Law Grads Online, Bar None
from the here's-your-degree,-you-can't-practice-anywhere dept
The first class from an all-online law school is about to graduate. For four years, the inaugural class of Concord Law School have been watching professors over streaming video, debating legal points in chat rooms, and taking tests online. Now, they're graduating, but the school still isn't accredited, so they may not be able to do much with the degree. Both the American Bar Association and the California Bar Association saying that the students couldn't possibly learn the law online. However, the students will be taking the California bar exam next year - and it will be very interesting to see how well they do. Many of the students are apparently using the legal knowledge they've gained to help them with existing jobs, rather than to move into a new career as a lawyer.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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e-learning
A look through Peterson's directory of distance education
http://www.petersons.com/
Will provide numerous credited and unaccredited all-online, pure elearning programs, including Master's and Doctorate level degrees.
Grabbing headlines recently are
Pheonix online (APOL on the NASDAQ)
http://money.cnn.com/MGI/snap/A0871.htm
with a market cap of $7 billion + and
Strayer Univeristy (STRA on NASDAQ)
http://money.cnn.com/MGI/snap/A13E7.htm
with a market cap of ~$500 million in the up an comer.
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Concord School of Law Investigation
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Re: Concord School of Law Investigation
admitted in writing that only five (5) Fourth year students
were participating in the online clinical/externship
program Kaplan, Inc. (Concord School of Law) operated
during the 2002 Academic year. Immediately, I confirmed
with Mr. Weston that the information was true and correct.
Professor Weston wrote:
"We do have fourth year students. I met them at a
recent career development seminar which we ran exclusively
for them. In addition, I run an online clinical/externship
program called LEEP (Legal Education Experience Program)
and I have five 4th year students actively enrolled in the
program."
Interestingly, Kaplan, Inc. (Concord School of Law)
submitted information to the California Bar identifying
more than five (5) students as having actively participated
in the LEEP program during the 2002 academic year. In fact,
10 students were granted Juris Doctorate degrees in 2002,
because of the false information and allowed to sit for the
February 2003, California General Bar Exam.
Rule VII, section 4 of the Rules Regulating Admission to
Practice law in California requires that students in
correspondence schools "must have received passing grades
in courses requiring not less than 864 hours of preparation
and study during a period of not less than 48 nor more than
52 weeks" to obtain credit for a year of legal education.
Therefore, even if the other five (5) fourth year students
who graduated from Concord and were allowed to sit for the
California Bar had started the LEEP program on any day
following February 21, 2002, it appears impossible that
these alleged students complied with Rule VII, section 4
(not less than 48 nor more than 52 consectutive weeks).
Contact:
teresa.colney@calbar.ca.gov
gayle.murphy@calbar.ca.gov
cbj@calbar.ca.gov
StewardRD@gao.gov
Fraudnet@gao.gov
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
HEA@mail.house.gov
feedback@nationaledtechplan.org
Oig.Hotline@ed.gov
OPE_WWW@ed.gov
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Concord's admission process is terrible
In late August I was suddenly informed by the counselor that my admission for sept was not valid and that I would have to retake the entrance exam and resubmit my papers. Ridiculous. I tried calling other officals at the office to no avail.
I feel this university has flawed process for admissions and doesn't have a standardised process for admissions. The counselors do not know what paperwork is required. I was contacted by -4 different people all asking fo different information and all confused about what they needed. At the end I submitted all that was required and still was required to retake the entrance exam which I refused as a matter of principle.
Needless to say they are refusing to refund the $100 admission fee
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Re: Concord's admission process is terrible
This is Jason Song, a reporter with the LA Times. I'm interested in your law school experiences and am hoping we could talk. I can be reached at 213 237 6311 or jason.song (at) latimes.com
Thanks
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