If I was to go thru the Executive JD program at Concord Univ. (the 3-year non-bar program), and 10 years down the road decide I want to sit for the bar in Calif., what steps would I have to take? Or is it not possible unless I went thru a JD program all over again? Right now I can never see myself becoming a practicing lawyer based on my experience or goals, but who knows down the road. I really just want the degree to validate my experience and position.
It's certainly a logical question to ask the Concord people. And I'd predict you'll hear, here, from the president of Taft, who posts useful information to this forum. My belief is -- when the same question arose at other 3-year non-bar programs -- that one cannot simply go back and do one more year; that it is quite a different curriculum.
Then there's the Baby Bar, which has to be completed successfully for subsequent study beyond the first year to count. Assuming it wasn't taken after the first year in the 3-year non-Bar-qualifying program, one would be 3 years short, not one, no? Rich Douglas
While I don't know the particulars of the Concord Executive JD Program, non-bar means just that. Unless you follow the rules and timelines established by the Committee of Bar Examiners, you will receive no credit for your law studies in terms of sitting for the California Bar Examination. Why would you want to devote the thousands of hours necessary to earn the degree without giving yourself the option of becoming an attorney at a later date? When I started law school I held an executive position and never expected to practice. By the time I graduated, circumstances had changed and I did enjoy the opportunity to practice for a few years. This is why Taft does not offer a non-bar program. From everything I know, Concord is a good organization doing some interesting things. We just happen to have a different view on this point.
The bottomline is that I've been "practicing" law in a sense (not illegally!) for many years without a law degree (in a corporate setting) and have no interest in ever working as a practicing lawyer after having been exposed to 20 years of working with lawyers! I've always wanted my JD and it would benefit the corporate position I am currently in. I have no intentions of using a DL JD to get another job. It would really be a validation of the work I am doing and I love learning the law. My other alternative is to get an MBA, but I already have an undergrad biz degree. . .
I have never understood the point of getting a "non-Bar" JD. The JD is a first professional degree. By its very nature it is designed to equip the student with the academic and intellectual training necessary to practice law. So the non Bar JD is a nonprofessional professional degree? If you REALLY want to study law for its own sake, check out the University of London external Bachelor of Laws program. It is supposed to be well designed, relatively inexpensive, and oozes class and swank. Nosborne
Is the U of London LLB regarded in the US as a better degree than a DL JD? I've heard of this option but never looked at it much. This might actually fix my conundrum if I decide to sit for the bar at a later date . . . because with an LLB and LLM from an ABA school, I could apply to the CA bar to take the exam.
Yes, from what I've read under CalBar rules (however, they will evaluate the LLB degree to make sure it meets educational requirements--which it does). And there are people who have done it from what I've read at the discussion board at www.malet.com
Before you decide what to do, contact the state bar authorities where you think you might want to practice and be SURE that an ABA LLM will do. I recommmend the law school chapter in Dr. Bear's book for general info. Nosborne
