Law School Discussion

You are right.  Mid Atlantic is not a "real" law school.  But, neither of the other law schools registered with the California bar "real" law schools either.  They are recognized companies doing business in California.  Graduates of any of those companies will not be eligible to take the bar exam of any other state [right out of law school].  That is why the Office of Admissions requires all students registered with it to keep a log of how many hours they are studying.

Someone who graduates from MASL will have to petition the Office Of Admissions in California to take the FYLSE and the California bar exam.  He/she will have to keep a log of all the hours they have studied.  He/she will have to send a copy of MASL's syllabus to the Office of Admissions. 

What is key, here, is how much knowledge the student actually has.  That is why MASL has a final project.  The final project can be an internship or an analytical thesis.  Supplementary articles [kind of like publishing your own Law Review online] will bolster your reputation. 

Years ago, home schooling was looked down upon.  Now, because so many home schooled students are doing so well, that form of education is well regarded.   The same thing can happen with MASL.  Okay.  It is a private company [like a for profit school] that provides a structure.  But, like I said before.  It is not the school that will make a student an attorney.  It is the student who will make himself/herself an attorney. 

To Oceanblue57:  Try to get the most current editions of each Gilberts' Outline.  Don't buy them all at once.  Buy one book at a time.  Each volume from Thomson West is about $40.00.  The length of time it will take you to get through one volume depends on how much you study.  I work full time.  So, it took me about 8 weeks to get through the first module.  I read it from cover to cover and took my time carefully authoring the summary. 

There is some truth in what all these people are saying about MASL.  But, if MASL is your only option because of the price, stick with it. It is not impossible to become eligible to sit for the FYLSE and the California bar with an MASL JD (or the DC bar exam).  But, you do have an uphill battle.  Like I said before you will have to acquire an almost encyclopedic knowledge of all the areas of the law that a bar exam tests.  You should brief as many cases as you can from each Gilberts Outline.  Put the completed cases in a binder and keep them.  I have a one page handout that I wrote for someone else on how to brief a case.  I copied it from a textbook.  (Yes.  The references are there.)  If you would like a copy of it, let me know.  My email address is:  passaroa25@gmail.com.  Put "Law Discussion Forum" in the subject line so that I will actually read the email.  There isn't much of a need for legal service volunteer work because licensed attorneys are doing all the pro bono work.  This means that you will have to write articles.  They don't have to be published by publishing companies.  You can upload them to your own website.  I have articles on:  http://www.works.bepress.com/angela_passaro  The bottom line is that you have a lot of work ahead of you.    I know of two people who have graduated from MASL.  One of them enrolled in a 26 credit program so that he can sit for the DC bar.

I only completed Module 1.  I have the worst financial karma out there in the universe.  I left Mercer Law School after one year because most student loans for law school were not substantial.  All I received for the first year in 1987 was 2000 for one semester.  I couldn't take the FYLSE after completing one year at California Southern School of Law because I didn't have the money to fly to California a second time.  Then, just as I began at Mid Atlantic, in 2009, I got  two pay cuts:  the first one was no more overtime.  The second one was an actual cut in pay.

Mid Atlantic's syllabus appears deceptively simple.  Just read 15 Gilberts Outlines and write an outline and summary of each volume.    Some of those volumes are 3 inches thick.  So, it will take awhile to get through the program; if all you do is read each book from cover.  In order to get the full benefit, you need to read and brief at least 20 cases that each book cites.  Mid Atlantic doesn't require the latter.  But, remember, you will be competing with people who have read thousands of court opinions within 3 to 4 years.  And, if your final project is going to be a hornbook, you will have needed a lot of practice before you get started. 

I never planned to take the DC bar exam.  I did plan to take the FYLSE again and the California bar after completing Mid Atlantic.  I was already registered as a law school student with California's Office of Admissions.  When I was ready, I planned to petition the California bar because I have written three articles on legal issues.  I planned to write more and would have included a hornbook on domestic violence.  That was my final project.

Since Mid Atlantic is not registered with the California bar, it is up to the student to acquire an encyclopedic knowledge of as many areas of the law as possible and demonstrate that knowledge by writing as many articles and books as possible.  The articles  and books become published once you upload them on your own website (or works.bepress.com).

I did manage to complete an online paralegal course.  I am currently studying for NALA's CP exam.  I had to put it off twice because I didn't have the 250.00 fee to get started.  I should have it  by December 1 of this year.  I am also writing a book that traces the evolution of securities law from 1936 to 2001. 

I no longer attend this school because I don't have the 100.00  per module to pay.  Since most students really need to study for two years to pass the FYLSE the first time (because they are studying while holding down full time jobs and raising a family), I think that completing Mid Atlantic's requirements will give an online law school student an edge.  Yes, you can study the Gilberts outlines on your own.  But, how many people would take a Gilberts outline on Torts (for example) to bed with them at night unless they were enrolled in some kind of program?  Enrolling in an online law school after really studying 15 Gilberts volumes would give anyone an advantage.   Also, Mid Atlantic requires a final project.  A final project could include writing a treatise on an area of law.  That treatise would make any state bar official think, "Let me take another look at this graduate from Mid Atlantic.  Let's face it.  Any online law school graduate  has an up hill battle.    Why pay more than 1500  for the privilege?  If you are going to attend anything other than an ABA brick and mortar law school,  you need to realize that you need to be ten times more competitive than the typical law school graduate.

This is an online law school.  Are you kidding me?  Move on.  You are probably not missing anything.   But, on the other hand, why on earth would you tell them that you don't want to be a lawyer?  That statement just says:  "I'm not really interested in what your school has to offer."  Tell the next school that you can't wait to be a lawyer and help everybody that comes through your office door; even if you have no intention of ever practicing.

Which school do you attend?  Which agency did you work for?

I didn't quit law school, per se.  I just never had the money to finish on my own.  And, I don't see a rich man in my future.  The paralegal certificate I earned was within my budget.