National Jurist - January 2009 - (Page 20)

Virtual law at your fingertips Cost, location and lifestyle are just a few reasons why online law schools continue to gain momentum fter working nearly two decades as a paralegal, Ivan Gilbert decided to go to law school — but in a virtual world. Gilbert personifies the typical student at Concord Law School, a distance learning or online law school. He’s older, works full time and wanted his Juris Doctorate without massive debt. He tried traditional law school, but dropped out after his first year. “I always wanted to go back to law school, so when Concord showed up it seems like a great opportunity to me,” Gilbert said. To capture students like Gilbert, online law schools are expanding rapidly. By most accounts, there are half a dozen viable online law schools; other put the total closer to 12. They are gaining momentum mainly among untraditional law students thanks to their relatively low cost and overall accessibility. Among them, Concord is the largest with more than 1,500 students attending part time. Other well-known names i n c l u d e Ta f t L a w School, California School of Law and Abraham Lincoln University. H o w e v e r, t h e r e is still debate among scholars as to whether online education is equivalent to its bricks-and-mortar sibling. And some wonder if these students can find jobs similar to those offered to more traditional law-school grads. Gilbert said he faced a number of challenges when he decided to go back to school. First, he lived far from a traditional law By Karen Dybis school. He also wanted a less stressful experience, allowing him time to review the material when he had opportunity and at his own pace. He received his degree in four years, graduating from Concord in 2007. He now works as an immigration lawyer for Wuersch & Gering LLP in New York. “Most of my fellow students had an advanced degree, enormous talents and skill sets,” Gilbert said. “We bring so much to the table (but) it was still difficult to deal with recruiters.” Indeed, these students face different challenges throughout their law-school career. Most must sit for the “Baby Bar,” or a first-year exam that tests their basic skills and knowledge base. And, more importantly, they may not be eligible to sit for the Bar Exam in their state. That is one reason most of these online schools are based in California — it does not offer accreditation for distance learning schools, but their students can sit for the bar. To date, the American Bar Association has not accredited any online law school. “We understand that this is a different way of doing legal education, and we have to demonstrate that it’s effective and it works,” said Barry Currier, dean of Concord Law School in Los Angeles, Calif. “We’re doing what we can to educate the legal community and the profession that it is possible to do high-quality, sound law school programs online,” Currier said. Cost, location and lifestyle 20 THE NATIONAL JURIST January 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - January 2009

National Jurist - January 2009 Contents Hot Button: Affirmative Action Entertainment: A Road Trip Through Law School News: American Justice, Kaplan Survey, Part-time Ranking The Firm Report: Diversity Law School Online No label No label Fordham Student Honored for Public Interest Work Former Law Student's Life Lives on After Her Death Most Influential People in Legal Education Most Innovative Law Schools Your Guide to Studying Abroad Career Hotline Texas Tech Law Grads Explore Dispute Resolution Evaluating First-Year Exams Disturbing the Peace

National Jurist - January 2009

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