Southern California Institute of Law

What Southern California Institute of Law does

Southern California Institute of Law (SCIL) is a private, 100% online law school incorporated in 1986 in Ventura, California, offering a four-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree program to working adults who cannot attend traditional daytime law school. The program requires completion of 85 units (3,825 hours) of law study and admits students with rolling enrollment at six entry points per year (July, August, September, January, February, March), with no LSAT required for regular admission. Course delivery combines synchronous Socratic-method lectures via Zoom with asynchronous recorded content through the Populi learning management system; Westlaw access is bundled into fees.

SCIL was an accredited law school from 1987 until June 1, 2020, when the State Bar of California terminated its accreditation for failing to meet the minimum cumulative five-year bar exam pass rate of 40%. The school now operates as a Registered/Unaccredited Distance Learning Law School approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners, with graduates eligible to sit for the California Bar Exam. Bar passage data as of February 2025 was 46.15% and First-Year Law Students' Examination (FYLSX) passage from October 2023 through June 2025 was 63.15%.

The business model is entirely tuition-driven: total four-year tuition and fees are $13,300 (85 units at $100/unit plus $600/term fees), with an optional Deferred Tuition Payment Plan at approximately $280/month. Marginal fees include a non-refundable $35 application fee, transcript fees, late payment fees of $10/week, and a $150-per-question make-up exam fee. The school does not participate in federal student loan programs, limiting its addressable student pool. Marketing is conducted through lawdegree.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, and alumni referrals, with no third-party distributors, no disclosed revenue, no funding history, and no parent company.

Name

Southern California Institute of Law

Legal name

Southern California Institute of Law

Website

https://lawdegree.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Southern California Institute of Law is a private, 100% online law school in Ventura, California, offering a four-year J.D. program to working adults via Zoom and Populi. Registered with the California State Bar as an unaccredited distance-learning law school.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAIAE

Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

Keywords

• Legal education
• Law degree
• Distance learning
• Juris doctor program
• Bar exam preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees (J.D. Program): The primary revenue stream is tuition and mandatory fees charged to enrolled J.D. students. Total 4-year tuition and fees are $13,300, covering approximately 85 units over 8 terms. Fee components include Registration ($40/term), SBA Dues ($120/term), Westlaw access ($225/term), Distance Learning Platform ($90/term), and Exam Fee ($125/term). Students may pay per term or through a Deferred Tuition Payment Plan.
2. Deferred Tuition Payment Plan (DTPP): A monthly installment payment plan costing $60 per year ($240 total over 4 years), added to the base tuition. Payments are approximately $280/month over 48 months. This plan generates modest ancillary revenue and broadens affordability for price-sensitive students.
3. Application Fee: A non-refundable $35 application fee is charged upon submission of the admissions application, generating a small upfront revenue stream from all applicants.
4. Transcript and Miscellaneous Fees: The school charges fees for official transcript requests (processed within 7-10 days) and accepts payments via PayPal for application fees and transcripts. Revenue from these services is minimal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Southern California Institute of Law delivers a 100% online 4-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree program requiring 85 units of law study over 8 terms, designed for working adults preparing for the California General Bar Exam. The program is offered at a total cost of $13,300 in tuition and fees with six enrollment entry points per year, combining live Zoom lectures and asynchronous recorded sessions delivered through the Populi Learning Management System. Westlaw legal research access is bundled into the standard fees.

Product overview

The Southern California Institute of Law offers a single unified product: the 4-year Juris Doctor (J.D.) Degree Program, which is delivered 100% online through the Distance Learning Platform. The program uses a combination of synchronous live lectures via Zoom and asynchronous recorded lectures, with the Populi course management system providing student access to materials, exams, and grades. An optional Deferred Tuition Payment Plan allows students to spread tuition costs over the program duration. The school operates as a Registered/Unaccredited Distance Learning Law School approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Juris Doctor Degree Program (J.D.) A 4-year online Juris Doctor degree program for working adults preparing to take the California General Bar Exam. Students complete 85 units over 8 terms with six enrollment entry points per year (July, August, September, January, February, March). Designed for individuals who cannot attend traditional daytime law school due to employment or other commitments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bar exam pass rate of 46.15% (August 2019 – February 2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Southwestern Law School: ABA-accredited Los Angeles-based law school with strong part-time/evening programs serving working professionals in Southern California; competes for the same working-adult applicant pool as SCIL but with full accreditation.

Direct peers

• Mitchell Hamline School of Law: ABA-accredited hybrid/online J.D. program serving working professionals; directly comparable delivery model and target student (working adults seeking flexible legal education), but with full accreditation and cross-jurisdictional bar eligibility.
• Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (online J.D.): Recently launched ABA-accredited online J.D. option targeting part-time, working students; comparable in delivery model and audience, but with elite institutional brand and full accreditation that materially raises the competitive bar for SCIL.
• Trinity Law School: California-based unaccredited/registered law school with a Christian-affiliated mission and distance-learning options; directly comparable regulatory status and California-only bar eligibility, but with a different ideological niche.
• San Luis Obispo College of Law: California-registered unaccredited law school in the Central Coast; similar regulatory framework and working-adult student profile, with a smaller-scale part-time program serving the tri-county area SCIL historically dominated.
• Purdue Global (Concord Law School): Online J.D. program (originally Concord Law School, now part of Purdue University Global) — the most direct comp to SCIL in targeting working adults via a 100% online J.D., but with the critical advantage of regional accreditation and federal aid eligibility.
• Monterey College of Law: California-registered, unaccredited law school with a hybrid evening/weekend model serving working adults in the Central Coast region; comparable target market, regulatory status, and affordability positioning to SCIL.
• People's College of Law: Los Angeles-based unaccredited law school with a mission to train public-interest and social-justice-oriented attorneys; comparable California-only regulatory status and affordability-driven value proposition.
• Syracuse University College of Law (online J.D.): Offers an online J.D. completion program targeted at working adults — same online-delivery and working-adult thesis as SCIL, with the added credibility of an ABA-accredited, nationally ranked institution.

Others

• Populi (Populiweb): Provider of SCIL's LMS, student information, and financial management platform; included as an ecosystem/technology peer given the school's dependence on Populi for course delivery and back-office operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SCILventura
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-california-institute-of-law-santa-barbara-ventura

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern California Institute of Law