Law Degree

In America, a law degree is a Juris Doctor which requires 3 years of study to complete. These programs mandate a student first earned a Bachelor’s from a University, so this is a graduate degree. After earning the JD, a student must then pass the State Bar Exam and also meet legal requirements to legally practice law where they choose (or are employed).

Because the American Bar Association is a tad slower than other associations in endorsing distance learning, the options for an online law degree are limited. However, there are still two schools a student may attend and earn a JD online while also be allowed to take the State Bar Exam. Both are in California:

1)      The California Southern University School of Law, a traditional correspondence school established in 1978. Although the university is unaccredited, California’s Committee of Bar Examiners has authorized registration of the School of Law, so graduates are qualified to sit for the California Bar Exam.

2)      Concord Law School, a subsidiary of Kaplan University. As part of Kaplan, Concord Law School is part of an accredited school. However, Concord Law School itself is not accredited. Students must therefore pass the “baby bar” after their first year of law school. After that, they are eligible to earn a JD, take the California Bar Exam, and practice law in California.