Distance Education Students

[planejane]

I just saw on findlaw.com a DL school.

It is University of London - The International Center for Legal Studies.  They have a school or offices in Charlotte, North Carolina.  They have a connection with an ABA approved law school in Delaware (Widener, I believe) to earn your LLM and then start to practice law. 

I don't know much about this.  I just looking into this myself.

Hope this helps.

[joellimardo]

I have been researching online law schools and the possibility of earning a law degree in California; hoping to eventually sit for the Bar in my home state, Illinois. Several obstacles are immediately prevalent:

A) Illinois has a rule that the first law school you graduate from must be an ABA approved school. Coorespondence schools do not fit in this category and probably never will.

B) It does not appear that you can be admitted to the Illinois Bar 'On Motion' as you still will have to meet Rule 703 (e.g. "each applicant shall have pursued a course of law studies and fulfilled the requirements for and received a first degree in law from a law school approved by the American Bar Association.")


My confusion is with the following Illinois Supreme Court rule regarding Pro Hac Vice:

   Rule 707. Foreign Attorneys in Isolated Cases
 
   Anything in these rules to the contrary notwithstanding, an attorney and counselor-at-law from any other jurisdiction in the United States, or foreign country, may in the discretion of any court of this State be permitted to participate before the court in the trial or argument of any particular cause in which, for the time being, he or she is employed.

What in the heck does "rules to the contrary notwithstanding" mean?

[lawschoolafterdark]

It means that although you can't be admitted without getting an ABA degree you can be allowed to appear on a case by case basis if you are an attorney in another jurisdiction.

[Suzi McMullen]

Hi everyone,
     I first learned about the possibility of attending a correspondence law school in 1999.  At that time I had located a chart online that showed the requirements for taking the bar of every state.  There were only 5 states at the time that would ever allow California correspondence students to be admitted.  At that time, each state had the rule of practicing in California for 5 years rule. 

     I moved to California with my husband 2 years ago and had forgotten all about the law school issue.  Being a full-time mother I never thought seriously about attending traditional college of any sort.  I homeschooled my children and ran a daycare for many years.  Now my daughters are mostly teens and one is even out of the house.  I have decided to enroll in a correspondence program so that I can learn at home until my youngest is in school for a few years.  She is 4 now. 

     I have not been able to find any sort of chart showing all the states that will eventually allow us to sit for the bar.  I do know that Texas has the issue on the legislation floor now.  Vermont will allow us to sit for the bar right away or be admitted without sitting for the bar after practicing for 5 years.  Wisconsin will allow us to sit for their bar after we have sat for California's bar.  I have forgotten what other states are a possibility. 

     I honestly believe that those of us that want to obtain our education this way will win in the end.  I believe it's going to take court action in most cases and maybe even large class action law suits.  That's sort of fitting huh? LOL!

     I applied for Northwestern California School of Law tonight.  I took all 3 CLEP exams this month and will be permitted to enter law school this way.  Hopefully I will never need to leave California in the future.  I really do like it here.  My husband makes over 6 digits a year though.  If he needs to look for another job at some point I will have to leave and take my law degree elsewhere.

     Has anyone considered what other careers this education would prepare us for?

Suzi

[planejane]

Did you check into West Haven University's JD program?  If you did, what did you think?

[Tortilicious]

Hi all. I am a Abraham Lincoln 1L. Orientation is this weekend in Los Angeles. Anyone out there an ALU student?

What I particuarly like about ALU is they are a hybrid law school, offering both in-house and online lectures. Their tuition is about $6K a year (sans books, of course!) but they do accept school loans. Lectures can be seen through live streaming or through CDs or heard on tapes. They have actual semesters (as opposed to NWCU which offers open enrollment). As all online law schools, one must take the FYLSX at the end of their first year, but ALU also offers intensive FYLSX prep classes. Still, four years from now until graduation seems so far away at this point (I'll be 52). Best of luck to perspective and fellow nontrads! Cowboy up.

[planejane]

Keep us informed with how it goes!!!

[Michele]

I just saw on findlaw.com a DL school.

It is University of London - The International Center for Legal Studies.  They have a school or offices in Charlotte, North Carolina.  They have a connection with an ABA approved law school in Delaware (Widener, I believe) to earn your LLM and then start to practice law. 

I don't know much about this.  I just looking into this myself.

Hope this helps.

WHY WOULD YOU DO U of L when you can do a California DLC such as Northwestern California? (Curious)

[BorysPPS]

mortgage

[chaser]

NWCU is probably the best value.

West Coast Law school is a little cheaper but it appears you are pretty much on your own.