Online Law Degrees: Friend or Foe?
Earning a law degree seems to be one degree that would not be accessible via an online university, but online education has evolved to such a degree that it is now possible. Online law degrees present a difficult challenge to students since the American Bar Association has not accredited any online law school. However, California is the one state around the nation that allows online law degree graduates to sit for their bar, assuming that these students reach the same expectations.
Online law degrees therefore have been one type of degree that is difficult to earn and put into use. Many students may still receive law degrees around the country, but run into various problems when attempting to sit for the bar in any state other than California. This rule presents at least slight leeway though, since you can still become a practicing attorney in California with an online degree and eventually transfer to another state after a few years. While California’s Bar Committee does not accredit online law schools, they still allow distance learning schools to register with them if the school meets their requirements. Thus far, the Committee recognizes fourteen schools: Abraham Lincoln University School of Law, American Heritage University School of Law, California School of Law, Concord School of Law, Esquire College, MD Kirk School of Law, Newport University, Northwestern California University, Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, Southern California University for Professional Studies, University of Honolulu, West Coast School of Law, Inc., West Haven University, and William Howard Taft University. California’s Committee still requires online law degree students to jump through several hoops before becoming a registered lawyer within the state, including many exams, moral character determinations, and a multistate professional responsibility exam.
After all this work, you may still be able to practice law in a different state after five to seven years of practicing law in California. Most states will allow California lawyers to take their bar exams after this amount of time. If you want to choose a different route, you could always attain a Master of Law program which is accredited by the American Bar Association and is available online as well. However, online law degrees do come with more drawbacks than many other degrees. Law is a much more hands-on graduate degree, which many employers are aware of. California may allow students to take their bar, but this still does not guarantee a job placement after taking the bar since many employers will look at an online law degree and know it is not accredited by the ABA. While online law degrees still lack accreditation, it is not impossible to become a practicing attorney with one, and one day the ABA may recognize such a degree, lessening the process of using it.