Summer on Campus

An extensive on-campus summer session is offered by Southwestern to provide students with greater scheduling flexibility. A number of distinguished practicing attorneys and judges join the faculty during the summer months to teach courses in specialized areas of the law. The schedule of course offerings includes a variety of courses and externships.

Summer courses are open to all law students who have successfully completed at least one year of law school and are currently in good standing at an ABA-approved or state-accredited law school.

Southwestern offers a variety of entertainment and media law-related courses. The Summer Entertainment Law Program in Los Angeles, under the auspices of the Biederman Institute, features a variety of courses taught by top entertainment, media and sports law attorneys; specialized externships; private tours of major motion picture and recording studios; and meetings with prominent Southwestern alumni working in the field (see PDF in sidebar).

Summer Entertainment Law

In conjunction with Southwestern's regular summer session, Southwestern offers numerous entertainment-law related courses in a program collectively called the Summer Entertainment Law Program in Los Angeles. The program features:

  • specialized entertainment, media and sports law courses taught by top lawyers in the entertainment industry
  • a variety of 2-5 unit externships in television, motion picture/recording studios, and other entertainment/sports industry settings
  • additional summer session courses to provide students with greater scheduling flexibility

Southwestern Students

Southwestern students will be able to register online for Summer courses through WebAdvisor beginning in April. Please continue to check your Southwestern email for more information.

Southwestern students should visit the Registration and Academic Records page on the MySWLAW portal (log-in required) for important information regarding registration policies and procedures.

Visiting Students

  • Summer Visiting Student Application 
  • Visiting Students' Registration Information and Instructions 
  • Summer Externships: please see below
  • General information regarding visiting at Southwestern as well as information regarding first reading assignments, book lists, and course syllabi will be mailed to registered visiting students at the beginning of May.

Tuition

New tuition rates beginning with Summer Session 2018 will be available in April. Please check the Tuition page for more information.

Summer 2018 Courses

A list of courses that will be offered at Southwestern this summer will be posted soon in the sidebar. 

Please note that the course offerings and schedules are subject to change.

Community Property  (2 units) 
Tuesday/Thursday, 6:00-8:00 pm
Professor John Heilman

Constitutional Criminal Procedure  (3 units)
Monday/Wednesday, 6:00-9:00 pm
Professor Rachel VanLandingham

Copyright Law  (3 units)
Monday/Wednesday, 6:00-9:00 pm
Professor Robert Helfing

Entertainment & the Evolving Web  (1 unit)
Entertainment BLOG (2 units)
Monday/Wednesday, 6:00-8:00 pm
Professors Craig Matsuda & Michael Scott

Evolution of Cannabis Law  (2 units)
Saturday, 9:00am-1:00 pm
Professor Julia Sylva

Legal Profession  (2 units) 
Tuesday/Thursday, 6:00-8:00 pm
Professor Jenny Fee

The Music Publishing Industry  (2 units) 
Tuesday/Thursday, 8:10-10:10 pm
Professor Miles Feinberg 

Remedies  (3 units)
Tuesday/Thursday, 6:30-9:30 pm
Professor Ed Stark

Sales  (2 units) 
Monday/Wednesday, 6:00-8:00 pm
Professor Judy Sloan

Sports Law  (2 units)
Saturday, 9:00am–1:00pm 
Professor Jeff Birren

Trademark Law  (2 units)
Tuesday/Thursday, 6:00-8:00 pm
Professors Stephen Strauss & Danielle Van Lier 

Externships

Southwestern's active and successful Externship Program offers a diverse selection of over 100 part-time and full-time placements. The Program offers students the opportunity to gain legal education through real-life practical experiences, by "externing" at approved off-campus placements, with government agencies, public interest entities, state and federal judges,  the legal departments of select organizations, including the entertainment industry, and select law firms. Please be advised that summer externships are generally competitive.

Students can earn two to five units of credit based on the nature of the placement and the number of fieldwork hours per week. Externships are graded on a credit/no credit basis.

In order to be considered for a summer externship, visiting students must complete a Summer Session Application form (PDF) along with a Summer Externship Application. Students must also submit a letter from their law schools verifying they will accept credit/no credit units earned through Southwestern's Externship Program.

Please contact the Externship Office for more information.

    1. Eligibility

      Students who have satisfactorily completed one year of full-time or part-time study at an ABA-approved or state-accredited law school are eligible to enroll. Each applicant must also submit a letter of good standing from his or her current law school.

    2. Credit and Grades

      The Summer Entertainment Law Program is offered as part of the ABA-approved curriculum of Southwestern Law School. The program complies with ABA and AALS requirements. All entertainment and media law courses for the summer are graded. Externships are offered on a credit/no credit basis.

    3. Applications and Inquiries

      Applications and inquiries should be addressed to:

      Registration and Academic Records Office
      Summer Entertainment Law Program
      Southwestern Law School
      3050 Wilshire Boulevard
      Los Angeles, California 90010
      Phone: (213) 738-6734
      Fax: (213) 383-1688
      E-mail: registrar@swlaw.edu

      Visiting Students see Registration Information and Instructions for Visiting Students.

      Each applicant must submit a letter of good standing from his or her current law school. Applicants are responsible for informing the Registrar at Southwestern of changes in address or telephone number.

      Enrollment is limited and will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis. A $50 student services fee must be submitted with the application. If the student is accepted into the program, the student services fee is non-refundable. In the event of withdrawal on or before the first day of class, all payments except the $50 student services fee will be refunded. Thereafter, tuition will be refunded on a pro-rated basis.

      Students interested in obtaining financial aid for the summer program should contact the Financial Aid Office at their home law school.

      Southwestern Law School reserves the right to cancel the program in case of emergency or under-enrollment. In the event of such cancellation, all payments will be refunded.

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