Texas Republicans propose allowing online and via mail degrees to sit bar.

[cooleylawstudent]

2010 STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM
State Bar Requirements – Attorneys who obtain their law degree through learning by electronic means or U.S. mail, from
an accredited school of law, should be allowed to take the Texas Bar Exam.

[Julie Fern]

accredited by who, exactly?

[cooleylawstudent]

the state they are in.

accredited by who, exactly?

[GovLaw]

They should be allowed to sit for the bar. If they are as poorly prepared as some on here allege, then they will fail.  If they pass the bar, then they clearly deserve to be attorneys.  So many people on this site post anti-distance learning comments based more on their fear of losing a dollar (because of competition) than any verifiable basis.  I contend that having distance learning graduates take the bar hurts no one. 

[nealric]

  If they pass the bar, then they clearly deserve to be attorneys.

I don't necessary agree with that. The bar is supposed to a minimum competency test. Ideally, you would want all attorneys to work at a much higher standard than that required on the bar exam. If all I learned in law school was what was necessary for the bar exam, I would be a very poor attorney indeed.

I don't have a problem with distance learning provided that it is extremely rigorous and not simply a 3-year bar course. However, I am not convinced that is the case with any of the distance learning schools currently operating.

[cooleylawstudent]

People keep argueing on this board that "law school isnt to help you be a lawyer" "lawyers dont memorise laws they look them up" blah.blah,blah, so what would it matter if they studied art for 3 years and then took the bar? 

[nealric]

  so what would it matter if they studied art for 3 years and then took the bar? 

You would have no training in legal reasoning.

[cooleylawstudent]

so?

  so what would it matter if they studied art for 3 years and then took the bar? 

You would have no training in legal reasoning.

[GovLaw]

"Ideally, you would want all attorneys to work at a much higher standard than that required on the bar exam."

I agree, but I would contend that the bar exam should be harder, not that people should be excluded from taking it because of where/how they received their education.  This would also help relieve the glut of attorneys, as more b&m students would fail the bar. 

[ladylawyer065]

"Ideally, you would want all attorneys to work at a much higher standard than that required on the bar exam."

I agree, but I would contend that the bar exam should be harder, not that people should be excluded from taking it because of where/how they received their education.  This would also help relieve the glut of attorneys, as more b&m students would fail the bar. 

What exactly do you mean by your comment "as more b&m students would fail the bar"  what ethnic groups are you saying because it seems that is exactly what you are saying . IF so explain yourself MISTER .