Mid-Atlantic School of Law

[passaroa25]

I only completed Module 1.  I have the worst financial karma out there in the universe.  I left Mercer Law School after one year because most student loans for law school were not substantial.  All I received for the first year in 1987 was 2000 for one semester.  I couldn't take the FYLSE after completing one year at California Southern School of Law because I didn't have the money to fly to California a second time.  Then, just as I began at Mid Atlantic, in 2009, I got  two pay cuts:  the first one was no more overtime.  The second one was an actual cut in pay.

Mid Atlantic's syllabus appears deceptively simple.  Just read 15 Gilberts Outlines and write an outline and summary of each volume.    Some of those volumes are 3 inches thick.  So, it will take awhile to get through the program; if all you do is read each book from cover.  In order to get the full benefit, you need to read and brief at least 20 cases that each book cites.  Mid Atlantic doesn't require the latter.  But, remember, you will be competing with people who have read thousands of court opinions within 3 to 4 years.  And, if your final project is going to be a hornbook, you will have needed a lot of practice before you get started. 

I never planned to take the DC bar exam.  I did plan to take the FYLSE again and the California bar after completing Mid Atlantic.  I was already registered as a law school student with California's Office of Admissions.  When I was ready, I planned to petition the California bar because I have written three articles on legal issues.  I planned to write more and would have included a hornbook on domestic violence.  That was my final project.

Since Mid Atlantic is not registered with the California bar, it is up to the student to acquire an encyclopedic knowledge of as many areas of the law as possible and demonstrate that knowledge by writing as many articles and books as possible.  The articles  and books become published once you upload them on your own website (or works.bepress.com).

I did manage to complete an online paralegal course.  I am currently studying for NALA's CP exam.  I had to put it off twice because I didn't have the 250.00 fee to get started.  I should have it  by December 1 of this year.  I am also writing a book that traces the evolution of securities law from 1936 to 2001. 

[passaroa25]

The message I was trying to get across above is that I believe that it is possible for any online law school graduate to become an attorney.  It is just that it won't be the school's name that will help you achieve your goal:  It will be your name and reputation.

[oceanblue57]

Thanks Angie,how much time does one have to complete the module ?I also found that Gilbert has different additions some from 2004 to 2011 .I  am on a limited budget and what to buy a used book.Can i buy an old addition or do i have to buy the most current?I also would like to here from other students ,who are in M ASl or Novus..   And any one who has Graduated or you has taken the Bar..Ron A.. BBA-MBA

[jonlevy]

MASL will not fit the definition of a law school so you cannot qualify under D.C. App. R. 46.

It is not just that it is unaccredited but like NOVUS they are simply issuing pieces of paper (diplomas) without any oversight.

Further I do not think whoever runs either of these schools is actually an attorney.

I am trying to help you understand that you are being misled by your own desire to become an attorney.

[oceanblue57]

YOU TALK WITH SUCH AUTHORITY..//WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS ARE YOU A LICENSED ATTORNEY IN ANY STATE.. And where did you go to school and what degrees do you hold..      You have alot of threads all over this site down grading on line Education.HAVE YOU EVER TRIED ON LINE COURSES OF ANY KIND.I did my Undergraduate work at IONA COLLEGE AND ST JOHNS UNVERSITY BRICK AND MORTAR SCHOOLS.I RECEIVED MY MBA AT AIU ON LINE AN ACCREDITED SCHOOL.WITH ALL YOUR STRONG OPINIONS, PUTING DOWN SCHOOLS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS THAT WANT TO FURTHER THERE EDUCATION ,WHAT MAKES YOU THE JUDGE AND JURY... RON A  ...AS -BBA-MBA ..

[passaroa25]

You are right.  Mid Atlantic is not a "real" law school.  But, neither of the other law schools registered with the California bar "real" law schools either.  They are recognized companies doing business in California.  Graduates of any of those companies will not be eligible to take the bar exam of any other state [right out of law school].  That is why the Office of Admissions requires all students registered with it to keep a log of how many hours they are studying.

Someone who graduates from MASL will have to petition the Office Of Admissions in California to take the FYLSE and the California bar exam.  He/she will have to keep a log of all the hours they have studied.  He/she will have to send a copy of MASL's syllabus to the Office of Admissions. 

What is key, here, is how much knowledge the student actually has.  That is why MASL has a final project.  The final project can be an internship or an analytical thesis.  Supplementary articles [kind of like publishing your own Law Review online] will bolster your reputation. 

Years ago, home schooling was looked down upon.  Now, because so many home schooled students are doing so well, that form of education is well regarded.   The same thing can happen with MASL.  Okay.  It is a private company [like a for profit school] that provides a structure.  But, like I said before.  It is not the school that will make a student an attorney.  It is the student who will make himself/herself an attorney. 

To Oceanblue57:  Try to get the most current editions of each Gilberts' Outline.  Don't buy them all at once.  Buy one book at a time.  Each volume from Thomson West is about $40.00.  The length of time it will take you to get through one volume depends on how much you study.  I work full time.  So, it took me about 8 weeks to get through the first module.  I read it from cover to cover and took my time carefully authoring the summary. 

There is some truth in what all these people are saying about MASL.  But, if MASL is your only option because of the price, stick with it. It is not impossible to become eligible to sit for the FYLSE and the California bar with an MASL JD (or the DC bar exam).  But, you do have an uphill battle.  Like I said before you will have to acquire an almost encyclopedic knowledge of all the areas of the law that a bar exam tests.  You should brief as many cases as you can from each Gilberts Outline.  Put the completed cases in a binder and keep them.  I have a one page handout that I wrote for someone else on how to brief a case.  I copied it from a textbook.  (Yes.  The references are there.)  If you would like a copy of it, let me know.  My email address is:  passaroa25@gmail.com.  Put "Law Discussion Forum" in the subject line so that I will actually read the email.  There isn't much of a need for legal service volunteer work because licensed attorneys are doing all the pro bono work.  This means that you will have to write articles.  They don't have to be published by publishing companies.  You can upload them to your own website.  I have articles on:  http://www.works.bepress.com/angela_passaro  The bottom line is that you have a lot of work ahead of you.    I know of two people who have graduated from MASL.  One of them enrolled in a 26 credit program so that he can sit for the DC bar.

[jonlevy]

Angie you are mistaken - MASL grads cannot take the California Bar. The reason MASL is not a registered California distance learning school is because there is no attorney associated with it.  Ask yourself, who runs the school, do you even know and what is their credential?  I know you want to be an attorney some day so learn to follow the rules, there is no short cut to becoming an attorney, only the normal way and the hard way.  Go ahead and Petition, you have a zero chance of success.

[jonlevy]

YOU TALK WITH SUCH AUTHORITY..//WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS ARE YOU A LICENSED ATTORNEY IN ANY STATE.. And where did you go to school and what degrees do you hold..      You have alot of threads all over this site down grading on line Education.HAVE YOU EVER TRIED ON LINE COURSES OF ANY KIND.I did my Undergraduate work at IONA COLLEGE AND ST JOHNS UNVERSITY BRICK AND MORTAR SCHOOLS.I RECEIVED MY MBA AT AIU ON LINE AN ACCREDITED SCHOOL.WITH ALL YOUR STRONG OPINIONS, PUTING DOWN SCHOOLS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS THAT WANT TO FURTHER THERE EDUCATION ,WHAT MAKES YOU THE JUDGE AND JURY... RON A  ...AS -BBA-MBA ..

OK BBA-MBA, I really do know what I am talking about. I am not putting anyone down, I am saying MASL and NOVUS are a complete waste of time if you think those "degrees" will count for anything.  I won't say another word, you obviously don't want to do due diligence like calling the DC bar.

[oceanblue57]

Thanks angie i will take your advice and i hope we helped other students.Yes it is an up hill stuggle,but spending $1600 to $1700 per credit at a ABA approved school in NY does not work for me.I WILL E MAIL YOU.I NEED A SAMPLE OUT LINE.Also if you know what school the other person went to for his 26 credits for Rule 46 i would apprecate that.Every one has different needs as a Law student and this is what the nay sayers have to understand.Thanks again Ron A ..BBA -MBA   

[Maintain FL 350]

I understand that not everyone has the opportunity to attend a brick & mortar school, and I have no doubt that some very smart people attend online law schools. Nonetheless, I see some huge issues with MASL's program.

The fact that they use Gilbert's outlines as the primary teaching source is a red flag. Commercial outlines are supplemental materials, I cannot imagine trying to learn the law by reading and briefing from outlines. Personally, I didn't like commercial outlines because they present the law without context, it's like trying to memorize a schematic diagram. I think that using Gilbert's as a primary source would make learning the law more confusing than it needs to be. I think it would be very difficult to prepare for the FYLSE using commercial outlines.

Secondly, if all MASL does is tell you to study Gilbert's why not just do it on your own? If MASL is not at least registered with the CA bar, I'm not sure that the degree is worth any more than paper it's printed on. CA allows students from unaccredited registered law schools, students who have studied in judge's chambers, and students who have studied with a lawyer to sit for the FYLSE and bar exam as long as some specific documentation is provided.

Those are the only three non-traditional exceptions of which I'm aware. I'm not sure about unaccredited, un-registered law schools. Are such grads allowed to sit for the CA bar, absent some other qualifications? That's a question I'd want to ask MASL if I was contemplating giving them my money. I'd also ask if any MASL grads have been admitted to the CA or DC bar. 

As far as the DC bar is concerned, my understanding is that the exception applies to non-ABA schools, not necessarily unaccredited schools. (A school can be state accredited, for example, without being ABA accredited). I would ask MASL if they have ever graduated a single student who is a member of any state's bar.

If you do choose to go with MASL, I'd recommend using the Examples & Explanations series along with Gilbert's. Also, seriously study the past FYLSEs on the Calbar website. If possible, take a FYLSE prep course.