Concord Law School
Encyclopedia
Concord Law School is an online law school
based in Los Angeles, California
. It is currently known as Concord Law School of Kaplan University
. The school is a subsidiary of the Kaplan Higher Education Corporation
. All lecture and study sessions are delivered entirely from a secure website on the Internet
.
's status as an unaccredited distance learning law school by the State Bar, Concord students must take and pass California's First-year Law Students' Examination (FYLSE), colloquially called the "Baby Bar," after their first year of law study. Students may progress to advanced law courses and eventually sit for California's State Bar Examination once they have passed the Baby Bar. Concord Law School has not sought approval by the American Bar Association.
Concord is accredited
by the Distance Education and Training Council
. It is a member of the International Association of Law Schools and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
.
in late 2007 made Concord the first online law school to be part of a regionally accredited university. As the first-ever Internet law school, the concept of Concord initially drew criticism from the legal establishment including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
.
(J.D.) law degree
s. The recipients of the regular J.D. degree who pass the California Bar Examination and otherwise meet the California State Bar requirements are admitted to the bar and can practice law
in California. Recipients of the Executive Juris Doctor (E.J.D.) are not eligible to take the bar examination without an additional qualifying law degree (L.L.M.). Concord also offers a Master of Laws
(LL.M.) in Small Business Practice.
The J.D. program is a 92-unit, four-year program. Students are required to successfully complete at least 22-24 units of coursework between 48 to 52 consecutive weeks each year. Graduates of this program will have met the legal education requirement of the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California and may apply for admission to the State Bar of California.
The Executive J.D. degree requires a 72-unit, three-year program. It is designed for executives, administrators and professionals in various fields who seek graduate-level training in law but who do not wish to practice.
The Small Business Practice LL.M. is a 24-unit, 2 year program offered part-time. It is designed for practicing attorneys and recent law school graduates who are seeking practical knowledge about the legal issues unique to small businesses.
In November 2008, Ross Mitchell, a 2004 Concord graduate sued for and won the right to take the Massachusetts bar exam which is normally open only to Massachusetts or ABA accredited law schools. In a 6-1 decision, the state's Supreme Judicial Court ruled for Ross, citing his excellent law school record and the ability to represent himself and properly present his case. Mitchell subsequently passed the Massachusetts bar exam in February 2009.
On March 17, 2008, four former graduates from Concord Law School were admitted to the United States Supreme Court bar.
Online law school
A correspondence law school is a school that offers legal education by distance education, either by correspondence or online by use of the internet, or a combination thereof.-Germany:...
based in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. It is currently known as Concord Law School of Kaplan University
Kaplan University
Kaplan University is the "doing business as" name of the Iowa College Acquisition Corporation, a company that owns and operates for-profit colleges...
. The school is a subsidiary of the Kaplan Higher Education Corporation
Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc. is a for-profit corporation headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan. Kaplan provides higher education programs, professional training courses, test preparation materials and other services for various levels of education...
. All lecture and study sessions are delivered entirely from a secure website on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
Accreditation status, State Bar registration, and "Baby Bar" examination
Concord is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the California State Bar as an unaccredited law school. Because of the law schoolLaw school in the United States
In the United States, a law school is an institution where students obtain a professional education in law after first obtaining an undergraduate degree.Law schools in the U.S...
's status as an unaccredited distance learning law school by the State Bar, Concord students must take and pass California's First-year Law Students' Examination (FYLSE), colloquially called the "Baby Bar," after their first year of law study. Students may progress to advanced law courses and eventually sit for California's State Bar Examination once they have passed the Baby Bar. Concord Law School has not sought approval by the American Bar Association.
Concord is accredited
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
by the Distance Education and Training Council
Distance Education and Training Council
The Distance Education and Training Council is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions.- History :...
. It is a member of the International Association of Law Schools and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
.
Merger into Kaplan University
The merger of Concord into Kaplan UniversityKaplan University
Kaplan University is the "doing business as" name of the Iowa College Acquisition Corporation, a company that owns and operates for-profit colleges...
in late 2007 made Concord the first online law school to be part of a regionally accredited university. As the first-ever Internet law school, the concept of Concord initially drew criticism from the legal establishment including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
.
Degrees offered
Concord offers two Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
(J.D.) law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
s. The recipients of the regular J.D. degree who pass the California Bar Examination and otherwise meet the California State Bar requirements are admitted to the bar and can practice law
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
in California. Recipients of the Executive Juris Doctor (E.J.D.) are not eligible to take the bar examination without an additional qualifying law degree (L.L.M.). Concord also offers a Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(LL.M.) in Small Business Practice.
The J.D. program is a 92-unit, four-year program. Students are required to successfully complete at least 22-24 units of coursework between 48 to 52 consecutive weeks each year. Graduates of this program will have met the legal education requirement of the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California and may apply for admission to the State Bar of California.
The Executive J.D. degree requires a 72-unit, three-year program. It is designed for executives, administrators and professionals in various fields who seek graduate-level training in law but who do not wish to practice.
The Small Business Practice LL.M. is a 24-unit, 2 year program offered part-time. It is designed for practicing attorneys and recent law school graduates who are seeking practical knowledge about the legal issues unique to small businesses.
Bar pass rate
For the years 2003 through February 2011, 725 Concord graduates have taken the California Bar Examination as first-time takers; of that number, 264 passed the examination for a bar pass rate of 36%.Faculty and alumni
Stephen Burnett is the current interim dean of Concord Law School.In November 2008, Ross Mitchell, a 2004 Concord graduate sued for and won the right to take the Massachusetts bar exam which is normally open only to Massachusetts or ABA accredited law schools. In a 6-1 decision, the state's Supreme Judicial Court ruled for Ross, citing his excellent law school record and the ability to represent himself and properly present his case. Mitchell subsequently passed the Massachusetts bar exam in February 2009.
On March 17, 2008, four former graduates from Concord Law School were admitted to the United States Supreme Court bar.