Cal Bar correspondence law

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Luckycharm, Jun 2, 2002.

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  1. Luckycharm

    Luckycharm New Member

    Could anyone tell me the pre-legal ed required to study law by correspondence. Trying to get a straight answer from the Cali Bar is like pulling teeth! I know you need a minimum of 60 undergraduate credits that could be applied toward a Bachelor's degree, however, what is the criteria a school must possess in order to be approved by the Bar? Under Rule 7 of Bar Admissions it states, "A college or university approved by the Committee referred to in Section 1(a)(1) above shall be a college or university that has degree granting authority from the state in which it resides." There is no mention with respect to the school needing to be DETC or RA. Is this to say that accreditation is not an issue so long as the school "has degree granting authority from the state in which it resides"? Any comments would be greatly appreciated. :confused: Lucky
     
  2. Nosborne

    Nosborne New Member

    I suggest that you "take it as read". The bar authorities are concerned that the applicant has some general education before starting the process of legal education, which by its nature is extremely technical and narrow. If your credits come from a school that is legal and are such that would apply toward a bachelor's degree (ie not vocational) you're probably okay.
    If you are in doubt, I think you should consider taking the CLEP type college level credit examinations. Cal Bar will accept these scores in lieu of actual class attendance. Do this BEFORE commecing your law studies.
    DON'T FORGET! You must register with Cal Bar when you begin your legal studies! There is a penalty for failure to do so.
    Go to www.calbar.org for info and to register on line.

    May I ask which school you've decided upon?

    Nosborne, JD
     
  3. David Boyd

    David Boyd New Member

    If the School is approved to award degrees by an education agency in its home state it is considered an approved school for CBE purposes. Undergraduate units from California approved schools clearly meet this requirement.

    What is not really clear and I've never gotten a clear decision from the CBE is what about the School that is operating legally in the home state but has never been reviewed by any state agency?
    (i.e., Hawaii and schools claiming religious exemptions in certain other states.)

    Also keep in mind the 60 units must be in subjects that could be applied towards a bachelor's degree. AA degrees at approved schools will satisfy this requirement but AAS degrees will not.

    In close cases, I always recommend students attempt to register with the CBE before enrollment in the law program.
     

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