Admissions

More than one way in.

CDTA admits students from a range of academic backgrounds. If you have the drive to advocate, there is very likely a path here for you.

What is required

To begin your course of study you must:

  • Be 18 years of age or olderThere is no upper age limit and no traditional-student assumption built into the program.
  • Meet the pre-legal education requirementComplete at least two years of undergraduate work, obtain 60 approved college credits, earn an Associate degree from a California Community College, or pass the equivalency examinations the State Bar accepts.
  • Achieve an appropriate LSAT scoreThe Admissions Office will tell you what is appropriate for the current entering class.
  • Complete an initial admissions applicationA short first step that opens the file and starts the conversation.
  • Complete the comprehensive CDTA applicationQualified applicants are then invited to complete the full admissions application.

The four paths in

Most people assume law school requires a four-year degree. At CDTA it does not, and the difference is worth understanding before you rule yourself out.

  1. Four-Year Degree HoldersBachelor’s degree in hand? You are ready to apply to the J.D. program directly.
  2. Two-Year Degree HoldersCDTA admits students holding a two-year degree. Your Associate degree opens the door.
  3. 60+ Transferable CreditsNo completed degree, but at least 60 transferable college credits? You qualify for admission consideration.
  4. Distance StudentsLiving 50 miles or more from the Indio campus? Pursue your J.D. through the Distance Learning Option.

How the process runs

It starts with a short initial admissions application, which opens your file and starts a conversation with the Registrar. If you qualify, you are then invited to complete the comprehensive CDTA admissions application.

Application deadlines and the current entering class timetable come from the Registrar, Irene Garcia Dolan. Call (760) 342-0900, email Irene@CDTALAW.com, or start the conversation here.

What you are signing up for

A four-year course of study. Classes meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday classes run 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Instruction in a working courtroom, and the First-Year Law Students’ Examination after the first year.

Read the J.D. program page and the tuition page before you apply. Read the required disclosures before you do either.

California State Bar Required Disclosure

Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or to satisfy the requirements for admission to practice in jurisdictions other than California.

CDTA College of Law is a law school registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. It is not accredited by the American Bar Association or by the Committee of Bar Examiners. Read the full required disclosure before you apply.

Common questions

No. A four-year degree is one path in. CDTA also admits students holding a two-year degree, and students with at least 60 transferable college credits or an equivalent qualifying result.

You must be at least 18. There is no upper limit, and evening and Saturday classes exist precisely so that people with careers and families can do this.

Yes. Admission requires an appropriate LSAT score. The Admissions Office will tell you what is appropriate for the current entering class.

Students living 50 miles or more from the campus may complete most of their studies through the Distance Learning Option. Confirm your eligibility with Admissions before you plan around it.

Not necessarily. Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or to satisfy the requirements for admission to practice in jurisdictions other than California. If you intend to practice elsewhere, contact that jurisdiction’s admitting authority before you enroll.

Tuition is $15,000 per academic year, $60,000 across the four-year course of study, and it includes textbooks, LexisNexis, ExamSoft, AdaptiBar in the first year and bar preparation reviews. Confirm current figures and the payment schedule with the Registrar.
Your Move, Counselor

The courtroom is waiting.

Join the only law school in the Coachella Valley, in a program built around trial advocacy from the first term.

Apply to CDTA

Or call the Academy, (760) 342-0900

45-290 Fargo Street, Indio, CA 92201

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