Calif. Law School Sold to Swiss-Based Educational Company
A private law school in Southern California has been sold to Knowledge Investment Partners, in a transaction with an estimated value of $5 to $10 million. The Swiss-based company already owns seven educational facilities, most located in Europe.
For the Western State University College of Law to retain its accreditation status, the school’s continued operation by its new owner must be approved by the American Bar Association and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, according to the Orange County Register. At present WSU is provisionally accredited by the ABA.
The move will be a good one for WSU, predicts its outgoing dean, Maryann Jones, who plans to retire soon. “I’m feeling very positive about this,” she says.
In recent years, WSU has faced increasing local competition from Whittier Law School and Chapman School of Law, which are ABA-accredited, and a law school is also planned at the University of California at Irvine.
