What Do You Think About Online Law School

[bobkoff]

I agree SWM, the "think on your feet" aspect of legal education is vital.  I haven't decided on Concord yet, but I feel that after almost 20 years of professional experience in the software industry, I have already had ample experience doing just that.  Others who take this route are probably the same.

PreLaw you hit the nail right on the head! When you are 22 years old how the hell can you "think on your feet"!
People like you and myslef who have had 20 years of real life experience in the business world are on a totally different level.

[SWM]

I see what you mean.  if you already have a successfull career as an entrpreneur and wish to gain some knowledge and wisdom pertaining to law in order to faccilitate the growth of your buisness and arrange your personal affairs, then an online degree would make sense.  However, I'm still highly skeptical of the quality of the education, and I'm still skeptical that such programs woud provide their students with the skills necessary to have a successful career as an attorney.

Got to run; Gobble, Gobble.

[bobkoff]

I see what you mean.  if you already have a successfull career as an entrpreneur and wish to gain some knowledge and wisdom pertaining to law in order to faccilitate the growth of your buisness and arrange your personal affairs, then an online degree would make sense.  However, I'm still highly skeptical of the quality of the education, and I'm still skeptical that such programs woud provide their students with the skills necessary to have a successful career as an attorney.

Got to run; Gobble, Gobble.

SWM-Actually the point I was making was simply that yes brick and mortor is probably better, online also will work depending upon your ultimate goals. If your goal is to work for one of the top law firms in NY then definately go to a top ABA approved school. If on the other hand your goal is to handle personal bankruptcy or personal injury cases or DMV cases and you dont plan to work for anyone but rather be in business for yourself than Concord will more than likely be fine.
The reason I want to be an attorny is because I have gone as far as I could in my current profession and I want to make a career change, NOT to enhance my current career or "dabble" in the law, or as you put it to "gain some knoweledge" Had my passage above been a reading passage on the LSAT and your responce been to pull out the authors main point you would have gotten that question wrong.
At the end of the day my goal is to have a JD and be a licensed attorney, law school is simply the vehicle to get me there. I am not concerned with how the name "Concord" will appear on my resume.

[SWM]

Bobkoff - I must confess, I skimmed your last post.  Kind of had turkey on the brain i suppose.  My apologies for misunderstanding you.  However, since you are looking for a career change and since you believe that "brick and mortar are probably better than online," then why online?  Is it the money vs the time?  Is it the convenience? Is it the possibility of being in a lecture hall with a bunch of annoying kids that just graduated from college?  Will attending an online program allow you to continue being employed in the same capacity as you are now?  What is it?  By the way, I'm a 32 y/o military guy, so I don't quite fit the  mold of the typical law student you are suggesting. Like you, I really don't care about attending a T14 school that will look impressive on a resume; I care about ABA accreditation, location and affordability. 

[sck]

I admit to being skeptical of an online law school as well. I wonder about the quality, and it takes a different kind of person to excel in the online environment. I would find it way too easy to slack off, I admit.

For me, even though I'll be in my early/mid 30s by the time I start law school, a brick and mortor school is the only way to go. I know how I learn, and I would rather have the give and take and readily available resources, and I feel I would have a much, much better chance at getting the funding I need with a traditional school. Even though I'm very much a technical and online person, I'm enough of a traditionalist that I'd rather have my hands on my material, have my hands on the paper copies, rather than handling it other ways. I like the structure when learning. Some prestige is still important for me, too, especially as someone who is not good at networking and does need some brand-name to help a bit.

But really, it all depends on your motivations, resources and learning style.

[bobkoff]

Bobkoff - I must confess, I skimmed your last post.  Kind of had turkey on the brain i suppose.  My apologies for misunderstanding you.  However, since you are looking for a career change and since you believe that "brick and mortar are probably better than online," then why online?  Is it the money vs the time?  Is it the convenience? Is it the possibility of being in a lecture hall with a bunch of annoying kids that just graduated from college?  Will attending an online program allow you to continue being employed in the same capacity as you are now?  What is it?  By the way, I'm a 32 y/o military guy, so I don't quite fit the  mold of the typical law student you are suggesting. Like you, I really don't care about attending a T14 school that will look impressive on a resume; I care about ABA accreditation, location and affordability. 

Hi SWM:
Well my problem is this, I live 10 minutes from PACE Law and they have an excellent evening program, and I am in fact applying there in January(taking the LSAT next Sat)-I work from 9 to 5 , and most evening programs start at 6 pm. Any other law school is going to be a hell of a commute. Even Touro is 1 hour away.   That is going to difficult and taxing physically. PACE would be the IDEAL! but I have to be realistic, what are my cahnces of getting into 1 law school? Not good. As you read these forums you see most people apply to a slew of law schools. I guess if I was 22 years old and on Mom and Dads ticket I would apply all over the US and then take my pic, but I cant do that. So if I dont get into PACE then I will do the online thing with Concord. I know Concord is not the best option, but at least in 4 years I can sit for the CA bar and get licensed. With that I can practice in alot of states and even here in NY(there ARE ways to get around the rules and even get admitted to the NY bar after being licensed in CA for 5 years)-I can also practice in the Federal Courts in all 50 states. and realistically this whole online thing is so new that I would bet my bottom dollar that the ABA will start accrediting these schools eventually, and if and when they do Concord will be the first.And quite frankly, as long as Concord continues to get STATE approvals like CA thats all I really care about, because its the states that determine if they will allow the graduates to sit for the state bars, not the Aba.(supposidly there are a slew of states voting tn this right now) If you do some research you will see that Concord has quite an impressive faculty, since its online they are not limited geographically. I am taking about HArvard and Yale professors teaching at Concord as well as ex judges and other well know law scholars. And I believe the newly appointed Dean was one of the top people at the ABA! this is no fly-by night operation. They are owned by the Washington Post.  The student body is also impressive, quite a few Ivy league BA'a there as well as some very successful people from all walks of life like airline pilots, medical doctors etc. .
But again, I have an income and a career so perhaps if I wanted to apply to law firms for a job I would do the brick and mortor route. I have been an entrepenuer all my life and always worked for myself, so why would I work for a law firm and take a pay cut? My goal is to be in private practice.......

[SWM]

You'll get into PACE.  It seems that you have been misinformed regarding their standing in the pantheon of Law Schools.  Right now I belive they are a tier 3 school; however, they have a reputation for being one of the best in the buisness when it comes to Environmental Law. I've considered PACE as well, but it's too close to the city for my taste and too rich for my blood - 31,000 a year to attend full time.  Their numbers are remarkably mediocre, for accroding to the LSAC website the splits for the part-time evening division are LSAT 155/151 and GPA 3.38/2.91.  I imagine a 160 LSAT would make you an auto-admit. Still, I can see how doing the 9-5 thing in conjunction with the PACE evening program could be a headache.  The allure of the online program is its flexability, isn't it.  Good luck next Saturday on your LSAT!

[bobkoff]

SWM: I hope you are right! My problem is that when Iwas in college 20 years ago I failed a bunch of classes in one semester that I decided to drop out of with out withdrawing from. I made up those F grades and my real GPA is a 3.1 however that way LSAC calculatred they have me at a 2.6
I am praying for a good score on the LSAT next week. We shall see

[SWM]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you.  My first attempt at undergrad didn't go so well either.  I was rather immature and I was ultimately dismissed from the university after 3 semesters.  However, after a 5 year hiatus, I turned it around completely. I transferred to another institution, attended full time for another three years and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in history and philosophy. I'm still kicking myself for be being young and dumb; I have a 3.71 degree granting GPA (103 credits) and a 2.95 CUM.  On a good note, I've been able to put a pretty good spin on my turn around in my academic addendum. Perhaps you can explain away the F's with an accademic addendum; i know that most schools require such addendums for applicants who have either been placed on academic probation or dismissed from school.  Moreover, the fact that you've been out of school and successfull in buisness for so long may render your GPA less relevent. I would guess that your LSAT score is your ticket to ride.  Study Hard.   

[bobkoff]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you.  My first attempt at undergrad didn't go so well either.  I was rather immature and I was ultimately dismissed from the university after 3 semesters.  However, after a 5 year hiatus, I turned it around completely. I transferred to another institution, attended full time for another three years and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in history and philosophy. I'm still kicking myself for be being young and dumb; I have a 3.71 degree granting GPA (103 credits) and a 2.95 CUM.  On a good note, I've been able to put a pretty good spin on my turn around in my academic addendum. Perhaps you can explain away the F's with an accademic addendum; i know that most schools require such addendums for applicants who have either been placed on academic probation or dismissed from school.  Moreover, the fact that you've been out of school and successfull in buisness for so long may render your GPA less relevent. I would guess that your LSAT score is your ticket to ride.  Study Hard.   

Yes I really need to do well on that test next week. If I were in my 20s I would be like "oh well, I w'l try again next year" but I dont want to wait. And with PACE as my only option, things arfe not looking so optimistic. But hey you never know. I think I will pay the $10.00 to phone in to get my score early so I know where I stand. My practice tests have ranged from 145 to 159 so I am not sure how I will fare for real. What about you? what has your practice scores been like