You've probably heard the rumors. Maybe you saw a headline about a lawsuit or a budget crisis and wondered if the doors were actually locking for good. Honestly, the situation with Golden Gate University Law—often just called GGU Law—is a bit of a mess, but it’s a fascinating, heartbreaking, and deeply complex mess that tells us a lot about the state of legal education in America today.
It isn't just another law school. Founded in 1901, it carved out a specific niche in San Francisco for being the "scrappy" school. It was the place for working-class students, late-night learners, and people who didn't necessarily come from Ivy League pedigrees but had plenty of fight. But in the last few years, that legacy hit a brick wall of financial reality and ABA standards.
The Bombshell Decision to Cut the JD Program
Let's get the big elephant out of the room first. In late 2023, the university leadership made a move that sent shockwaves through the California legal community. They announced they would stop offering its American Bar Association (ABA) accredited Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
Wait. What?
Yeah. A law school essentially decided to stop being a law school in the traditional sense. It was wild. Students were furious. Faculty were blindsided. People were literally protesting in the streets of downtown San Francisco because, for many, GGU was their only shot at a legal career in an insanely expensive city. The school cited "significant" financial challenges. Basically, they were spending way more than they were taking in, and the math just stopped working.
But it wasn't just about the money in the bank. The ABA had been breathing down their neck for years regarding bar passage rates. If your students can’t pass the bar, the ABA eventually pulls your accreditation. GGU was caught in a pincer move between declining enrollment and rising regulatory pressure.
What’s actually left at GGU?
It’s easy to think the whole place turned into a ghost town, but that’s not quite right. While the JD program—the degree you need to become a practicing lawyer—is being phased out through a "teach-out" plan for current students, GGU isn't technically dead. They are trying to pivot.
They still offer graduate programs. We’re talking about Master of Laws (LLM) and Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degrees. These are mostly for people who already have a law degree and want to specialize in things like Taxation or Intellectual Property. It’s a much smaller, leaner operation. It’s an attempt to survive by becoming a boutique specialist rather than a general-purpose law school.
Why the ABA Stepped In
You have to understand the "75% rule." The ABA requires that at least 75% of a law school's graduates pass the bar exam within two years of graduation. For a long time, Golden Gate University Law struggled to hit that number.
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Why? It’s a touchy subject.
Critics say the school admitted students whose LSAT scores and undergraduate GPAs suggested they might struggle with the bar exam. Supporters, however, argue that GGU was doing the "heavy lifting" of social mobility. If you only admit people with 175 LSAT scores, of course they’ll pass the bar. GGU took risks on people. Sometimes those risks didn't pay off in the eyes of the ABA.
In 2024, the ABA officially moved to pull the JD accreditation, though the school is technically allowed to finish teaching the students who were already enrolled. This is the "teach-out." It’s a grim term, isn't it? It basically means you’re watching the lights go out while you study for Torts.
The Student Lawsuit: Fight the Power
You can imagine that the students didn't just shrug and walk away. A group of students and the Alumni Association actually sued the university. They claimed breach of contract and fraud, arguing that the school took their tuition money while knowing the ship was sinking.
The legal drama surrounding the school is almost as intense as the cases they teach in class. The students argued that the university was "mismanaging" funds and prioritising other departments over the law school. The university, of course, denied this, saying the decline of law school applications and the brutal San Francisco real estate market made the JD program "unsustainable."
The Reality of San Francisco Legal Education
San Francisco is a brutal place to run a mid-tier law school. You’ve got UC Law San Francisco (formerly Hastings) right down the street. You’ve got Stanford and Berkeley a short drive away. Then you have USF.
Competition is fierce.
When the pandemic hit, everything changed. Commercial real estate in San Francisco plummeted in value. Remote learning became the norm. The "prestige" of being in a physical building in the Financial District started to matter less. For GGU, which owned significant property, this was a double-edged sword. Their assets were worth less, and their "commuter school" vibe felt less essential in a Zoom world.
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Is GGU Law Still a Good Choice for Post-Grads?
This is where it gets nuanced. If you are an international lawyer looking for an LLM in Taxation, GGU is actually still quite respected. Their tax program has consistently been ranked highly. They have deep connections with the IRS and big accounting firms in the Bay Area.
If you're looking for that specific niche, the "brand" of GGU still carries weight in those circles. But—and this is a big but—you have to be comfortable with the fact that you’re attending an institution that is currently in a state of radical, painful transformation.
The Faculty Exodus
When a school announces it's ending its primary degree, the best professors usually start looking for the exit. It’s human nature. Many of the long-standing, tenured professors at Golden Gate University Law have moved on to other institutions or retired.
While there are still dedicated educators there finishing the teach-out, the intellectual "heft" of the school has inevitably shifted. You aren't getting the same environment today that you would have found in 2015.
What This Means for the Future of Law Schools
GGU is a canary in the coal mine.
For decades, law schools were seen as cash cows for universities. You hire some professors, get a library, and collect $50k a year from hundreds of students. But the "Law School Scam" era (as some bloggers called it) ended. Students are savvier now. They look at employment statistics and debt-to-income ratios.
Schools like GGU, which served a vital mission of diversity and accessibility, are the ones most at risk. They don't have $1 billion endowments like Harvard. They rely on tuition. When the ABA raises the bar (literally), these schools are the first to feel the squeeze.
Things to Consider if You Are a Current or Prospective Student
If you are currently in the teach-out program, your degree is still valid. You are graduating from an ABA-accredited program as long as you finish within the specified window. You can still sit for the bar. You can still be a lawyer.
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But you’ve got to be proactive.
- Network like your life depends on it. The alumni network for GGU is actually very strong in California. Many judges and public defenders are GGU grads. Reach out to them. They feel a sense of loyalty to students caught in this mess.
- Master the Bar Exam. Since the school's reputation is currently tied to bar passage struggles, you need to be the exception. Use every supplement. Start studying in your 2L year.
- Watch the accreditation updates. Stay glued to the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar website. Things change.
If you are looking at their LLM programs, do a "vibe check." Talk to current students. Ask specifically about the faculty-to-student ratio and whether the career services office is still fully staffed for post-grad placements.
The Bottom Line
Golden Gate University Law isn't gone, but the version of it that existed for over a century basically is. It’s a victim of a changing legal economy and a stricter regulatory environment. It’s a cautionary tale for other private law schools and a tragedy for the San Francisco community that relied on it for a different kind of legal education.
The pivot to a "graduate-only" model is a Hail Mary pass. Whether it works depends on whether the GGU brand can survive without its flagship JD program. It's a tough sell.
Actionable Steps for Concerned Stakeholders:
- For Current Students: Ensure you have a written copy of your individual teach-out plan and confirm that your credits will be fully recognized by the ABA upon graduation.
- For Alumni: Join the Golden Gate University Law Alumni Association's LinkedIn group to stay updated on the legal battles and to offer mentorship to the final JD cohorts.
- For Prospective LLM Students: Compare the cost of GGU’s specialized programs against online options from larger state schools to ensure the ROI still makes sense given the current volatility.
- For Employers: Don't discount GGU grads. The students graduating now have had to develop a level of resilience and "grit" that most law students never have to experience.
The story of GGU Law is still being written, but the pen is currently in the hands of the courts and the auditors. It’s a reminder that even the most established institutions aren't immune to the "disruption" we hear so much about.
Stay informed. Don't believe every sensationalist headline, but don't ignore the very real red flags either.