ABA Approved Law Degrees OnlineABA Makes the Decisions for 49 StatesThe ABA holds the golden key for students wanting to take the bar exam in their home state. If the law school you graduate from is not formally approved by the ABA then chances are you will be denied access to the bar. Which means no license to practice! Who wants that? California is different. (read more about California Bar online programs below) You can go ahead and get the online J.D. in the other 49 states - but they won't let you sit for the state bar. So far, two students have sued their states Bar Exam Board, a guy in Connecticut (he lost) and a guy named Ross Mitchell in Massachusetts (he won). I suspect things will change over the next ten years, but for now... The American Bar Association Says "No" to Online DegreesAccording to the American Bar Association's website: "Currently, no law schools that provide a J.D. degree completely via distance education are approved by the ABA. Earning an education completely via distance education may drastically limit your ability to sit for the bar in many states." Every state has its own bar examination board that decide the criteria for admission to their bar exam. Because it's expensive and time consuming to inspect every law program in the country, most state bar examiner boards just align themselves with the national American Bar Association. Whatever they say, must be right. Right? Except for the state of California. California Says "Yes" to Online Law DegreesCalifornia has a complex qualification system that admits a diverse population of license seekers to the California State Bar exam. You don't have to be a United States citizen, (you do have to possess a social security number but you don't have to have a green card). The minimum level of under graduate education is two years, (unless you have worked for a judge or lawyer for four years, and passed CLEP tests, under a program called the "Law Office Study Program" or "Judge's Chamber Program"). A post graduate four year J.D. degree coupled with passage of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and passage of the California State Bar exam nets you a California license to practice law. Oops... you also must undergo a background check and receive a positive moral character determination. If you are taking your law degree from a school that is not accredited by the California State Bar (this includes every single online or correspondence option, however, the online law school does have to be registered with the Bar Committee) then you also have to pass the First Year Law Student's Examination.
The First Year Law Student's Exam (FYLSE) sometimes known as the "Baby Bar" exam is taken after your first year of J.D. classes -- and you only have 3 tries at it before they kick you down the stairs. Once you pass the Baby Bar and have completed the required credits you then become eligible to sit for the California State Bar exam. If your degree is from a law school accredited by the California State Bar then you will be admitted to the California Bar exam right off the bat, and can have as many cracks at it as you can stand. This guy has taken the Bar Exam 41 times! Man Retakes The California State Bar Exam 40 TimesBy now, you must be feeling five times discouraged. Don't be. These are just hoops you have to jump through. If you really want that law degree - get jumping. If you need some encouragement watch this video about "ultimate success". Once you have your California license you can practice in the state of California and in federal courts anywhere in the United States. After a certain amount of time as a practicing California lawyer you will qualify to take the Bar exam in many other states. (Every state has different parameters.) Before we get into the nitty-gritty of unaccredited (but registered) online California law schools, take a look at these books -- if you've just finished your bachelors degree and you're ready to earn your Juris Doctorate degree these books will help you in two ways... they get you ready for the onslaught of law courses online (or offline) by showing you what to expect, how law works, how and why it's taught the way it is, and ways to "break in" problems you'll get in law courses.
Non-Accredited California Law Schools OnlineTo Sum Up:In order to sit for the California State Bar Exam with a law degree from an online school you have to jump through 7 steps: 1. Obtain required undergraduate schooling. Here is the current list of online law degree schools registered with the CA committee of bar examiners: Abraham Lincoln University Good luck my friend! Remember, if Abraham Lincoln could educate himself - so can you.
How to Become A Lawyer Without Going to Law School
Useful Links for Online Law Degree SeekersHow to Become a Lawyer without Going to Law SchoolList of State Bar Admission Offices. |
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