Concord and $7000/year tuition

As the Concord Law School started to charge $7,000/year tuition/fee, which is higher than most CalBar accredited law schools and all other CA DL law schools, and with its unproven BabyBar/CalBar pass rate, I wonder whether Concord can keep getting new students into its door.

 

According to information supplied by the Committee of Bar Examiners, Concord had 497 students enrolled in their Bar Program in September, 2001. 73% were first year students.

 

Does this mean that either Concord recruits a lot of new students recently, or no many first year students advance to second year and beyond? Interesting data.

 

Saturated Markets

Concord Recruits heavily....Very Heavily on military/government installations. I know that when I was in the Army that Concord would have been a very good option since I rarely had an opportunity to attend school at a traditional B&M school. They have a great rapport with the Department of Veterans Affairs and it makes the process for Military Students very easy.

Now they have obtained DETC Accreditation! This gives them the audacity to make their tuition so high that many students who would normally take the risk of seeking a non-ABA JD turn and look the other way. I think that they put their tuition so high because:

1. The are getting the new applicants every year...even though they have suspect Baby Bar Rates

2. They will continue to attract Military students until people like John Bear has a better opportunity to reach soldiers (I suggest that he provide copies of his publications to Military Education Centers) and let them know that there are many more options.

3. Government employees can utilize their degree from Concord in certain agencies...and in California they can practice in court.

I just think that it is WRONG to try to make a windfall based on their new status....unless they are using the money not merely for profit, but to hire qualified/respected instructors and make a push for ABA Accreditation. But its none of my business and I have a personal gripe about ABA & DL Disparity!

Regards

 

Re: Saturated Markets

Concord's accredited status and VA relationship probably means that military can receive their military education benefits by attending there.

The other thing with Concord is that you can graduate and say you graduated from an accredited school.

However, apparently when you look at what you get out of it you may well be better off with the unaccredited Oakbrook which appears it will give you great odds of passing the bar exam and actually being able to practice law.

North

 

what is a concord degree worth??

I am not sure I understand the value of a Concord law degree. In VT one can work as a clerk under a lawyer, and, if properly monitered and supervised, one can sit for the bar in four years.
Once could earn the Concord degree, pracitice in Calif or a period of time, and then try to enter the VT bar.
Bottom line, unless you are planning to practice in Calif. and will really work hard independently, Concord may not make sense.
On the other hand, I can see how someone living in Calif. could/might benefit from a Concord degree. Only time will tell wether one can enter the law field in Calif. through Concord, and have a promising career.
All the best!

 

Funny that Concord markets to the military. I think that the various JAG Corps in each service require an ABA approved JD for a commission. I don't see what value a Concord degree would have for a military member.

Nosborne, JD
(whose commission is NOT in the JAG Corps. Despite his best efforts!)

 

Promotion Points/Prestige/Choices

NOS

Very simple...Enlisted Personnel receive promotion points commensurate with the amount of Semester Hours of college that they have. Most bases have "Education Officers" that bring the local community colleges on base to teach courses. Once you find yourself done with the AA Degree (Like I did when I was stationed on Fort Dix, NJ) you have a few choices:

1. Commute for an hour to the 4-year school away from base
2. Stop Taking courses and improve on another aspect of your soldierly competencies to get yourself promotion points another way.
3. Take Correspondence/internet courses that are available (the Base Education Officer often has Kiosks set up so you can take them over the internet on Base at the Education Center even if you don't have a computer).

And although army Jag Officers tend to have ABA JD's I have learned recently that the Army Regulation (I believe its AR 680-20) states that the officer must have an "Accredited JD." I will double check the reference.

 

It is a small point, but while Army enlisted personnel might receive points towards promotion for college credits, Air Force enlisted personnel do not.

I do not know about Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

As for the utility of a Concord degree vis a vis becoming a member of the JAG, no dice. Military attorneys must be licensed in the state in which they're stationed. (This is true of nurses, too, IIRC.) A Concord degree would not qualify one to practice in too many places--if any--outside California.

A Concord degree might be useful to someone after he/she leaves the military. However, I wouldn't be surprised to find that military tuition assistance regulations limit the availability of funds for first professional degree programs. This might be very true of Concord's DETC-accredited but not ABA approved JD.

 

The Navy used to award advancement points for completion of a degree. The Navy stopped awarding advancement points for voluntary education in May of 2000.

"ADDITIONALLY, VOLUNTARY EDUCATION HAS ALSO BECOME PART OF THE PROFESSIONALISM OF OUR CAREER SAILORS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE VALUE OF EDUCATION IS IN THE EDUCATION ITSELF, AND NOT SIMPLY THE COMPLETION OF AN EDUCATION PROGRAM. AWARDING ADVANCEMENT POINTS FOR VOLUNTARY EDUCATION IS FURTHER COMPLICATED
IN THAT OBTAINING IT IS OFTEN DEPENDENT ON SEA OR SHORE DUTY. THEREFORE, IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE THE ADVANCEMENT SYSTEM MORE EQUITABLE, VOLUNTARY EDUCATION WILL NOW BE VIEWED AS A PART OF A SAILOR'S OVERALL PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE AND SELF IMPROVEMENT, RATHER THAN BEING REWARDED SEPARATELY".

http://www.bupers.navy.mil/navadmin/nav00/nav00117.txt

I wholeheartedly agree with the reasons stated.

 

Great Points Rich

Great Points!!! I have a friend still employed by the Department of Defense as a liaison for the Dep of Edu. that I will pose these questions to. My question is...if someone is stationed in California and Possess California Bar permission to practice law with a Concord Degree... could they practice as a member of the Jag Corps? If so...what happens when they transfer out to Annapolis Maryland?

HMM....

 

Charles I Agree...

I never said the ARMY System was right....but its all I know. I never really agreed with the policy of awarding point for point for voluntary education. For example:

A guy (or Girl) joins the Military after 6 years of College strictly for the payment of existing college debts. They come in with a higher grade and they also have the advantage of 100 promotion points if they have a Bachelor's Degree (The Army awards up to 100 Promotion Points for Civilian Education...My TESC Degree consisted of 124 Semester Hours. I would have received 100 promotion points!!). Not fair to that Private(e-1) who joins right out of high-school and works hard to get on the Sgt's List!

This all goes back to my point...and I should have Clarified:
My Experience has been that the ARMY Education Officials have been very supportive and actually promotional in their support of schools such as Concord (I have seen them on the Navy Base in San Diego as well). I think that the Air Force Education Program is unsurpassed in the Military and the Navy is a very strong Second! But the point remains...no matter which service, Can you use the DL Degree to practice in court? I think so if you are stationed/assigned in a state that allows you to sit for the BAR with a DL Degree. In the Army the Promotion points will come...but probably not much else during your military career.

Mike