Update: Here are some additional resources on online law schools and online law degrees.
Have you ever wondered whether online law schools are scams? To date, the American Bar Association has not approved any online law schools. Recently, advertisements on Law Student have included Google ads for online law degrees. We can’t easily prevent these ads, but we can evaluate them.
What is wrong with online law degrees and online law schools?
Google ads promote Concord Law School, California School of Law, and The Novus University. Many other online law schools exist, such as the William Howard Taft University and the Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy.
The problem is these online law schools are not approved by the American Bar Association, and as a result, very few states will allow graduates of these schools to take the bar exam required to become a licensed attorney in that state. In other words, students can get online law degrees, but they can’t practice law in most states.
California is the Exception for Online Law School Admission
California is one state with an exception. California does not require students to have degrees from an ABA approved law school before taking the California bar exam. However, passing the California Bar Exam is very difficult. And statistically, students from law schools not approved by the ABA fail the California Bar Exam more often than other students.
Other California Challenges: Passing the Bar and Getting a Job
Once students from a law school not approved by the ABA pass the California Bar Exam, they have other problems.
First, these students can generally only practice in California, but some states make exceptions after the student practices law in California for a few years.
The next challenge is getting a job. Students from a law school not approved by the ABA will automatically be categorized as less qualified than other law school graduates, which is especially a problem in a tough job market with many law students seeking legal jobs.
Deception of Online Law Schools and Students’ Reliance on the Deception
The problem with online law schools is they advertise themselves using terms like “accredited,” “recognized,” or “registered with the State Bar of California.” This misleads prospective students into believing an online law degree has the same credentials and standing as a law degree from an ABA approved law school. In reliance on this, students invest thousands of dollars and years of their lives only to experience great disappointment upon realizing the limitations of an online law degree.
On the Other Hand
Of course, there are students who realize the limitations of an online law degree. Also, some students wouldn’t be able to get any law degree if they couldn’t get an online law degree. Further, students may not want to practice law, so they don’t care about not being able to take the Bar Exam. Finally, some students of these schools are happy with their online law degree.
While all these things may be true, two concerns remain:
- Most students seeking online law degrees probably don’t know how limited their degree is, and they don’t know the challenges they face.
- Even if students know the limitations of an online law degree and don’t intend to practice law, they may change their mind about this after it’s too late. They will have spent thousands of dollars and years of their lives on a degree that fails to allow them to practice in the exact area they have been trained.
Conclusion: Enroll in Online Law Schools with ALL the Facts
I have no axe to grind with online law schools. But people considering an online law degree deserve to enroll with their eyes wide open. Online law schools should not mislead students into thinking their law degree is equivalent to a law degree from an ABA approved law school.
Learn More About Earning Your Law School Degree Online
Compare Top Online Law School Programs at AllOnlineSchools.com
This article is one of a series of online law school articles. Read the series here: online law school.
For more information, visit our Online Law Schools section or this website: Law School Online.
See also...
January 19th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
[...] Should I Get an Online Law Degree? [...]
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:50 am
[...] Are Online Law Degrees Legitimate? [...]
September 18th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
What about STETSON university in Florida? It is ABA accredited and it is online as well…right? Have I been duped into hope?
September 19th, 2007 at 8:37 am
It appears that Stetson has an online LL.M. program. See http://www.stetson.edu/administration/marcom/media/spring07/law.pdf. However, I don’t believe LL.M. programs are regulated under ABA’s J.D. approval standards. Most states require a J.D. degree from an ABA approved law school to practice law in that state.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Thanks-informative and concise. I appreciate the info.
April 27th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Thanks! Very helpful information.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:55 am
As I understand it, if I go to an online law school and can pass the California BAR, I am allowed to represent in Federal Courts. Is that true? If so, does that mean that, although NY will not let me take the BAR, I can still represent in Federal court in my NY district, so long as I restrict my legal activities to only federal matters?
October 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
The website for the Califonia School of Law, found at http://www.californiaschooloflaw.com/, lays out the following possibilities for practice outside of California after graduating from that online school:
With a little investigation students will find that some other [outside California] states: will allow our graduates to sit for the bar exam after graduation; will allow our graduates to sit for the bar exam after passing the california bar exam; will allow our graduates to sit for the bar exam only after first gaining experience as an attorney; will NOT allow our graduates to sit for the bar exam
You can contact your state bar to find out if a California Distance Learning law school satisfies the educational requirements. You can find a directory of state bars at ABA.Net.
If you want to practice law in a state that currently will not allow our graduates to sit for the bar exam, there are some options.
Federal Agencies and Courts
If you pass the California State Bar and find employment with the Federal Government or Courts, you can work in any state. Graduates can work for agencies like; The Justice Department, Social Security, IRS, EEOC or federal courts.
State Agencies
If you pass the California State Bar, in some states an exception for state government employees has been made for agencies such as the city attorney or public defenders.
In House Counsel
If you pass the California State Bar and find employment as In House Counsel with a corporation, some states will allow you to work as an attorney for the company.
October 31st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
An interesting article on the factors to consider in deciding which online law school to choose to attend is at http://www.hundredsofheads.com/80-1135.Forum/.
The author, an experienced lawyer and legal educator, with experience in the field of online egal education, addresses the following topics:(I) Whether the law school utilizes the universally preferred Socratic Method in its teaching program; (II) Whether the law school actually is an online law school; (III) Whether the law school is “producing” a significant number of law students eligible to take the requisite First Year Law Student Bar Exam; and (IV) Whether students at the law school are able to pass the First Year Law Students Exam (“Baby bar”).
November 6th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
The first line of the article above reads: “Have you ever wondered whether online law schools are scams?”
One thing, for sure is that my law school, the California School of Law, is not a scam. That my law school is a bona fide institution is proven by the fact that every entering student, before being formally admitted, must pass a pre-admission course designed to “weed out” those students who lack either the comittment or the academic ability to perform at a high quality law school. No tuition is charged for this course. I am informed that about 20 to 25 % of the students either fail the course or voluntarily withdraw. Further, I am informed that the School just had its registration confirmed, after a thorough review, by the State Bar.