[13][14][15] In November 1910, the Law College moved with the YMCA to its purpose-built home at 220 Golden Gate Ave in the Tenderloin.

[19] Following the national trend, the school replaced the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) with the Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) on December 1, 1967, effective spring 1968.

[20] The law school held provisional accreditation from the ABA from 1956 until full approval was granted in 1971.

[9] Lawsuits have followed, including demands that the school stay open; but, in mid-September 2024, the San Francisco Superior Court denied a motion for an injunction against closing the program.

The ELJC provides pro bono legal support to low-income and minority communities suffering from pollution and environmental impacts.

It has received numerous awards for its collaboration with grassroots, regional, and national groups in effecting change, most notably for bringing attention to the health disparities resulting from pollution concentrated in the Bayview Hunters-Point neighborhood of San Francisco.

[26] In its third decade, the ELJC has focused attention on clean drinking water for low-income communities[27] while also continuing its work to reduce air pollution and to support clients who have long made the connection between civil rights and environmental benefits and harms.

In 1998, the school established the Honors Lawyering Program through which students participate in two full-time, semester-long legal apprenticeships.

Golden Gate held only provisional accreditation from the ABA longer than any other law school in history, from August 30, 1956 until full approval was granted on July 6, 1971.

[31] On an institution-wide basis, Golden Gate University has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) since 1959.

Golden Gate ranked seventeenth and next-to-last (missing last place by one percentage point) among ABA-approved California law schools.

[35] For three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018, Golden Gate University was ranked #1 in the nation for "adult learners" by Washington Monthly.