Online Law School for Wisconsin Bar

[lawyerintraining]

Ah, that makes much more sense. Don't know how I feel about the WI exception, however.  Seems a little elitist 19th century good ol boy cluby to me.

you prefer badboys?Well then, how you doin'?

[ipscientific]

Without discussing the merits of online law school, I have already decided that's what I will do. I am planning on sitting for the Wisconsin bar. I will get a significant raise at my current job if I have a law degree. So having a substandard degree is not a problem for me. The question is: Which online degree is the quickest and cheapest that Wisconsin will accept? Alternatively, is there another state I should be looking at? Thank you

You can go to Taft and pass the CA bar then take the Wisconsin bar. Look it up.

[LincolnLover]

Without discussing the merits of online law school, I have already decided that's what I will do. I am planning on sitting for the Wisconsin bar. I will get a significant raise at my current job if I have a law degree. So having a substandard degree is not a problem for me. The question is: Which online degree is the quickest and cheapest that Wisconsin will accept? Alternatively, is there another state I should be looking at? Thank you

Just take a law school in that state. They get to skip the bar. Last one in the nation that gets to do that. Pretty sweet if you ask me.
I support online schools and internships but the minibar is a serial killer and skipping the bar is a shake&bake. Why wouldn't you do that if you could instead?

[jonlevy]

1.  You can't sit the Wisconsin bar with just an online degree.

2.  In theory you might be able to take the Wisconsin bar after five years or so of practice with a California license and an online degree but I don't know anyone who has.

[Morten Lund]

Are you saying WI and VT have reciprocity will all states?  I was not aware that WI didn't have a bar exam, that's surprising.  I know of at least two states that have reciprocity with no one (DE and RI).  I was under the impression that reciprocity is a two way street.  Can reciprocity be one way?  Are you guys sure about this?

Wisconsin does not have reciprocity with all states.  Wisconsin does not, for instance, have full reciprocity with California (or more specifically, California does not have general reciprocity like most other states do).  People moving to or from California almost always have to take the local bar exam in some form. 

Further, as far as I know, in each instance where there is full or partial reciprocity, one still has to satisfy the admission requirements of that state.  So, for instance, when I (a member of the Wisconsin bar) joined the California bar, I not only had to take the "lawyer's bar exam" (same as the regular bar exam, minus the multistate), but I also had to take the MPRE - because it is not required in Wisconsin.  Lawyers moving from Minnesota to California take the lawyer's bar exam, but not the MPRE - but it is already required in Minnesota.  Transferring lawyers in any state also have to pass local background/ethics check, and the standards for those vary from state to state as well.

Similarly, as noted, graduates from a Wisconsin law school (i.e. Marquette and UW-Madison) do not have to take the Wisconsin bar exam for admittance to the Wisconsin bar.  If and when they wish to practice in another state, however (not usual, with Chicago down the street), they have to take the bar exam in that other state, regardless of reciprocity.

As a general rule, "reciprocity" is not a waiver of general bar admission requirements, but simply a waiver of some or all of the written examination - if that examination has successfully completed previously.

So while I don't recall a specific instance of someone moving from California to Wisconsin, I would be more than surprised if Wisconsin did not require an ABA JD - because that is a requirement for admission to the bar in Wisconsin.

[sollicitus]

The desire to find legal loopholes shows the right type of spirit for the study and practice of law.

To make it past that point one needs to learn to obey the law and not just do what they want and hope for the best in the end.

If the deed is done and trying to be remedied that is one thing. To go out of ones way to do it wrong and hope to make it ok in the end, that's just foolish.

Don't be foolish.

[jonlevy]

In other words, don't expect to be a Wisconsin attorney unless you go to an ABA law school.  Secondly, tyring to go online is harder, not easier than going to a traditional law school as in many will try and few will succeed.

[sollicitus]

In other words, don't expect to be a Wisconsin attorney unless you go to an ABA law school.  Secondly, tyring to go online is harder, not easier than going to a traditional law school as in many will try and few will succeed.

Many things are harder, dosn't make them of any use outside of what they are for. Until someone has both an online and ABA JD both, the argument is moot. Everyone either has school pride or self loathing, no opinion in neutral. Bar stats are the closest thing to a neutral opinion  we can hope to have.

[jonlevy]

The chances of passing the Cal bar with an online degree is about 8-1 against given the low pass rate (20%) and first year bar exam attrition. The online JD is four years instead of three.

No one should even consider an online JD unless:

1.  They don't really care if they become a lawyer or not;

2.  They have no other alternatives.

I might add, I am a big proponent of online JDs but the deck is stacked against ther student under the current regime.

[sollicitus]

The chances of passing the Cal bar with an online degree is about 8-1 against given the low pass rate (20%) and first year bar exam attrition. The online JD is four years instead of three.

No one should even consider an online JD unless:

1.  They don't really care if they become a lawyer or not;

2.  They have no other alternatives.

I might add, I am a big proponent of online JDs but the deck is stacked against ther student under the current regime.

All good points, worth mentioning that those 1/8 you mentioned are only after 3/4 fail to even graduate at all.

That being said, how do you feel it is "stacked"? I can see the FYBX requirment being seen that way, but those who make to the bar from Non-ABA doing so much worse than ABA, how is that anyones fault but either their own or that of their school? How can the "current regime" be blamed for that?