Kern County College of Law

A nonprofit law school dedicated to student excellence and serving the community.

Kern County College of Law (KCCL), a branch campus of Monterey College of Law, is located in downtown Bakersfield. KCCL's mission is to provide a high-quality legal education in a community law school setting with graduates who are dedicated to professional excellence, integrity, and community service.

Our students are from the surrounding Kern County area, and many are graduates of California State University, Bakersfield, and Bakersfield College. Since opening the branch campus in 2017, we have formed strong connections with the local bench and bar. 

Our faculty are practicing local legal experts dedicated to teaching the next generation of Kern County attorneys. Our classes are taught in the evenings, Monday through Thursday, so that students can fulfill their personal and professional obligations.

KCCL offers serious, highly motivated students the opportunity to seek a career change, re-enter the workforce, or advance their current professional career by obtaining a legal education. Most of our students work while attending law school in the evenings. Courses are taught by practicing lawyers and judges who emphasize training in legal skills and professional responsibility. Professors are knowledgeable in legal theory and practice. Small classes allow students to get to know our faculty and build long-lasting professional networks with their fellow students.

KCCL Shines at the 2026 Roger J. Traynor Moot Court Competition:  Congratulations to Margarita Peralta-Lee, Vlad Mykhaylov, and Nina Mireles, who were awarded 2nd Place Overall, and 1st Place - Gisnet Mandell Award for Best Brief.  The Individual Award of Merit for Oral Arguments went to Nia Mireles.

You can follow Kern County College of Law on social media to see us in the local community. We have local Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts.