Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
330696561
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2021
Location
San Diego, CA, USA
Phone
6192979700
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,727,830
Expenses
$8,334,517
Assets
$20,725,673
Liabilities
$7,236,557

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAWN J DEKLE (DEAN & PRESIDENT (07/01/2024-05/31/2025))
  • KARIN SHERR (GENERAL COUNSEL & VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LINDA KELLER (PRESIDENT (START 06/30/2025) & DEAN)
  • NANCY VU (VICE PRESIDENT/CFO/TREASURER)
  • KENNETH VANDEVELDE (PRESIDENT (1/1/24 - 6/30/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • STEVEN SEMERARO (PROFESSOR OF LAW & ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS): $153,467 total reported compensation
  • LINDA KELLER (PRESIDENT (START 06/30/2025) & DEAN): $139,290 total reported compensation
  • NANCY VU (VICE PRESIDENT/CFO/TREASURER): $130,687 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the school is to provide outstanding legal education in a collegial and supportive environment with attention to newly emerging areas of law, particularly those related to technological development, globalization and the quest for social justice.

What it reported doing in 2024

THE ORGANIZATION IS OPERATING to provide an outstanding legal education for a nationally-based, diverse student body in a collegial and supportive environment with attention to newly emerging areas of law, particularly those related to technological development, globalization and the quest for social justice. Thomas Jefferson School of Law is committed to helping diversify the profession through its admission practices and in the creation of an environment for faculty, staff and students that is inclusive and supportive of a diverse community. The Law School's faculty, staff, Administration, and Board of Trustees are committed to this mission, and to expanding opportunities to provide an outstanding legal education for a diverse student body and supporting access to justice throughout California.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 96% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 94% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 62
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.1%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 76.4%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 14.3%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.49; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.6%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -18.2% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -9.6% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -18.2% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.1% of revenue deployed · 76.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $6.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $153K · 19 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.