San Diego’s oldest law school, chartered in 1924 and located in the heart of downtown, California Western School of Law is an independent, not-for-profit institution with about 900 students and about 50 faculty. ABA accredited and an AALS member, it has a law library that was the first one of the 21st century and was dedicated by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. California Western has joint or dual degree programs with both UCSD and SDSU. Alumni include more than 100 federal and state court judges.

An independent, not-for-profit, scientific research institution dedicated to gaining scientific knowledge and finding practical solutions to the most critical conservation challenges facing marine ecosystems and species. Its mission is "to return to the sea some measure of the benefits derived from it."

A 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit corporation formed in 2002 to define and oversee the development of an arts and cultural complex within the historic Naval Training Center (NTC) redevelopment project on the edge of San Diego Bay. Its charge is to pursue a vision bold enough to endure over time, and to raise from public and private sources the funds to accomplish that.

Created by state legislation in 2001, this regional governing body assumed operational control of San Diego International Airport at Lindbergh Field on Jan. 1, 2003 and also spearheads the search for a long-term solution to the region's air transportation needs.

Scripps Health is a non-profit, community-based health care delivery network in San Diego that includes four acute-care hospitals on five campuses, more than 2,600 affiliated physicians, extensive outpatient care network, home health care and associated support services. As a result of the July 2000 reaffiliation with Scripps Clinic, Scripps Health now has over 11,000 employees and cares for patients at 10 clinic locations throughout San Diego County. Founded in the village of La Jolla in 1924, it is now headed by President and CEO Chris Van Gorder.

A privately held company located in San Diego, WordSmart employs over 100 programmers, educational consultants, and administrative staff and offers educational software focused on increasing vocabulary and improving reading comprehension. President David A. Kay is an industry pioneer who, as former Vice President of Marketing for KayPro Corporation (KayPro Personal Computers) spearheaded its growth into a $100 million industry leader.