Are There Any Rankings for Online Law Schools? Forum

[oneforship]

I am an online law student. I have "kinda" made a comparative study of the eleven correspondence and online law schools registered on the California State Bar website.

For some basic information about correspondence and online law schools, go to Wikipedia: Correspondence and Online Law Schools, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correspondence_law_school.

As the statistic set forth in this Wikipedia entry show, except for the students at one online law school, namely the California School of Law, the passage rates on the First Year Law Students' Exam ("baby bar") for students at the correspondence and online law schools are shockingly low. Indeed, the passage rates on the October 2008 baby bar were 10 % and 14 % at Abraham Lincoln and Concord, the two biggest online law schools. In contrast, for the California School of Law students who had taken the School's recommended, but not mandated baby bar exam prep course and who had taken the School's Legal Methods course, literally 100 % of its students taking the June "09 baby bar were successful. The apparent reason for this School's excellent baby bar passage rate is that it is the only online law school that has the technology to use the Socratic Method of instruction as it is used at the top prestigious law "residential lawschools. Go to http://www.californiaschooloflaw.com/ for more information.

In reply to "Woozy" whose comments about the statistics are below, he or she is confused. The data is 100 % clear, both on the website and in the Wikipedia article: six students from the California School of Law took the June "09 baby bar and four passed. The only faiures were two students who had not taken the School's prep course or the School's legal method course.

As to the pejorative comments below by "Voice of Reason about job prospects for online law students, this will not be the case for California School of Law gradiuates because the School already is getting a reputation for providing a high quality and rigorous experience, through use of the Socratic Method.

EPIC two year bump. That is all.

[Woozy]

EPIC two year bump. That is all.

What's even more epic is that is was the second two year bump this thread's received.

[Foozle]

EPIC two year bump. That is all.

What's even more epic is that is was the second two year bump this thread's received.

Someone should lock this thread til 2011.

[Jay-Electronica]

lulz

[oneforship]

EPIC two year bump. That is all.

What's even more epic is that is was the second two year bump this thread's received.

Wow I didn't even notice that. Haha, this thread is legendary.

[Vikiviko]

Please advise credible online law school to study.

Another thing is whether these certificates will be accpeted for bar education in my country.

[pamra]

I am considering to go to online law school, but I want to know if any of you know how would be finding a job after graduating from an online law school. I mean, if I pass my bar, does it make a difference where did I graduate from?

[bk1]

I am considering to go to online law school, but I want to know if any of you know how would be finding a job after graduating from an online law school. I mean, if I pass my bar, does it make a difference where did I graduate from?

/facepalm

[rando]

This thread has made my day. perfect.

[Grizz]

This thread has made my day. perfect.

Haha you need to do more fun stuff.

[Grizz]

I am considering to go to online law school, but I want to know if any of you know how would be finding a job after graduating from an online law school. I mean, if I pass my bar, does it make a difference where did I graduate from?

Yes.

[rando]

This thread has made my day. perfect.

Haha you need to do more fun stuff.

Work has ended and i'm waiting a few days to go on vacation. So broken english and watching the progression of online law school questions since 2005 will have to suffice.

[BeautifulSW]

I took my J.D. from a T2 state school a quarter century ago. I am taking tax courses from one of the California correspondence programs now so I have some basis to compare.

1) Online schools are not ranked. There is no point in ranking them because a J.D. from such a school serves one purpose and one purpose only; it permits the student to take the California Bar exam. There is no such thing as prestige attached to these degrees.

2) A tiny, tiny percentage of students who begin such a program will ever pass the Bar. A larger, but still tiny, percentage will actually reach the point of failing the Bar.

3) Every year, a few students do pass and are duly licensed. It can be done. But studying law via correspondence is an order of magnitude more difficult than sitting in class. The successful student will learn a great deal of law but the VAST majority of students will not be successful.

4) Online or correspondence law schools are much less expensive than resident study but the two fairly decent schools out there, the ones with any sort of federally recognized accreditation, cannot be described as "cheap". Total J.D. tuition will run into the low to mid-tens of thousands of dollars.

There is no technical reason that a lawyer with one of these degrees could not be hired into any California firm or be hired by any California state or local governmental authority. I have no data to suggest whether such hiring ever takes place, however the schools themselves tout their graduates as successful Judges, Assistant District Attorneys, and solo/small firm practitioners. Perhaps; but I'd guess that most either do not practice or hang out their own shingles.

Bottom line: These schools should be considered only by California residents for whom an ABA approved full or part time program is unavailable either due to cost or location. I would strongly DIScourage anyone from attempting a distance program because he did not qualify academically for an ABA program. Given the choice between a distance J.D. program and an evening program at a California Bar accredited school, I would do the resident program even if it cost a bit more. It is that much easier and there's a MUCH better chance of actually finishing the degree.

[Matthies]

I took two online classes in law school. I wish my school offered more of them as I would have taken every one I could. After 1L I don't see much reason for most classes (not practical/skill courses of course) to be classroom based. No gunners, no professor spoon feeding a basic concept to the class no dealing with crazy hypotheticals. I get to do the work and turn it in whenever I wanted, the writing actualy better simluated what I really do as a lawyer than racehorse issue spotter exams, it made you actually think about issues rather than regurgitate BLL and I could work and make money instead of sitting in a classroom next to someone typing every word the professor says because they still can't figure this stuff out on their own even by 3L. 3l is pretty much a waste anyway, make it online and give students, or require them to get, internships to get some real practical skills before you turn them loose on the masses with no clue WTF they are doing.

[MJMD]

The only law degree worth earning via distance education is the LL.B. by correspondence from the University of London. This is Nelson Mandela's law degree (also Robert Mugabe's, which somewhat cancels that out). I suspect it is still primarily a snail mail degree, but I would be surprised if there were not options to take some of it online now. As this is an undergraduate LL.B., it does not qualify you to practice in most U.S. states: but, just the same as regular British and Canadian law grads, you would be eligible to take the N.Y. Bar exam. If you pass the N.Y. Bar, you can then write the CA Bar. I don't know whether you would be able to alternatively go straight to the CA "baby bar" and from then on to the regular Bar exam.

This is the only distance-ed law degree with any kind of prestige or reputation attached to it. All other online law courses are utterly worthless.

[legalkitty]

Regarding online law schools. It is important to remember that not all students have the same goals and objectives. There are many already working adults or adults with family obligations that choose online programs for a number of reasons and none of which have to do with getting firm jobs or the prestige of the institute. Some people already have jobs and some legal education would be beneficial to their career path. Others are not worried about ABA accreditation because they are never leaving the state of California or they will be practicing in the Federal system or as in house counsel. As to the comment above about California School of Law, I have met a couple of people who do their interactive online program and it is just as challenging and thought provoking as a traditional law school.

[Informative]

This thread is awesome. lol.

[Section141]

This thread is awesome. lol.

+1. Literally laughing out loud reading this thread.

[too old for this sh*]

This thread is awesome. lol.

+1. Literally laughing out loud reading this thread.

do not know that I have seen a two-page five-and-one-half year old thread before that has had the dust blown off, not once but TWICE (and I guess now closer to a third time).

[r6_philly]

This thread is awesome. lol.

+1. Literally laughing out loud reading this thread.

do not know that I have seen a two-page five-and-one-half year old thread before that has had the dust blown off, not once but TWICE (and I guess now closer to a third time) FOUR times.

It's only 2 pages, how did you miss it???

[TheTopBloke]

I looked into this as an option, being a non-trad, married w/ children applicant. From what I saw, it simply doesn't exist. The only ABA accredited school I found at the time had just created an online program and I believe it was a school in PA. This was about a year ago. My recommendation is: don't waste your time.

Professors can't even get undergrad online classes right most of the time. Online law school would be the ultimate hell.

[devluka]

I am considering to buy online fake degree, but I want to know if any of you know how would be finding a job after getting online fake degree. I mean, if I get fake degree form good university?

Fake degree

[SchopenhauerFTW]

Posting in a Ken-response thread.

[prezidentv8]

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[Kilpatrick]

I am considering to buy online fake degree, but I want to know if any of you know how would be finding a job after getting online fake degree. I mean, if I get fake degree form good university?

Fake degree

Finding a job would probably be the same as having a real degree from 100 or so real law schools.