When it was established as the Southwestern College of Law, Southwestern Law School's founders encouraged enrollment of women and minority communities in Los Angeles, intent on making law school more accessible. The school continues its focus on flexibility today through JD programs varying in length from two to four years. In addition to a traditional full-time and a part-time night program, Southwestern has a part-time day program called PLEAS intended for people with child care responsibilities. Southwestern also offers SCALE, an accelerated program in which students complete a JD in two calendar years.

Academically, the school emphasizes entertainment and media law, and students take advantage of the school's location in the middle of Los Angeles, near film studios and the movie industry in general. Southwestern Law School has the largest contingent of entertainment and media law faculty in the country, based primarily at its Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute. After graduation, many students accept jobs with Los Angeles government agencies, but they're locked in competition with graduates from L.A.'s other law schools for employment slots in city law firms. Southwestern has no on-campus housing, so all students commute from around the Los Angeles area.