Only kind of, and least for the time being…
Despite having an interested buyer, the future of Western State College of Law in Orange County will remain uncertain for at least a couple more months.
A recent court filing indicated that nearby Westcliff University will not close on its planned purchase of Western State and start operating the school until August 1 at the earliest.
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The disclosure was made Thursday, May 30, by the man overseeing the receivership of the law school’s parent university due to financial issues.
Receiver Mark Dottore noted that even once the August 1 date hits, Westcliff will not proceed with the law school purchase unless the following three approvals are secured:
(1) the U.S. Department of Education pre-approves the change in control;
(2) the American Bar Association grants accreditation following the change in control; and
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(3) the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) grants accreditation following the change in control.
Dottore wrote that negotiations with the U.S. Department of Education are ongoing.
In addition, he noted that “Westcliff has also learned that the earliest the ABA would begin to consider the accreditation issue is August, with a decision in late September.”
Dottore said he would help Westcliff, a for-profit university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business and education, get the requisite paperwork to the ABA.
“The receiver will also use his best efforts to ensure that the school survives the two-month gap between the close of this semester and Westcliff’s commencement of management, including maintaining a registrar to confirm to California and other state bar examiners that the students can transition from Western State to Westcliff,” Dottore wrote. “The registrar is also critical to ratify that those students preparing to sit for their various July 2019 bar exams did in fact graduate.”
While both Western State and Westcliff are based in Irvine, Calif., Dottore’s filing was in the Ohio federal court where the receivership proceedings have played out. He requested permission from the court to continue operating Western State during the transition to its potential new owner.
“One of the principal instructions this Court has given is to save the Western State College of Law,” Dottore wrote.
Lyle Moran is a freelance writer in San Diego who handles both journalism and content writing projects. He previously reported for the Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Diego Daily Transcript, Associated Press, and Lowell Sun. He can be reached at [email protected] and found on Twitter @lylemoran.