Distance Learning Law
Distance learning law degree programs are not as common as other distance learning degree programs because the American Bar Association will not accredit distance learning law schools. This does not mean that a distance learning law graduate can not become a lawyer. Each state has different requirements for taking the bar exam and has a board of examiners that reviews each applicant. A typical state requirement is a degree from an accredited law school and most states look to the American Bar Association for a list of their accredited law schools. This means that in most states a person who graduates from a distance learning law program will not be able to take the required bar exam. The only state currently allowing students who earn a distance learning law degree, or Juris Doctorate, to take the bar exam is California. Many students will attend a distance education college based in California, take the bar exam and practice in California. When one passes the bar exam, he or she is only permitted to practice law in the state where he or she passed the bar. Some state representatives are trying to pass legislation to allow people who have attended a distance learning law college, passed the bar and want to relocate to a different state to take the bar exam and practice in a different state. These attempts have so far been unsuccessful.
The California based Concord Law School was founded in 1998 and was the first distance learning law school. Although it remains unaccredited by the American Bar Association and State Bar of California, the Committee of Bar examiners of the State Bar in California allows graduates of the Juris Doctor program to apply for admission to the State Bar of California and take the California bar exam. The entrance requirements to the Concord distance learning law school include a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA, passing an entrance exam, and a review by a board of school representatives. Tuition is $8900 annually and the program is 4 years in length. A traditional law college generally charges $60,000 for a Juris Doctorate but the Concord school is almost half making it an affordable alternative. For those students who do not want to take the state bar exam but want more legal knowledge, Concord offers a distance learning law degree called an Executive Juris Doctor. The program is three years in length.