Novus Law School

[jonlevy]

"They have the scales set up against them. Plus no curve online either. An 80% on campus in any curved 1L class is an A. Online it's a C. "

I always wondered why my Taft GPA was something like 2.8.

[Maintain FL 350]

On campus is easier, for one main reason (no fxbx) even ABA grads who sit it fail it the majority of the time. That alone makes it easier.

I'm not debating whether one is "harder" or one is "easier". Those are qualitative assessements and are subject to individual opinion. DL may be harder, I don't know. I'm taking issue with several specific claims made by the poster, which I've seen repeated elsewhere. The fact that most ABA students who take the FYLSE fail is not surprising, since the only ones who have to take it are those that failed out of law school and are seeking readmission.

The first claim, that "everybody pretty much passes", is objectively verifiable nonesense. Especially among T4s it not uncommon to have a 20-30% academic attrition rate. Clearly, everybody does not pass.

The second claim, that tests are open book and you don't have to show up for class, probably varies from school to school. I've never heard of any law school, however, where open book tests were the norm. I'd be willing to bet that at the vast majority of ABA, state accredited, and DL law schools students take closed book, difficult exams.

[/quote]

And yes, many "Top" lawschools are either no exam, all open book, and a P/F grade scale.

Can you provide one example of a top law school, or any law school, that has no exams or all open book? Even if one exists, I think you'd have to admit that it's the exception, not the rule. Berkeley is the only law school I'm aware of that grades High Pass/Pass/Low Pass/No Pass.

Lastly, I've never heard of anyone graduating in two years except from the SCALE program at Southwestern. Again, even if a few students do manage to graduate in years, you can't say that it's common as the OP implies.

[jonlevy]

1.  First year Bar, I'd say 4-1 against ever passing regardless of retakes.  Most of those taking it are not going to be lawyer material.

2.  DL is open book, proctored exams hah-hah, we know human nature, better have a good memory when you take the bar.  But I might add, one of the hardest exams I ever took was the English QLTT and it was open book.

3.. No idea what a SCALE is, its 4 years for DL California law schools.   Can't imagine anyone passing the bar with 2 years.

As I have said before, the best candidate for a DL law school is someone already working in the legal system with a phenomenal memory who can't attend a regular law school.

[Maintain FL 350]

No idea what a SCALE is, its 4 years for DL California law schools.   Can't imagine anyone passing the bar with 2 years.

Southwestern has a program called SCALE. The acronym stands for something-something Accelerated Legal Education, and you get a J.D. in two years by taking extra heavy courseloads all year and during summers. I think it's a more selective program, and isn't open to all SW students.

As I have said before, the best candidate for a DL law school is someone already working in the legal system with a phenomenal memory who can't attend a regular law school.

I completely agree. For a highly motivated, smart, disciplined person DL is probably a great format. I think that a lot of people think that they possess those qualities, but don't, and thus the high attrition rates.

[cooley3L]

No idea what a SCALE is, its 4 years for DL California law schools.   Can't imagine anyone passing the bar with 2 years.

Southwestern has a program called SCALE. The acronym stands for something-something Accelerated Legal Education, and you get a J.D. in two years by taking extra heavy courseloads all year and during summers. I think it's a more selective program, and isn't open to all SW students.

As I have said before, the best candidate for a DL law school is someone already working in the legal system with a phenomenal memory who can't attend a regular law school.

I completely agree. For a highly motivated, smart, disciplined person DL is probably a great format. I think that a lot of people think that they possess those qualities, but don't, and thus the high attrition rates.

Cooley has a simular program. The bar requires "3years" of education, but each 2 semesters count as an academic year. So they just cram in the extra year over the summers.