The Whittier College Board of Trustees has decided to close their law school after spending years looking for ways to keep their doors open.
In a statement, the school says it's been a tough time for all law schools in the country.
“Whittier Law School felt those challenges keenly and we took significant steps to address them...sadly, our sponsoring institution opted to abandon the law school rather than provide the time and resources needed to finish paving the path to ongoing viability and success.”
In 2016 only 22 percent of Whittier grads passed the bar exam while the statewide average is 62 percent.
The closing has hit students and faculty hard. Third-year law students Bahareh Omrani and Margaret Rafter says people were left in tears when the news broke.
“We literally have no answers...everyone was so upset, they walked out without giving us anything.”
The number of students enrolled at Whittier law has dropped in recent years from 1,579 students in 2013 to 934 in 2016.
Law school spokesman Marc Stevens says the closure won't be an immediate change and they will work to take care of their students.
“The law school will still honor its obligations to the people who are still here.”
The school will no longer admit first-year students, but those who are in the middle of their course work will be allowed to finish their degree.