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Online Law Degree

Online Law Degree FAQ

Can I become a lawyer online?

Yes. (If you are patient and very tenacious.) You can earn a juris doctorate (JD) via online education.

However, there are no online law schools that are approved by the American Bar Association. In order to sit for the Bar Exam, in almost any state, you must have graduated from a law school approved by the American Bar Association. California is the one exception; that state has a provision for distance education/ correspondence schools.

It is possible to earn an online law degree from an accredited school, apply to sit for the California Bar Exam, pass the exam, and practice law in California.

What if I don't want to make a permanent move?

If you wish to practice law in a state other than California you have options:

• Work and wait. Most other states will permit California attorneys to sit for their Bar Exam after at least 5 years of continuous service as a practicing lawyer.
• Appeal. Apply to the admitting authority of the state in which you hope to practice law for approval to sit for the Bar Exam. Build a good case. Ask a representative from your online law school to accompany you to the meeting; or ask the career services center to prepare a written presentation detailing the school's accreditation, curriculum, faculty, and California Bar Exam passage rates.
• Enroll in an apprenticeship program. Washington and Colorado, for instance, are two states that allow an alternative path to becoming an attorney. You can work with a state-licensed attorney for a number of years designated by the state as an apprentice. Enrollment in an online law school is not required. However, the intense study could help you demonstrate mastery of a subject so that you could challenge a module of the apprenticeship program and possibly graduate ahead of schedule.
• Plan to attend more school. Pursue a Masters of Law (LL.M), a program which usually takes between one and two years to complete.
• Go to court. Pass the California Bar Exam and practice law in a federal court in another state.

What else can I do with an online law degree?

Many students who decide to earn a degree from an online law school do not intend to practice law as an attorney. They seek to expand their skill set to grow within their established careers. If you do seek a career change, a law degree can be useful in fields as diverse as healthcare administration, human resources, and compliance. Some areas of law just require that you pass any Bar, not necessarily the Bar Exam from the specific state in which you practice. You can pass the California Bar Exam and work in a corporate environment as in house counsel, or you can opt to practice in a specialty area such as patent law.

How do online law degree programs work?

The online law degree is a four-year program. As in a traditional law school there are courses that all students are required to take. However, the array of courses offered as electives may vary from school to school. The majority of online courses are asynchronous-- instructors post a syllabus, lectures, and assignments; students then complete the reading and post questions and comments to discussion boards when it is convenient for them. In online law schools there is likely to be a synchronous portion of the program as well. Classes "meet" regularly in real-time. With the aid of technology, the Socratic method is alive and well. Professors and students discuss legal cases and decisions. Professors can even "call on" students. Students respond via text and have their answers read by all the others in the class. Unlike conventional law school courses where students may study for 15 weeks and then take one final exam, there can be several opportunities to earn grades. Quizzes and midterm exams, administered online or proctored, may be offered throughout the term. Research papers are e-mailed to the instructor or uploaded to the class site; comments are returned electronically.

Do I ever have to come to campus?

If you enroll in a wholly online law school program, there is no residency requirement.

Can I start any time?

Some online law schools maintain open enrollment throughout the year. Applications for admission are reviewed weekly and those accepted into the program are notified immediately. Once you submit the enrollment materials and pay the tuition, you may begin study shortly thereafter.

At William Howard Taft University, for instance, there is a rolling admissions policy that means students may begin to take required courses virtually anytime during the year.

Other online law schools, modeled after fixed structure law schools, are more controlled. They may only admit new students once, twice or three times during the year.

Will I be able to complete classes at my own pace?

Accredited online law school degree programs are designed to meet the requirements of the Committee of Bar Examiners to qualify students to sit for the California Bar Exam.

The program must consist of four academic years. With respect to this subject, an academic year is a period of time not less than 48, but not more than 52 consecutive weeks.

Rules of the State Bar of California:

http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp

Because accredited online law degree programs have established their course load to closely mirror that of a traditional law school, certain classes must be taken at certain points within the four-year period.

A specific course may lend itself to independent, self-directed study so that students may work ahead. However, it is generally not possible to enroll in classes outside the scope of those required for the academic year in order to "finish early."

At Concord Law School, for instance, students are divided into groups, sections, or cohorts. They enroll in the same classes at the same times throughout their academic career.

What is the "Baby Bar"?

At the end of the first academic year students are required to pass the First Year Law Students' Examination, also referred to as the "Baby Bar." It covers first year subjects Torts, Criminal Law, and Contracts. The examination, administered by the Committee of Bar Examiners, is given each year in June and October at testing sites in both Northern California and Southern California.

How do I select a good online law degree program?

Research online law schools very carefully. Look for accreditations and credentials that indicate the level of quality of the program. Plan to inquire about the number of full-time faculty, their credentials and experience, the courses offered in comparison to those at a traditional law school, the percentage of students who graduate and sit for the Bar Exam, the percentage who pass the Bar Exam, and student evaluations of the program.

Distance education/correspondence schools registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State of California:

http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp

Distance Education and Training Council accredited schools:

http://www.detc.org/degree.html

Will I work with an academic advisor?

If you are enrolling in an accredited online law degree program it is likely that academic advisers will be available. The services vary from school to school, but generally expect that there will be advisors in the financial department and career services department as well.

What are the benefits of online learning?

Enrolling in an online law school allows for far greater flexibility and convenience than in a traditional program at a fixed facility; e-learners do not have to put their lives on hold for several years. The American Bar Association sets restrictions on how much a student can work while in law school. Students are discouraged from working at all during their first year. Online students, however, can keep their jobs and maintain their ability to make a living. They don't have to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans to pay tuition and cover living expenses. They don't have to sell their houses or move their families to be near a university.

Tuition at a conventional law school at the out-of-state rate can be upwards of $20,000 per year. That does not cover textbooks, materials, rent, or living expenses.

In contrast, the majority of online law schools have set tuition at well under $10,000 per year.

"It's robust," Dean Barry Currier, of Concord Law School, says of the online learning environment. The former law school professor who taught at the University of Florida for 19 years, and who was dean of Cumberland School of Law School in Alabama, and deputy consultant to the ABA Section on Legal Education, is very enthusiastic about online learning. "It's more engaging, effective, and efficient."

What is the difference between online and on-campus educational experiences?

Just as in a traditional classroom, educational content must be delivered to students. In an online law degree program, there are more ways to deliver that content. Instructors generally assign readings from the same textbooks that law schools all over the country, including Harvard, Stanford, UCLA or any other top 40 law school would use. Students are also encouraged to utilize other materials, such as treatises, notes, and online resources selected to help the student master the subject matter, graduate and take the California Bar Exam. However, lectures may be delivered asynchronously or synchronously. They may be delivered by renowned scholars in the field, professors at other schools, or practicing attorneys via videotape, cassette, CD ROM, or DVD.

This allows you greater control over your learning experience. You can watch or listen to the lectures at your convenience in the privacy of your home, office, or car. If you do not grasp a concept you can rewind, replay, and listen again, as many times as you need.

Some of the intangible benefits of attending a residential law school are not easily transferable to a online learning environment. Students who enroll in a wholly online degree program will likely miss the opportunities to participate in moot court, law review, clubs, or special interest groups. However, the modern lifestyle does not always permit even students at traditional law schools the opportunity to live on campus, attend school all day, work in the library in the evening, and socialize with other students on weekends.

Online students can correspond with the instructor either by Internet or telephone without the restrictions of scheduled office hours. Students can "meet" and get to know each other in chat rooms. Textbooks and other materials can be checked out from a virtual library.

What are the prerequisites for an online law degree?

As in traditional law school programs, admissions departments recognize that good lawyers come from all walks of life. There is no prescribed course of study to prepare for law school. Online law school students generally are mature individuals who already hold an associates or bachelors degree from an accredited institution (many hold a graduate degree in another discipline as well) and are employed full-time. Because the applicants have worked several years, sometimes decades, before applying to an online law school, their class ranking and SAT score from their undergraduate years is less important. You usually won't be required to take the LSAT, but there may be some sort of entrance exam administered online.

What type of computer equipment do I need for my online law degree?

The type and sophistication of technology needed varies from school to school. But if you plan to enroll in an online law school, you should expect to at least be required to have regular access to a computer, the Internet, and an e-mail account.

It is always a good idea to check with the school in which you are planning to enroll to get more specific information.

You may want to ask:

• What version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator or Apple's Safari do I need?
• Do I need a high speed connection?
• Do I need Microsoft Office software?
• Do I need a webcam?

If I've never taken an online class before, how do I know I can do it?

You can take a free self-assessment at eLearnersAdvisor.com to gauge your success in completing an online course. You can also talk to admissions counselors at the online law schools where you intend to apply to discuss factors unique to your situation, attrition rates, and support services. You may ask to contact graduates of the programs that you are considering to ascertain their first-hand experiences. They may have insights into motivation, time allocation, and school/life balance. The schools' websites may also contain detailed information on how much time is expected of students to commit to studying, the level of writing ability expected, and access to faculty for extra help.

How much will an online law degree cost?

The tuition rates can vary from around $100 per credit to over $300 per credit depending upon the online degree program. In addition there are generally other costs associated, including: application fees, special evaluation fees for students applying for consideration outside the normal admissions criteria, enrollment fees, transcript fees, library fees, non-US resident surcharges, and graduation/diploma fees. Textbooks and materials can generally be purchased at any legal bookstore or, of course, online. The annual cost is approximately $800. There may be a slightly higher additional investment in textbooks and study aids the first year.

There are also application and testing fees associated with taking the Bar Exam.

Is financial aid available?

Generally online students are eligible for the same financial aid as their on-campus counterparts. You may be able to seek financing through the university and pay your balance, after an initial down payment, in multiple installments. You may seek federal financial aid in the form of a student loan through SLM, a division of Sallie Mae. Your company may offer partial or full tuition reimbursement. You may apply for grants through an organization associated with your profession, fraternal organization, or club. Some schools offer scholarships to outstanding prospective students.

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