First Concord-Educated Attorneys Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court Bar

[Undisputed]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/23688232/

LOS ANGELES, Mar 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Four Concord Law School graduates were admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday during a ceremony that served as a milestone for the nation's first wholly online law school and as recognition of the evolution of legal education.

"Many lawyers are admitted to the Supreme Court Bar each year and thus have the privilege of arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court. However, these are the first practicing attorneys who were fully educated online to be admitted before all of the Justices in open court," said Barry Currier, JD, President and Dean of Concord, which is based in Los Angeles. "Concord fills a significant need in legal education by providing students with an opportunity to get a rigorous education without having to put their careers on hold, and without many of the costs associated with campus-based programs." For admission to the Supreme Court of the United States, attorneys must be sponsored by two attorneys who have already been admitted there and must obtain a certificate of good standing as evidence that they have been a member of the Bar for three years and are in good standing.

The four Concord-educated attorneys admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court are: -- Larry David of Pasadena, CA, who holds an MBA from USC and had a successful international career in business management in China. Today, he is involved in the general practice of law and handles many pro-bono cases in domestic violence, volunteering at the Los Angeles County Bar Association Barristers Domestic Violence Project.

-- Dentist Michael Kaner of Newtown, PA, who now serves as a consultant on risk management and forensic dentistry.

-- Ross Mitchell of West Newton, MA, a computer systems consultant who is using his legal training to pursue greater acceptance of online legal education and to promote the expansion of the multi-jurisdictional practice of law.

-- Sandusky Shelton of Clio, CA, a retired telecommunications manager who now gives back to her community by taking court-appointed juvenile dependency cases.

Approximately 40 percent of Concord students are working professionals who hold at least one master's degree, including dozens of MDs, MBAs and PhDs. They use their legal education to enhance their current careers or to practice law as a second career. Graduates who successfully complete the Concord program are eligible to sit for the California Bar Exam.

About Concord Law School Concord Law School of Kaplan University was founded in 1998 and today has 1,500 students across the country and around the world. Since Concord's first graduating class in November 2002, more than 700 students have completed the JD and EJD programs. The formal merger of Concord into Kaplan University in the fall of 2007 made Concord the first online law school to be part of a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Kaplan University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Concord is also accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, a nationally recognized accrediting agency. Additionally, Concord is an institutional member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the International Association of Law Schools. For more information, visit info.concordlawschool.edu.

About Kaplan Higher Education Concord Law School of Kaplan University is part of Kaplan Higher Education, which serves 80,000 students through 70 campus-based schools across the United States and in Europe. It also offers online high school programs through Kaplan Virtual Education, and undergraduate and graduate programs through Kaplan University. Kaplan Higher Education schools offer a spectrum of academic opportunities, from high school diplomas to graduate and professional degrees, including a Juris Doctor degree. Kaplan Higher Education is part of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). For more information, visit www.kaplan.com.

[DuckHuntinLawyer]

There goes the sanctity of the legal profession...

[jacy85]

While being admitted to the Supreme Court Bar is pretty cool, I have to say, the requirements (2 buddies already members of the bar to sponsor you and state bar membership for 3 years) aren't exactly strict.  I fail to see how this really adds any credibility to this school, where the vast majority of people who go there can't pass the bar or get jobs.

[Undisputed]

While being admitted to the Supreme Court Bar is pretty cool,

I think it's pretty cool also.

[Big Changes]

There goes the sanctity of the legal profession...

That's pretty rude. Is the legal profession really crumbling because professionals are getting an online degree to supplement their training? HOW DARE a retired telecommunications manager get a degree to do community service work in juvenile dependency cases!

How dare a successful professional get an online degree and use it for pro-bono work involving domestic violence cases!

If you're going to posit that online degrees don't have their place, you're arguing against the evidence. Of course they have their place, some people want to expand their specialty (the dentist who uses his degree for forensics?), and some people want to help out in pro-bono cases.

Granted, an online degree most likely isn't right for the average person, or even the vast majority of people. But assuming that the "sanctity of the legal profession" is crumbling because an online school fills a niche market is ridiculous.

[Undisputed]

I totally agree with your stance BC. When I posted this article, I knew exactly the mix response I was going to get. Though you know what, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was it respected in that length. In other words, it's going to take time but I have confidence in it.

[jacy85]

If you're going to posit that online degrees don't have their place, you're arguing against the evidence. Of course they have their place, some people want to expand their specialty (the dentist who uses his degree for forensics?), and some people want to help out in pro-bono cases.

The dentist who uses his specialty for forensics wants to know more about the law to simply know more about the law, and give him a slight edge perhaps in his specialty.  It's not because he wants to practice.  Therefore, however he wants to learn a little more doesn't matter.

And as for people who want to do pro bono work...why should we care if people want to do pro bono work?  There are people in every law school around the country who want to do pro bono work.  Pro-bono clients deserve quality legal representation as much as the huge corporation paying millions in legal fees.  And without any indication that these online schools are actually and consistently turning out quality graduates who can pass the bar and practice law, they don't really serve any purpose beyond the dentist who wants to broaden his horizons a little bit.  And from all the evidence I've seen posted at various times on this board, there seems to be little support that these schools generally produce quality, competent practicing attorneys.

And as for the non-trad argument...well, there are more than a few non-trads that go to my school, and they're becoming more and prevalent at every accredited school.  So I don't buy the whole, "we non-trads can't possibly go to a regular school" thing; it's a sacrifice, definitely, especially when one has a family.  But other people deal with it and make it work, so it's possible.

[DuckHuntinLawyer]

There goes the sanctity of the legal profession...

That's pretty rude. Is the legal profession really crumbling because professionals are getting an online degree to supplement their training? HOW DARE a retired telecommunications manager get a degree to do community service work in juvenile dependency cases!

How dare a successful professional get an online degree and use it for pro-bono work involving domestic violence cases!

If you're going to posit that online degrees don't have their place, you're arguing against the evidence. Of course they have their place, some people want to expand their specialty (the dentist who uses his degree for forensics?), and some people want to help out in pro-bono cases.

Granted, an online degree most likely isn't right for the average person, or even the vast majority of people. But assuming that the "sanctity of the legal profession" is crumbling because an online school fills a niche market is ridiculous.

I apologize if that seems rude to you. However, I still stand by it.

Along the same lines Jacy discussed above, I think these schools/businesses degrade a profession that is already unfavorable in the public eye. They do a disservice to the public, and to their students, by not providing the adequate legal training to produce competent lawyers. How well do online chat rooms (I am assuming they use these) facilitate an engaging debate and the use of the Socratic method? How well can you participate in clinics over the internet? Is there a virtual courtroom where you "stand" before a panel of judges and give you "oral" argument? Probably not, although these skills are necessary to the practice of law. Do you think they would let people get a medical degree online without participating in some type of clinical classes? I wouldn't want that doctor performing surgery on me, just as I wouldn't want a graduate from an online "law school" taking on a case that affects my rights. A graduate (I dare not say "lawyer") from one of those online schools who represents a client is at a marked disadvantage in an adversarial system where the opposing attorney has the proper practical and theoretical training from an ABA accredited law school.

And if a dentist wants to know more about the law to supplement his practice, he should have attended an accredited dental school that requires their students to take legal ethics/dental malpractice class (I understand that most accredited dental schools require these types of courses, at least that what my buddy who is a dentist says).

As Jacy said, why do pro-bono clients deserve a less competent lawyer? That's ridiculous. Especially in domestic cases where the outcome of their case has a huge impact on their lives.

Now, online legal courses may have their place for helping established professionals learn more about the law, but there is no way in hell they should be allowed to practice law with that type of education.

[Dr. Balsenschaft]

Along the same lines Jacy discussed above, I think these schools/businesses degrade a profession that is already unfavorable in the public eye. They do a disservice to the public, and to their students, by not providing the adequate legal training to produce competent lawyers. How well do online chat rooms (I am assuming they use these) facilitate an engaging debate and the use of the Socratic method? How well can you participate in clinics over the internet? Is there a virtual courtroom where you "stand" before a panel of judges and give you "oral" argument? Probably not, although these skills are necessary to the practice of law.

I seriously doubt the Socratic method is going to make me a better lawyer.  The only thing the Socratic method has taught me is how to give short answers to complicated questions so a professor will leave me alone and call on someone else.  It has also taught me to not raise my hand.  You do have a point about clinics and oral arguments but those are two very small and insignificant aspects of a brick and mortar law school education. 

I could probably learn the substantive areas of the law online or even on my own.  The reason why I go to a "real" law school is so I can get a decent job once I graduate - it has very little to do with education. 

[jacy85]

I just want to say that I never said I don't think it's possible for a successful on-line law school, or at least some possible integration of online classes w/ regular schools.  It may be possible.  I just don't think the school currently in the business are very unsuccessful and do more harm than good.  The people who think they're going to get to go out and be a practicing lawyer after shelling out money (often times as much as "real" schools) are more likely than not going to be extremely disappointed.

For that matter, the exact same thing can be said about more than a few T4 schools.