I was searching on a site and saw online Law degree @ Online Law School: Online Law Degree | Concord Law School. Is this a legit law school? because if it is, tempting..
It is legit but it is not ABA accredited. You would be limited in which states you could sit for the bar.
Concord Law School graduates are allowed to take the Bar Exam in California, after completing the 4-year JD program. Once licensed in California, they may be able to qualify for the Bar in certain other states. Or not, depending on state rules. Concord law degrees are not ABA approved, and do not get the same kind of universal recognition as ABA degrees. Concord is actually the largest law school, by enrollment, in California. However, their attrition rates are very high, and so they produce far fewer attorneys than traditional ABA-approved law schools. Students at unaccredited law schools, like Concord, are required to take an extra examination after one year (the "First Year Law Student's Examination" or "Baby Bar"). Many Concord students do not pass this exam, and so never reach the General Bar Exam.
CalDog is right on in his assessment. If you have a long career ahead of you and you want to be an attorney, take night classes at an ABA accredited law school. You'll have less limitations with ABA accreditation (the only accreditaion that counts when it comes to law school). If you're older like I am you can consider Concord or one of the unaccredited law schools. Remember either way it is a lot of hard work and you must have a passion for the study of law. Best of luck.
A Concord Law School graduate made significant inroads into the "ABA only" plantation by winning the right to take the MA Bar Exam, which he subsequently passed, and is now a duly certified MA BBO lawyer, even though MA was previously an "ABA or state-approved only" state; http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/29375-major-breakthrough-dl-law-schools.html
When I was looking into law school, I read on the ABA website that they will not accredit online or distance programs. -Matt
That is correct. However, some (not all) states will (in some cases) accept law degrees from programs that are not ABA-approved. So a non-ABA school like Concord can offer legitimately offer distance JD degrees without ABA approval, as long as they make it clear that such degrees are only accepted as valid under certain conditions. Concord does not guarantee that its JD degrees will be accepted anywhere outside California. In practice, their degrees are sometimes accepted in other states, but such acceptance varies, depending on state law and on an individual's other qualifications and experience. Some states will not accept Concord JDs under any circumstances.
Has anybody have a successful career with distance learning (non-ABA) law school degree? Isn't that when you're looking for a Lawyer, you read the attorney's profile first...don't you? Therefore, the school where they obtain JD is matter in your selection? If you're passion about legal profession, you should watch the TV Show- Suits.
Not distance, but there is a graduate of the Massachusetts School of Law (non-ABA) who is a senior assistant district attorney (prosecutes serious felonies) in my county.
I recently retired from a successful solo career in law having graduated from a correspondence law program, years ago. Not only was it one of the best decisions I ever made, but the return on the investment has been substantial. I also worked for several large companies and the only thing they cared about was if I was licensed. In this economy, I would advise against attending a traditional ABA law school for the simple reason that unless you graduate from a tier one law school, you are unlikely to land an associate's position with a firm; instead gravitating to a solo practice and starting out your career with a huge debt load. Not only does it make more sense to attend the DL law school, but you will save substantial money in doing so. Once you pass the FYLSE (baby bar) and the general bar exam, your California law license will allow you to practice law and advocate cases. Ideally, one of the best areas for a non-ABA graduate is federal law, since it is uniform and you could build a multi-jurisdictional litigation practice. At the state level, courts allow out-of-state counsel to appear pro hac vice, which is subject to the court. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that an investment of under $20,000 for a non-traditional legal education could literally translate into millions of dollars of earned income over the span of a legal career. It all comes down to the cases you accept and your ability to pursue them. It isn't something you learn in law school. One of the most skilled litigators I know of graduated from a non-accredited fixed facility law school, yet continuously cleans out the competition in trial settings. You can't go wrong studying law and if you can obtain a law license without going into debt, then do it. Ideally, for those who specialize in federal areas of litigation, you could conceivably build a lucrative practice in multiple jurisdictions around the country.
Hear, hear! This is some of the best advice that I have heard on attending law school. Thank you for sharing the wisdom of experience.
Our union's litigation attorney graduated from New England School of Law (ABA but Tier 4), and I saw him absolutely demolish a Harvard J.D. in a civil trial where an officer was accused of excessive force. I believe you either "have it" to be an effective litigator, or you don't.
If you're passion about legal profession, you should watch the TV Show- Suits.[/QUOTE] Anything besides CourtTV or one of the many Judge ... shows are just overly dramatic and unrealistic portrayals of the legal profession.
"You can't go wrong studying law and if you can obtain a law license without going into debt, then do it." Best quote I've heard regarding this topic.