San Francisco State University provides a diverse list of courses for students interested in the field of law. Keep in mind that law schools do not require any specific coursework or major for admissions.

We do encourage students to take courses they are interested in, that challenge them and that fulfill their academic goals. Always check the official class schedule before planning courses.  These courses are not offered every semester.

Political Science Department
PLSI 513 Politics, Law, and Urban Environment
PLSI 551 Judicial Power in Public Policy Making
PLSI 552 Individual Rights in the Constitution
PLSI 553 Legal Issues
PLSI 561 Jurisprudence
PLSI 711 U.S. Supreme Court in the Making of Public Policy

Criminal Justice Department
CJ 501 Criminal Law
CJ 502 Criminal Procedure
CJ 505 International Criminal Law

Paralegal Studies (ABA Approved)
The College of Extended Learning offers a 30-academic unit certificate program in paralegal studies, providing instruction in practical legal skills and substantive law. This is the only ABA-approved paralegal studies program in San Francisco.

Paralegal Studies Courses offered:

California State Notary Public
Computer Applications in Law Practice
Elder Law (11 MCLE hours)
Environmental and Land Use Seminar: California Planning and Zoning Issues (8 MCLE hours)
Ethical Issues in Working With Paralegals (4 MCLE hours)
Immigration Law
Intellectual Property
Introduction to Law/Civil Procedure
Legal Research and Writing
Pleadings and Motions
Advanced Legal Research and Writing
Communication Skills and Legal Ethics
Computer Applications in Law Practice
Corporation Law
Family Law
Field Experience/Internship
Introduction to Law/Civil Procedure
Investigation, Discovery and Trial Preparation
Landlord/Tenant Law
Pleadings and Motions
Summation iBlaze and Concordance
Timeslips
Trial Evidence Management and Presentation using Casemap and Sanction II

Advanced Courses for Legal Professionals
The Consortium for Advanced Legal Education (CALE) is a non-profit educational organization established for the purpose of providing advanced specialty courses for distance learning delivery to legal professionals. CALE offers courses year-round every 12 weeks and is not tied to any particular college schedule. Courses require that students have access to a computer (PC or Mac) and an Internet provider. Most courses are ten weeks long. These courses are offered by CALE as professional training; they do not carry academic credit with SFSU. Most courses are $690 and prices are subject to change. Fees do not include textbooks.

Courses offered during the year are:
Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Specialist
• Advanced Litigation (CALE 525)
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (CALE 530)
• Advanced Torts (CALE 535)Employment and Personnel Law Specialist
• Advanced Employment Law (CALE 540)
• Pensions and Employee Benefits (CALE 545)
• Workers Compensation and Social Security Law (CALE 550)Corporate, Bankruptcy, and Intellectual Property Specialist
• Advanced Corporate Law (CALE 555)
• Bankruptcy Law (CALE 560)
• Intellectual Property Law (CALE 565)Elder Law Specialist
• Advanced Estates and Trust Law (CALE 570)
• Social Security and Retirement Planning (CALE 575)
• Elder Law (CALE 580)Stand Alone Courses:
• Ethics for Legal Assistants; $250 (CALE 500)
• PACE Review Course, co-sponsored by NFPA; $350 (CALE 510)
• Copyright Law (CALE 515)
• Legal Writing (CALE 520)

Below you will find links to articles previously featured on the Career Counsel pages of the ABA.

Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice
Antitrust Law
Bankruptcy Law
Child Advocacy
Children's Law
Cyberspace Law
Elder Law
Election Law
Employee Benefits Law
Entertainment and Sports Law
Environmental Law
Disability Law
Health Law
Immigration Law
Judicial Law
Legislative Counsels
Matrimonial Law
National Security Law
Ombudsman
Privacy Law
Property Law
Public Defense
Securities
Solo Practice
Solo and Small Firms

The ABA has numerous articles and information for students interested in law.
ABA Law Student Division

San Francisco
San Francisco Law Library
The Law Library serves the courts, departments of the City and County of San Francisco, members of the Bar, and the public at three locations: the main library in the Veterans War Memorial Building, the smaller Monadnock branch in the financial district, and the reference room in the new courts building on McAllister Street.

USF Dorraine Zief Law Library
The law library is a private research and reference library for the University of San Francisco community. USF Law faculty, USF Law staff and currently-enrolled USF Law students have priority access to the collection and library services.

Persons not affiliated with the University (those who are not students, faculty, staff or law alumni) will be admitted to the library only if they belong to one of the following groups:

1. law school students, faculty, or staff visiting from other ABA-accredited institutions, IF they have a current student ID card;
2. practicing attorneys IF they have their current Bar card;
3. persons seeking to use federal or state depository documents.

All visitors must register at the Access Desk and MUST SHOW the required form of ID.

UC - Hastings Law Library
The Hastings Law Library supports the educational and research needs of the Hastings College of the Law community. The Library serves as a research partner with the school's faculty and students, and maintains a collection to directly support the Hastings faculty and the current curriculum. In addition, the Library strives to meet the legal information needs of the legal community and the general public. The Library aims to provide for its authorized users, access to information in an environment suitable for research, study, instruction, and reading.



Oakland
University of California - Berkeley: Law Library at Boalt Hall
Borrowing privileges cannot be extended to undergraduates, students from other law schools, attorneys, or the general public. Boalt alumni do not have borrowing privileges, and borrowing privileges cease upon graduation. Occasionally, exceptions are made for graduate students from the Berkeley campus, but these must be approved in advance. These exceptions require a letter from the student's department.