It appears that Dunn is leaving, however, that doesnt change the presentation of the bill. Second, there are other supporters of the bill in the Senate, third, the driver is the political wing of the State Bar. Fourth, the bill has passed appropriations which means it has no serious budget impact to hold up passage by a veto by the Governor. The BPPVE is under investigation in the State of California for mis-handling of the Saratoga University situation and that whole thing was a major embarrasment to the legal community so my money is on the bill passing and the Governor signing. The BPPVE never should have had given a license to operate(Saratoga) a law school to a man who was sued several times for malpractice and lost, and who was subject to being disbarred when he resigned with charges pending. The good correspondence law schools were hurt by all the bad correspondence law schools even before this Saratoga law school came on the scene and made it worst, but there were and are other bad schools too just read the website sites of some of these correspondence law schools. There is an anti-unaccredited law school wing within the legal community, within members of the California legislation and within the State Bar. Actually the BPPVE is one of the worst run agencies in California next to the Department of Real Estate. If someone is considering law school in California, they should support a tightening of the rules for unaccredited law schools as it only benefits those going to and graduating from law school.
The BPPVE upon passage of SB1568 will no longer oversee unaccreditited laws. The good news: 1) Many correspondence law schools will be unable to meet the new regulations imposed on them and will be forced to close. No more fly-by-night start up law schools in garages, spare bedrooms, P.O. Boxes, etc. 2) Since the Juris Doctor degree is a professional degree meant or intended for practicing the profession of law, the State Bar once SB1568 takes control, will eliminate the "NON BAR JD" degree, WHICH IS A GREAT THING! I think after State Bar takes control over the BPPVE they should have another State Bureau in California to take control over all the other unaccredited schools offering "business" degrees and a whole host of other unaccredited unregulated degrees and start requiring all those schools to either be DETC or WASC accredited with 2 years from starting or risk losing approval to operate, no more start any "University" and then not get accredited.
Calif Senate Bill 1568 Here is a list of current correspondence schools on Cal Bar Website: Abraham Lincoln University School of Law: a few bar passers, appears their application for DETC was not approved, not sure of where they will be after State Bar takes over regulation. Oak Brook College of Law: a few bar passers not sure of where they will be after State Bar takes over regulation due to religious leaning. American Heritage University School of Law: been around 2 + years no known attorney graduates doubt they can survive new State Bar regulation. Southern California University for Professional Studies: been around over 25 years and have a dismal, dismal bar passage rate, never found any attorney gradutate practicing in Calif, doubt their law program can survive State Bar new regulations, they also failed to get DETC accreditation. Concord Law School: Bar bass rates not that good but DETC accredited most likely will survive State Bar takeover. St. Francis eUniversity: no attorney graduates most likely wont survive State Bar new regulations. Esquire College: no attorney graduates most likely wont survive State Bar new regulations. University of Honolulu School of Law: no attorney graduates most likely wont survive State Bar new regulations. National Law School: just started June 2006 website looks like copy of Concord. will have to seek DETC to be competitive and will have to drop non bar J.D. West Coast School of Law, Inc.: A couple of attorney graduates but cant survive new State Bar regulation if they try to remain a 1 man law school out of the guy's spare bedroom, that stuff wont fly anymore. Newport University School of Law: a small number of attorney graduates not sure they can survive new State Bar regulations. West Haven University School of Law: no attorney graduates most likely wont survive State Bar new regulations. Northwestern California University School of Law: a good school around since 1982 and lots of attorney graduates, most likely will bite the bullet and get DETC accredited to stay in competitive game. will have to drop non bar J.D. when State Bar implements new regulations. William Howard Taft University School of Law: a number of attorney graduates, DETC accredited. will have to drop non-bar J.D. when State Bar implements new regulations. Finally, 2 year from now I say less then 6 correspondence law schools survive and thrive with the new regulations and the money-making non bar J.D. eliminated.
Re: Calif Senate Bill 1568 Isn't it a little soon to be engaging in this kind of speculation? The bill hasn't passed yet, and even if it does, who's to say that the state bar is going to put forth the kind of regulations that you propose?
JDLLM: Supposing that an entrepreneurially-inclined JD was to decide that he/she wishes to start his/her own California state-approved law school, how deep a bench would you propose in terms of number of law school professors and number of persons on the management team before you would consider it to be not a fly-by-night school?
MAIN POINT: The purpose of the bill is to regualate the study of law by correspondence in 2 areas. 1) The State Bar is an accrediting agency for admission to practice law and no longer wants non bar J.D. degree being handed out, since they only regulate attorneys at law they will eliminate the non bar academic degree. It serves no purpose whatsoever since it cant be used to gain admission into the bar or even take the bar so therefore the State Bar Committee will eliminate it when they draft correspondence law schools. 2) I dont know how many people should be on the faculty at a correspondence law school, I can tell you that DETC has an idea of how detailed a law school should be since they accredited Concord and William Howard Taft. My point is when the State Bar implements the new operational rules for correspondence schools MANY MANY of these school will close because they wont be able to meet the regulations. The better law schools will survive. P.S. Anyone considering "law school" should be in a bar program anyone, so I cant imagine anyone wanting to be a lawyer crying over the fact that the non bar J.D. in California willl be eliminated.
Part speculation, (since it hasnt happened yet) and large part inside information on what they plan on doing. It seems this moron ex-lawyer, Michael Narkin and his so called law school, Saratoga University, (I am sorry to anyone here that went to that law school) ruffled many many a feathers in both the Legislation, California Senate Judiciary Committee and the State Bar, by running an out of control 1 man operation law school and according to some even handed out non bar J.D. degrees from his laser printer to some who only "attended" for one full year of school cramming in "three years worth" in 1 year. Then came the BPPVE an agency that was totally paralyzed for almost a year claiming they had no power when all the power and authority was given to them to close Saratoga University. It took alot of back room meetings to try to get Saratoga University out of the newspapers. The State Bar was embarrassed by complaints in the legal community and decided to flex its politial muscle to take control away from the BPPVE for law schools and give it to the State Bar. (frankly I think the BPPVE agency sunsets next year anyway and I believe it will die and another agency will take over and require all these pop-up other types of "Universities" to become either candidates for DETC or WASC accreditation since California clearly has allowed its higher education to go into the toilet) The BPPVE only approval to operate will eventually be done away with in California. The first thing is to clean up the law schools. If your studying to be a lawyer in California you should be glad that no longer will just anyone walk around with a "J.D." degree and not be qualified to take the bar exam. IT CAN ONLY BE A GOOD THING. Even if 5 or 6 correspondence law schools continue to exist so will about 8 or 9 unaccredited evening part time residential law schools so its not like anyone doesnt have a chance, some of those programs are way easier then some correspondence programs anyway. If your trying to practice outside of California you should go to law school elsewhere anyway, since only a handful of states will allow an unaccredited california law school graduate to take the bar in another state anyway, after one has been admitted to California first, since the ABA LL.M option has now been eliminated as a way around the non ABA J.D. degree for bar admission elsewhere, the last 2 states North Carolina and Michigan closed the door on that due to pressure from the ABA committee on bar admissions. Even for foreign law school graduates the usefulness of an ABA LL.M degree is becoming less and less. Even with the Justice Department consent decree regarding the ABA regulations on law schools, the ABA has still managed to shut the door close on non ABA J.D. degrees for bar admission everywhere but say 7 or 8 states. In my opinion the ABA will never take control in California but rather the State Bar will beef up enforcement and modify the rules. If you want to be an attorney in California THIS IS A GOOD THING
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_1551-1600/sb_1568_cfa_20060619_111126_asm_comm.html This site will give the reader an analysis of thinking regarding passage of SB1568. Review the comments about non bar J.D. degree devaluing Bar Qualified J.D. degree. I think the new regulations are gonna extremely toughen up and many corresondence law schools will close shop. Further in 1 year the non bar J..D. degree will be eliminated as a cheap imitation law school diploma with no utility! In the end the long long end the correspondence law schools will also get State Bar Accredited. IF there ever was a time to marginally slide by and get inti it would be this comming fall sester.
new state bar regulation I am shocked that after I listed all those schools no one came running to their favorite corresponsence law school and validate the 9 month or 13 month "hard work" J.D. degree and now which to expound on the legal intricacities of state adminstrative law and legislation to see if they can stop the tidal way. Finally the BPPVE is back running trucker schools and those that want a 12 month MBA complete with school ring.
Re: new state bar regulation Careful. Some people on this forum are deadly serious about California "Approval". If there was an "Approved" degree offered in truckdriving+MBA they would take it. Quality is irrelevant.
Re: new state bar regulation Again, I am not a fan of a non-bar J.D. though I do not see a problem if a person wishes to devote his or her time and money on something which has little, if any, practical use. How does it hurt anyone else if a person simply wishes to pursue this "degree" to better understand each week's episode of Law and Order? I still have yet to see any information which states that ANY law school is giving out any laser printed diplomas to "validate the 9 month or 13 month "hard work" J.D. degree." "Complete at the student's own pace," does not necessarily mean this short of a timeframe. Do you have information which supports these comments?
new state bar regulation I am opposed to Non Bar J.D. degrees, non physician M.D. degrees, non dentist D.D.S. or D.M.D. degrees. A juris doctor degree is a PROFESSIONAL DEGREE meant to qualify one to take the bar exam and qualify one to practice law. Those programs will be eliminated, want a "non bar J.D." degree, then go to state bar accredited law school and graduate with J.D. degree and then dont take bar exam. then your a non-bar. Or go to unaccredited law school, PASS the First Year Law Student's Exam and then go to 2nd year 3rd year and 4th year and get J.D. degree. I AM AGAINST CORRESPONDENCE LAW SCHOOLS FROM GIVING ANYONE A J.D. DEGREE IN LESS THEN 4 YEARS AND WITHOUT PASSING THE BABY BAR OR BEING EXEMPT FROM BABY BAR.