PCL’s J.D.- granting program will end on May 31, 2024. For more information visit our home page. To view PCL’s complete set of disclosure statements, please click here.
The Peoples College of Law (PCL)
is a registered, unaccredited, J.D. granting, fixed – facility, social justice law school.
PCL has been registered as an unaccredited law school since its founding in 1974.
PCL was founded as “The Guild Law School” but has long operated as
“The Peoples College of Law.”
PCL is a democratically - run nonprofit organization. Membership in PCL’s nonprofit corporation is open to the entire PCL community, including students. The members elect a governing body, the 15-member Community Board, which includes six students and nine non-students. The Board elects officers annually.
PCL was founded in 1974 by The National Lawyers Guild, La Raza National Students Association, the Asian Law Collective, and the National Conference of Black Lawyers.
PCL’s mission is to provide students from non-traditional academic backgrounds with the opportunity to graduate with a J.D. and pass the CA Bar Exam. With a mostly volunteer-based faculty and staff, tuition is kept intentionally low in order to allow students to graduate debt-free. Graduating without the debt load that students from most traditional law schools have, PCL graduates are able to represent communities who face economic and societal barriers to equal legal representation.
PCL is made up of 100% volunteer faculty. Our faculty are social justice - minded individuals, typically holding J.D.s and licenses to practice law. Our faculty recognize the importance of shaping and guiding future lawyers who will go on to represent people who lack meaningful access to affordable legal help.