Western State University College of Law has a notably diverse student body--in 2008 the entering class was 37 percent minority students. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranked Western State the most diverse law school in the country in 2003 and 2004 (the school chose to withdraw from their rankings in 2006). The school's two centerpiece departments are business law and criminal law, with certificate programs and academic centers dedicated to each.

Academics at WSU Law are kicked off with a program called STELLAR, which is designed to help students to develop learning and research techniques. During their first three weeks on campus, students gather in small study groups to get peer and professor feedback on their classroom progress. After that, classes follow the typical law school regime, and students completing their degree in either three or four years. WSU is owned by the Education Management Corporation, a company that operates several other higher learning institutions, but is in the process of switching hands to the Knowledge Investment Partners LP, pending approval.