What Do You Think About Online Law School

[djack]

I have been recieving pop up after pop up about alternatives to traditional law schools almost daily. I was wondering if any of the online law schools are accepted by people in the legal community? Concord, Northwestern, and a plethoria of others say that after you graduate you will be able to set for the CA bar exam. They also claim that if you are going into corperate law that you can work in any stste with out taking their bar. Is this true? Please let me know if you have any information about this subject.   

[strouse]

Online law school sounds like a bad idea to me.

[john6675]

yes with a few online law schools you can sit for the Bar, but I generally think they're a bad idea.  In other words- the worst "real" law school in the country would probably be better than the best "virtual" law school out there.

Unless you're just going to be taking over the family business- then why the hell not?

[foxnewssucks]

i try not to

hth

[john6675]

i try not to

hth

 

[jacy85]

Maybe in 30-40 years, the face of education will be different.  For the time being though, it's a bad idea, *especially* in CA.  There are so many law schools in CA, both accred and unaccred, so you're competing with so many more people than in legal markets in other parts of the US.  Also, it's so hard to pass the bar in CA no matter what school you went to, so going to an online law school that's almost impossible to guage the quality of isn't going to help any. 

And if you want to work for a firm, then you're probably pretty screwed, as tehy're getting resumes from people who went to schools with various reputations.  I don't know that online law schools have even been aroudn long enough to be considered anything other than a joke.

And if you want to practice law, you need to take the bar exam, period.  It's possible to pass the bar in CA and get admitted pro hac vice and practice in NY while working for a specific client or case, but you need to prove that you are a member of another state's bar and in good standing.  So no bar exam means that to many firms and employers, you're worthless.  (further supported by the fact that many recent law schools grads that get offered positions right after school will be fired if they don't pass the bar exam within 1 year of graduation.)

[djack]

Thanks for all of the input to my question. I just wanted to know because it seems that I find a new online law school everyday. Which makes me wonder what type of success their students are having as they try to practice law.   

[vEsq]

I was wondering if any of the online law schools are accepted by people in the legal community? Concord, Northwestern, and a plethoria of others say that after you graduate you will be able to set for the CA bar exam.   

The comments posted above are verly likely from only law STUDENTS who have decided not to go to a non-traditional school.  As a result the opinion will tip against it.  I'm not sure how LAWYERS and COMPANIES think about it because they are not posting their comments here.  Did you know that President Lincoln became a lawyer by self studies?

I'll just present the official statistics and let you decide for yourself.  However, it's up to what you expect from a law school and how it fits with your life and career goal. After all, you still HAVE TO PASS THE BAR TO PRACTICE LAW.
 
Yes the CA Bar allows you to sit for the exam if you graduate from one of these correspondence schools.  http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?sImagePath=Law_Schools.gif&sCategoryPath=/Home/Attorney%20Resources/Bar%20Exam&sHeading=Law%20Schools&sFileType=HTML&sCatHtmlPath=html/Admissions_Law-Schools.html#CLC

This is the CA bar passage rate for the past seven years.  Online schools are listed as "Correspondence"
http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?sImagePath=Examination_Results_Statistics.gif&sCategoryPath=/Home/About%20the%20Bar/Bar%20Exam&sHeading=Examination%20Results/Statistics&sFileType=HTML&sCatHtmlPath=html/Admissions_Old-Statistics.html#CS
Remember you need to pass the bar to become an attorney.

Realistically, online schools do get a stigma because they're non-conventional.  Yes there are certain things you can't learn without the physical intertactions.  If you're planning to be a trial attorney then it's not for you.  But there are other areas of law that don't depend on the trial training from school.  If needed, you can supplement your online training with externships  to learn the needed skills.

If you can attend a traditional law school then go that route.  If you can't because of costs, travel, family responsibilities, current career, then correspondence school is an alternative for you.  I'm sure many choose law because of economic reasons.  If your benefits outweigh your costs then it's a right decision. 

Good luck.
vEsq

[jacy85]

WHAT was THE point of all the CAPITALIZATION in your POST?

[PresClay_00]

Did you know that President Lincoln became a lawyer by self studies?

what an idiotic comparison - that was 150 or so years ago  when no profession was restricted.