A Century in the Making: Celebrating 100 Years of California Western

This is a feature also shared in the CWSL Spring 2025 Alumni Magazine. You can find a pdf of these pages here.

California Western School of Law (CWSL) marked its Centennial with a yearlong celebration honoring the institution’s legacy, values, and continued impact on legal education. The festivities began in May 2024 with the arrival of the Smithsonian’s The Bias Inside Us exhibit, followed by a Critical Conversations panel on equity and access. Throughout the year, CWSL hosted milestone events including a Centennial Celebration at Rancho Bernardo Inn featuring a golf tournament and Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner, The Honorable Tila Nunn-Miller ’10 received the Distinguished Judicial Alumni Award, Geneviéve Jones-Wright ’05 received the Distinguished Practitioner Alumni Award, Mark Simpliciano ’19 received the Rising Star Award, which recognizes alumni who have graduated within the past ten years and have already made a significant impact in the legal field. Professor William J. Aceves received the California Western School of Law Legacy Award, the highest accolade the school bestows. This prestigious award recognizes an individual who has made exceptional contributions to California Western through their service, philanthropy, and leadership. 

A Judicial Reception was held on campus, and employees participated in a Centennial Day of Service with Feeding San Diego. The Centennial Lecture Series brought esteemed voices to campus, including Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy and ACLU President Deborah Archer, who delivered the inaugural Galinson Solomon Lecture. The celebration concluded with the Centennial Day of Giving on May 1, supporting the Bar Study Fund and the next generation of legal professionals.