SB 550: California State University, San Jose: legal partnership pilot program.

Session Year: 2025-2026
House: Senate

Current Status:

In Progress

(2025-08-29: August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.)

Introduced

First Committee Review

First Chamber

Second Committee Review

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

The Donahoe Higher Education Act establishes the segments of postsecondary education in the state, including the University of California and the California State University, and sets forth the missions and functions of those segments. Existing law states that the University of California has exclusive jurisdiction in public higher education over, among others, instruction in the profession of law.

This bill would authorize a state-accredited law school that has operated continuously as an independent nonprofit institution to be incorporated into California State University, San Jose as a constituent academic unit if the law school has been continuously accredited for a minimum of 5 years at the time of incorporation, the governing boards of both institutions approve a merger agreement, and the Trustees of the California State University approve a merger agreement. The bill would require the law school, upon incorporation into California State University, San Jose, to operate under the universitys policies, governance structure, and budget. The bill would require the California State University, San Jose to work with the Chancellor of the California State University to coordinate with the appropriate regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with all legal and accreditation requirements applicable to the law school, as provided.

This bill would authorize the Trustees of the California State University to establish a legal education pilot program, consisting of the California State University, San Jose, and a law school accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California as an independent nonprofit institution, to operate for a period of 6 academic years. The bill would require the legal education pilot program to commence only if the trustees approve the program, the governing board of the law school approves the program, and the law school has been continuously accredited for a minimum of 5 years before the first cohort graduates from a joint degree program. The bill would authorize the California State University, San Jose, as part of the legal education pilot program, to partner with the nonprofit law school to jointly award a juris doctor degree and to jointly provide certificate and legal education programs at the undergraduate level. The bill would require the California State University, San Jose, and the nonprofit law school to submit certain information, including an administrative plan and enrollment projections, to the trustees and the governing board of the law school before the trustees and governing board vote to approve the pilot program. The bill would require the Legislative Analysts Office to conduct an interim evaluation and a final evaluation of the program, as provided.

This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2041, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2042.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the California State University, San Jose.

Discussed in Hearing