Can you attain a degree in law from an online program? Yes, you can. Does that mean you can become a lawyer with this degree? Maybe…maybe not. Here we will look at Concord Law School, which offers the Juris Doctorate degree online. We will also take a look at the requirements for becoming a lawyer.
Concord Law School is part of Kaplan University. Concord Law School was the first to offer a Juris Doctorate fully online. This school offers the online Juris Doctorate degree to individuals wishing to practice law. This degree is to be completed over the course of four years (part time) and includes 92 credits. The curriculum is founded on the traditional bar courses and students are eligible to sit for the California Bar Exam after completion of the degree. Curriculum is studied via online learning, telephone communication, and sometimes in person.
The admission process consists of the Concord Online Admissions Test, an interview, and transcripts from previous colleges. The prospective learner must have earned a bachelors degree. Annual Tuition is $9,250 for the Juris Doctorate Program. Concord Law School is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. While Concord is registered as a distance-learning law school with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California, it is not recognized as by the American Bar Association. (ABA).
As of now 49 states in the United States require that a potential lawyer graduate from an American Bar Association accredited program. Currently, there are no Juris Doctorate programs online that are approved by the ABA. The good news though, is that there is one state that does not require an individual to graduate from an ABA accredited program. This state is California.
California only requires that all lawyers practicing law in California be a part of the State Bar of Californina. To do this one must sit for the Bar Exam, which they can do even without an ABA accredited degree. So this is good news for anyone wanting to attain their JD from Concord Law School. Here is the catch though, you would only be able to practice law in California.