Do students at California Accredited school need to take baby bar?

[Jmommy]

I plan to go to California accredited school for a year and transfer to a DL school.... If I pass all the classes in first year, I don't need to take a baby bar once I transfer to a DL school, right?  Thanks!

[justanothersucker]

As long as it is an ABA or state bar "accredited" school you will be exempt after completion of 1L.

Be cautioned though, some of the physical CA schools are neither of those, and merely bar approved despite being a physical campus. The state bar has a link to describe which is in which catagory.

Also, if you do survive into 2L you may decide to stay and graduate there.
Remember even a school like JFK which is only state accredited for law, is also Regionally accredited in general which means that if you got a joint JD/MBA from them, employers NATIONWIDE would respect that as far a Doctorate degree in Business goes. (in case you need to move or just get sick of law)

[Jmommy]

Thank you so much for the detailed information!

[jonlevy]

A DL school would be a step down the ladder and decrease your odds of passing the bar.

[justanothersucker]

Wrong. Stats show self paced correspondence have higher bar pass rate than online and online better than non ABA campus based.
There is a link somewhere on this forum, I will try to find it.

As far the CBE schools, make sure it is "accredited" and not just "approved" (some physical campuses fall into the latter catagory) and are not exempt from the first year exam.

A DL school would be a step down the ladder and decrease your odds of passing the bar.

[justanothersucker]

http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=I4HxJJNgGJE%3d&tabid=2269&mid=3159  (aforementioned stats)

http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Education/LegalEducation/LawSchools.aspx  (list of which schools fall into which groups)

[jonlevy]

One exam's stats don't mean much, how about a 10 year spread? The baby bar is also going to eliminate a lot of folks who would drag down the average. The assertion that DL is somehow better is unsustainable, the students who survive it may be better but the quality of instruction is not going to be superior because the instruction is virtually nonexistent. But having said that I am firm believer that everyone should have the choice of DL and that the ABA monopoly is BS. Law does not require so called Socratic method, the bars can be passed on wrote memorization and passable English writing skills supplemented by a bar pass course. I also dispute the ABAs contention that a JD is the equivalent of a PhD, it is equivalent a UK Bachelors in Law and there are a lot of deluded lawyers out there who think the JD qualifies them to be university faculty when they don't know jack about political science, history or whatever.

[justanothersucker]

so which option do you plan to pick? You don't seem to like ABA or online.

You doing the on campus CBE accredited route?

One exam's stats don't mean much, how about a 10 year spread? The baby bar is also going to eliminate a lot of folks who would drag down the average. The assertion that DL is somehow better is unsustainable, the students who survive it may be better but the quality of instruction is not going to be superior because the instruction is virtually nonexistent. But having said that I am firm believer that everyone should have the choice of DL and that the ABA monopoly is BS. Law does not require so called Socratic method, the bars can be passed on wrote memorization and passable English writing skills supplemented by a bar pass course. I also dispute the ABAs contention that a JD is the equivalent of a PhD, it is equivalent a UK Bachelors in Law and there are a lot of deluded lawyers out there who think the JD qualifies them to be university faculty when they don't know jack about political science, history or whatever.

[jonlevy]

so which option do you plan to pick? You don't seem to like ABA or online.

You doing the on campus CBE accredited route?

I am currently doing an external LLD at UNISA online, graduated from a correspondence law school 20 years ago and have been licensed in multiple jurisdictions. I don't like ABA because they limit me to a few states and federal courts. I have no problem with online but the ABA effectively shuts non ABA grads out of most jobs therefore one would be foolish to attend non ABA unless precluded from doing so by geographic considerations. I would also maintain that anyone who succeeds with the California DL route would have succeeded at a ABA school regardless.

[justanothersucker]

well, sounds like grounded advise based on experience.
Can't get much better than that.

so which option do you plan to pick? You don't seem to like ABA or online.

You doing the on campus CBE accredited route?

I am currently doing an external LLD at UNISA online, graduated from a correspondence law school 20 years ago and have been licensed in multiple jurisdictions. I don't like ABA because they limit me to a few states and federal courts. I have no problem with online but the ABA effectively shuts non ABA grads out of most jobs therefore one would be foolish to attend non ABA unless precluded from doing so by geographic considerations. I would also maintain that anyone who succeeds with the California DL route would have succeeded at a ABA school regardless.