Something different: Novus University

[Wild Jack Maverick]

Pardon me. I was not attempting to criticize Novus U., but was simply asking for the information---in writing-- because I wouldn't want "false advertising" or "breach of oral contract" as the first course.

I sent a response email to Novus stating that I had not yet applied and was simply asking for the information. No response.

[MuscularBitch]

Is there anyone out there who attends Law School at Novus University?

[james1968]

Does anyone know anything about Novus Law School? I have been researching the JD program and recently looked for them in the Better Business site and they have had no complaints in th eten years they have been in operation, they dod have a very lengthy form you must sign that prevents you from taking any legal actions against them. Is this school a fake? Has anyone been scammed by them? Haas anyone graduated from this school and if so how was your JD accepted?

[brewha]

I sent a response email to Novus stating that I had not yet applied and was simply asking for the information. No response.

Shouldn't this alone alert you to the fact that the school is likely a scam/not good/tending to be bad/etc.

[shady2009]

You should check with the State Bar where you plan to practice.  Many, if not most states require that you graduate from an ABA accredited law school before being admitted.

They might also be able to tell you what Novus grads are doing. 

[james1968]

I made the call to the ABA and they told me no distance learning school met their qualifications and when I aksed about Novus, Concorde and ALU they told me they had no comment on any of them except those schools are not a member of ABA.

[wparalegal]

I just checked out on line to see if Novus, which I was considering, was ABA certified, and no, it isn't.  My plan was to go the easy route (no snide comments, please) and learn how to be a lawyer by distance learning, pass the Missouri Bar and set up shop.  But this is not possible through Novus, and no distance learning school has been ABA approved.  So no, don't waste your time and money and hopes and dreams.  Unfortunately, the only way to do it, at least in Missouri, is to do the hard work of a regular law school.  Drat the luck.

[Sako]

... plan to take bar in New York, one of the states that allow Distance Learning to sit for bar.

Where do you see that DL students can sit for the NY bar?  I thought that NY was one of the states the expressly forbid it?

If I'm reading this wrong or you have better information, please let me know.  I'm from NY, and assumed I would never be licensed in the state.


From http://www.nybarexam.org/court.htm#520.2%20Admission%20upon%20examination


520.3 Study of law in law school. (a)(1) General. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subdivision, an applicant may qualify to take the New York State bar examination by submitting to the New York State Board of Law Examiners satisfactory proof that the applicant attended and was graduated with a first degree in law from a law school or law schools which at all times during the period of applicant's attendance was or were approved.

(2) An applicant may qualify to take the New York State bar examination by submitting to the New York State Board of Law Examiners satisfactory proof that applicant attended and successfully completed the prescribed course of instruction required for a first degree in law, but the State Board of Law Examiners shall not certify the applicant for admission to the bar pursuant to section 520.7(a) of this Part until the applicant has presented a certificate showing that the applicant has been awarded a first degree in law.

(b) Approved law school defined. An approved law school for purposes of these rules is one:

    (1) whose program and course of study meet the requirements of this section, as shown by the law school's bulletin or catalogue, which shall be filed annually with the Clerk of the Court of Appeals; and

    (2) which is approved by the American Bar Association.

(c) Instructional requirement. (1) An approved law school shall require for its first degree in law the successful completion of either a full-time or a part-time program which consists of:

    (i) a minimum of 80 semester hours of credit, including at least 60 semester hours in professional law subjects. A maximum of 20 of the required 80 semester hours may be courses related to legal training or clinical courses as provided in sections (2) and (5) of this subdivision;

    (ii) at least 1,120 hours of classroom study, exclusive of examination time

    (2) Other courses related to legal training taught by members of the faculty of said law school or university, or taught by members of the faculty of any university or college with which the law school offers a joint degree program, may, in the discretion of the law school, be substituted for professional law subjects to the extent of no more than 10 of the required 80 semester hours.

    (3) No credit shall be allowed for correspondence courses.

    (4) All study shall be evaluated by authentic written examination, except where such examination is inappropriate, such as in seminar and practice court courses or courses which are principally concerned with legal writing and research.

    (5) Clinical and like courses may, in the discretion of the law school, be substituted for classroom periods to the extent of no more than 20 of the required 80 semester hours, where:

    (i) a description of the course has been filed with the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, either separately or in the law school's annual catalogue or bulletin;

    (ii) the course is under the direct and immediate supervision of a member or members of the faculty;

    (iii) the course includes adequate classroom meetings or seminars during the same semester in which the clinical work is completed in order to insure contemporaneous, discussion review and evaluation of the clinical experience; and

    (iv) the law school certificate of attendance filed with the New York State Board of Law Examiners lists separately the credit allowed for clinical courses or other non classroom study.