California Western School of Law

About the client

California Western School of Law is an independent law school in San Diego. Accredited by the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools, it serves 600–700 Juris Doctor students each year and has an alumni network of more than 10,000.

Challenge

CWSL’s website had not been meaningfully updated since the mid-2000s. Its navigation, structure, and design no longer met the needs of prospective students, alumni, and other stakeholders. Key information was buried in long blocks of text, making it harder for users to understand the school’s value. Legacy systems also limited student and alumni self-service, and the site lacked modern tools such as personalization, multivariate testing, and mobile responsiveness.

Solution

CWSL partnered with XCentium to reimagine its website with Sitecore as the foundation for a modern content management system.

XCentium implemented a modular Sitecore architecture that supported easier editing, personalization, and multivariate testing. The site used the Frameless Grid framework to deliver a consistent experience across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.

The team also restructured content into shorter, clearer blocks. This made the site easier to navigate and helped prospective students find important information faster.

XCentium integrated the site with key systems. InfoLink connected the website to the internal student database for fee payments, profile updates, and appointment scheduling. Raiser’s Edge supported donations and alumni engagement through custom Sitecore Web Forms for Marketers. VirtualMerchant enabled payment processing tied to InfoLink and Raiser’s Edge. Password-protected areas provided tailored content and services for prospective students, alumni, and internal stakeholders.

Outcomes

The new website improved the experience for prospective students, alumni, and internal users. Prospective students gained easier access to resources such as fee payments, advisor engagement, and campus meeting bookings. Alumni gained access to personalized profiles, event updates, and donation options.

CWSL also improved operational efficiency. Sitecore gave internal teams more control over creating, managing, and structuring content. Integrated forms and payment workflows made it easier to support changing business needs.

The source materials also noted improved prospective student applications and alumni donations, stronger user satisfaction, and positive feedback from students, alumni, and internal users.