nearly 700 students enrolled in the School of Law and approximately 200 students receive the Juris Doctor degree from USF each year.
Throughout its history, the School of Law has prepared students for law careers in a community which boasts one of the finest legal traditions in America. Graduates have distinguished themselves in private practice and as attorneys in city, county, state and federal offices. Many of our alums have become members of both the state and federal judiciaries, including Justices of the California Supreme Court, as well as prominent members of local, state and federal legislative bodies.

We have done this by blending tradition and innovation: our tradition of excellence in educating students to be skilled and effective lawyers who leave law school ready to practice law along with innovative programming that reflects the vast changes taking place in all aspects of society and the law.

At the same time, we recognize our responsibility to train ethical lawyers who will help to make the world a better place, and we sustain an intense commitment to social justice and a belief that in this rapidly changing world we must redouble efforts to provide access to justice for those who remain marginalized in our country and around the world.