Birmingham School of Law

[calgal27]

Hi.  Has anyone heard of or had any dealings with this law school?  They are in Alabama and offer a night program or a weekend program.  They do not require a LSAT score unless your GPA is 2.75 or lower.  I know these standards seem below par.  I am an older student not looking for the best program, just a program where I can still maintain my current life but adding law school to it.  Their website doesn't offer a lot of information except the basics. 

I took LSAT but it was low.  GPA 3.69 plus I have a Masters in Law & Public Policy.   I think with my 18 years in the legal profession and my grades, I will get in, I just want to see if anyone has had any experience with this school.

[john4040]

Be aware that you will, most likely, be limited to practicing in Alabama if you go to this school.  Most states require you go to an ABA approved law school in order to sit for the bar.

[calgal27]

I know that I will be stuck, if I choose to practice law, to Alabama unless I move to one of the other states that allows you to sit for their bar.  There is a great chart that shows all the states and all their rules.  Like I said, I am not concerned about the ABA versus non-ABA.  I am not a spring chicken anymore.

[gallagheria]

The Birmingham School of Law has graduates in other states. Look up each state bar and search by school. I know what chart you are talking about and it is not accurate. For instance, it states that Georgia requires ABA-education, but that is not true. Georgia has Birmingham School of Law alumni practicing as well as a Concord grad.

[Duncanjp]

I can't say anything about Birmingham, but I'm attending a locally-respected, state-accredited law school and I love it. Fortunately, I already have an established career and it would be a huge step backwards at 51 to abandon my career for a position as an entry-level attorney in some other field. If I were 20 years younger, perhaps my opinion here would be different. My tuition is a third the cost of an ABA school, so I'm paying as I go, and while I will only be able to sit for my state Bar exam when I graduate, the fact is, I'm not interested in moving out of my home state anyway. This is where my friends and family are. For a person in my shoes, the only critical thing is to get the license. Given the ridiculous cost of an ABA education, the advantages and prestige of an ABA law school mean absolutely nothing to me. My ROI would never justify it.

[calgal27]

I found 6 members of the Georgia Bar that went to Birmingham School of Law.  They are practicing here, but they became members of the Bar way back in 1979 and one was back in 1965  The requirements back then are not the same today.  I am sure that was before ABA approval was the norm. 

[calgal27]

I also found 1 graduate of Concord Law School (the online school) that is a member of the Georgia Bar.  He was admitted here in 2008 so I am wondering how he pulled that off.  Concord is not accredited by any agency. 

[gallagheria]

Georgia does not require ABA accreditation. The state rules specifically state that if you attend a non-ABA school, then you must apply separately and there is a form you must have your school complete. This also includes an evaluation from an ABA dean. This is what the 2009 Batterson case was about.

“[A]dmission to the State Bar is
governed by the Rules promulgated by this Court, which place the burden on the
applicant to establish the fitness to practice law.” In re G.E.C., 269 Ga. 744,
2
745 (1) (506 SE2d 843) (1998). However, the Board may waive any of the rules
“for good cause shown by clear and convincing evidence.”3 The Board's waiver requirements in regard to education are based in part
on proof that the non-accredited school provides a legal education equivalent to
that of an ABA-accredited law school; an applicant must provide certain
documentation from an ABA-accredited law school demonstrating such
equivalence. In re Domantay, supra. To that end, the Board provided Batterson
with a copy of the “Waiver Process & Policy” and a two-page “Guidelines for
Dean’s Letter,” stating that such letter should be from a dean or the dean’s
designee on the faculty at an ABA-approved law school and detailing what the
analysis of the applicant’s legal education should include.

It only seems to make sense that that if state allows alumni from one non-ABA school (such as Birmingham or Concord), then they would allow other alumni from that school. The whole process is to evaluate the school and its quality in comparison to ABA schools.