Dean Sean Scott stands at a wooden podium featuring the CWSL seal giving a speech in commencement regalia.

Event Recaps

Missed our latest centennial event? Don't worry, you can check out our event recaps here!

January 2025

 

January 28th, Centennial Day of Service

Tuesday, January 28th, California Western School of Law had a day of service volunteer opportunity with Feeding San Diego as part of the Centennial Celebration. More than 350,000 people in San Diego County are facing hunger. 92% of the food distributed by Feeding San Diego is rescued. The CWSL volunteers unpacked over 500 pounds of donated food from food drives and packed up nutritious bags of apples!

Six individuals in black polos and jeans stand with food cutouts and signs for Feeding San Diego.

California Western staff members pose for a group photo at the Feeding San Diego volunteer center.

Two individuals in black polos wear gloves and prepare bags of fruit.

California Western staff members bag fruit at Feeding San Diego.

Three individuals in black polos unpack canned food from cardboard boxes.

California Western staff members unpack donated food at Feeding San Diego.

Three men in black polos and jeans sit on a blue couch.

California Western staff members rest after volunteering at Feeding San Diego.

A man in a black polo and jeans carries a cardboard box in a room full of boxes.

California Western staff members volunteer at Feeding San Diego.

October 2024

 

 

October 30th, Judicial Reception

The San Diego Judiciary joined us on campus for a Judicial Reception. It was an evening of networking, mentoring, and centennial celebrating!

 

Sean Scott poses for a group photo with a large group of the judiciary in front of a purple step and repeat that features the centennial logo for CWSL.

CWSL President and Dean Sean M. Scott poses for a group photo with the judiciary.

Sean Scott delivers opening remarks behind a wooden podium to a crowd of judiciary, students, staff and faculty.

CWSL President and Dean Sean M. Scott delivers opening remarks. 

CWSL staff network with a member of the judiciary.

CWSL staff members Austin Lucas and Jeff Chinn chat with the Honorable Danna M. Nicholas '00.

September 2024

 

 

September 20th, Centennial Celebration

California Western School of Law (CWSL) hosted its Centennial Celebration at Rancho Bernardo Inn. The celebration tee'd off with an Alumni Golf Tournament - featuring over 50 golfers - followed by a Cocktail Reception and wrapped up with the CWSL Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner. 

Read the full recap

Dean Scott and the Distinguished Alumni Award Winners pose in front of a purple step and repeat. Left to right: Hon. Tila Nunn-Miller, Prof. William Aceves, Dean Sean Scott, Mark Simpliciano, Geneviéve Jones-Wright

Distinguished Alumni Award winners pose with Dean Scott. Left to right: Hon. Tila Nunn-Miller, Prof. William Aceves, Dean Sean Scott, Mark Simpliciano, Geneviéve Jones-Wright

Winners of the golf tournament pose with Dean Sean Scott and Alumni Association Board President Jordan Enright.

The winners of the Golf Tournament pose with Dean Sean Scott and CWSL Alumni Association Board President Jordan Enright. 

Dinner guests at round tables face the stage where Dean Sean Scott gives a speech from the podium with a purple step and repeat behind her.

Over 100 guests listen to Dean Sean Scott's opening speech at the Centennial Celebration dinner.

Professor William Aceves, Dean Sean Scott, and Emerita Professor "Bobbie" Thyfault pose for a photo.

Professor William Aceves, Dean Sean Scott, and Emerita Professor "Bobbie" Thyfault 

A golfer practices his swing before teeing off.

A tournament participant practices his swing before teeing off.

May 2024

 

 

May 9th, Open House

California Western School of Law had the pleasure of hosting The Bias Inside Us — a exhibition and community engagement project organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) with major support provided by The Otto Bremer Trust and local support provided by San Diego Foundation. On May 9th, CWSL hosted an Open House Reception to kickoff the exhibit.

Read the full recap

A crowd gathers in a lobby with high painted ceilings and arched entryways.

Guests listen to opening remarks at the May 9th Open House of The Bias Inside Us. 

A brunette in a black cardigan interacts with a plastic brain in an exhibit.

A guest interacts with The Bias Inside Us exhibit at the May 9th Open House.

A woman in all black stands in an exhibit watching a demo on a screen.

A guest watches a demo in The Bias Inside Us exhibit at the May 9th Open House.

Large standing exhibit installations for "The Bias Inside Us" fill a large room.

A feature of The Bias Inside Us exhibit installation.

On panels for an exhibit, neutral Pantone colors are listed with a matching headshot of someone with that particular skintone.

A feature panel of The Bias Inside Us exhibit shows the diversity in skintones by comparing to Pantone color options. 

 

 

May 22th, Critical Conversations

In bringing the Smithsonian’s The Bias Inside Us exhibition to campus, California Western School of Law (CWSL) made space for critical conversations on the intersections of bias, privilege, law, and justice. As part of this community engagement project, CWSL hosted "Critical Conversations: Breaking Barriers to Property Ownership," a panel that featured Professor Emily Behzadi Cárdenas and George Fatheree. This event was made possible in part by the Law, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity fund and San Diego Foundation.

Read the full recap    

George Fatheree - in a black collared shirt, Dean Sean Scott - in a white collared dress, and Emily Behzadi Cárdenas - in a coral floral shirt and black cardigan, post for a photo.

From left to right, George Fatheree, Dean Sean M. Scott, and Professor Emily Behzadi Cárdenas pose for a photo.

George Fatheree smiles during his talk. A microphone and laptop sit in front of him as he presents.

George Fatheree explains the story behind his landmark Bruce's Beach case.

A projection shows an excerpt from the Court's decision on Bruce's Beach. It reads, "The government's act of rectifying a prior egregious wrong based on racism fosters trust and respect in government."

An excerpt from the Court's ruling on Bruce's Beach from George Fatheree's presentation.

George Fatheree and Emily Behzadi Cárdenas sit at the front of a classroom audience to conduct a presentation on racial bias in property ownership.

George Fatheree and Professor Behzadi Cárdenas host "Critical Conversations: Breaking Barriers to Property Ownership."

April 2024

 

 

April 26th, Commencement

For the One-Hundred-Eighteenth Commencement Ceremony, 212 California Western graduates earned their Juris Doctor degrees. This year's commencement speaker was San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan. You can view the program here. 

Read the full recap

A crowd of graduates with purple and black JD regalia and orange, blue, and purple stoles face a stage featuring a pipe organ.

Graduating students listen to Dean Sean Scott's opening remarks.

Dean Sean Scott stands behind a wooden podium with the CWSL seal wearing commencement regalia.

Dean Sean Scott makes her opening remarks.

Summer Stephan stands behind a wooden podium with the CWSL seal on it wearing purple commencement regalia.

San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan speaks to the graduating students.

A very large crowd of people fills the outdoor Spreckels Organ Pavilion for the CWSL 2024 Commencement.

Thousands of friends and family gather to support the California Western 2024 Graduating Class.

Check Out What's Happening

Louis Menand stands at the front of a full lecture hall wearing a navy suit and sky blue collared shirt.

Upcoming Events

Colorful shapes and letters next to a gray block that reads "The bias inside us" make up The Bias Inside Us logo. Underneath the gray block is the Smithsonian logo in gray. Underneath all logos is the 100 Years logo for California Western School of Law in purple and gold.

Smithsonian