Concord Law School: A Comprehensive Guide to Online Law Degree Programs

Summary

Concord Law School is an online law school that offers distance learning and online legal education. The school offers a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, which is the basic requirement to become a practicing lawyer in the United States. Concord Law School gives students freedom to study when, where and how they choose, with the flexibility of online learning. The curriculum is provided by Kaplan, Inc., one of the most respected names in higher education.


Concord Law School is accredited by the State Bar of California, meaning graduates of the school can take the California Bar Exam. In addition, the school is authorized by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE). Concord Law School offers students the opportunity to earn an American Bar Association (ABA)-approved JD degree while living and working full-time.

Concord Law School has gained an international reputation for its academic excellence. The program is designed to challenge students academically and to give them a well-rounded education, with courses covering all aspects of legal practice, as well as specialized courses in business law, taxation, and family law. In addition, the school also offers courses in legal writing, technology, and advocacy.

Concord Law School offers three concentrations: Business Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Cyber Law. These concentrations enable students to customize their JD program and focus their studies on the areas of law that most interest them. Concord Law School also offers certificates in Legal Technology, Business Law, and Intellectual Property Law.

Concord Law School strives to prepare its graduates for success in the legal profession. The school provides them with access to an expansive network of alumni, professors, and mentors. The school offers students access to resources such as a career center, professional development courses, law library, and post-graduate job placement services.

Concord Law School offers an affordable and convenient way to obtain a JD degree. Tuition is competitively priced and students have the option to pay as they go or take advantage of payment plans. The school also provides several different financial aid packages, including merit-based scholarships.

Concord Law School is an excellent choice for students who are looking to further their education in the field of law without sacrificing the flexibility of online learning. The school provides an accredited, ABA-approved JD degree and offers concentrations to customize their education. Students can also benefit from the school's expansive network of alumni, mentors, and resources.
 

Concord Law School – One of the Leading Online Law Schools

Concord Law School, formerly known as Concord University School of Law, is a leading online law school, which was established in 1998. The school offers an online Juris Doctor Degree program that allows the students to get a legal education from the comfort and convenience of their own home or office. The school is accredited by the State Bar of California and offers world-class legal education and training for those who want to become successful lawyers. The school is an independent, not-for-profit school and provides high quality legal education to all its students.
 

The Benefits of Choosing Concord Law School

The advantages of choosing Concord Law School include the fact that it is one of the few schools in the United States that are accredited by the State Bar of California. This means that the J.D. Degree that is earned is recognized and accepted by all employers in California. The school also provides its students with flexibility in terms of studying with no set class times. Students can study at their own pace and at their own time, which makes it possible for them to fit the classes in around their other obligations such as jobs, family, and other responsibilities.
 

The Online Juris Doctor Program at Concord Law School

Concord Law School offers an online Juris Doctor Degree program that is designed to prepare students for a successful legal career. This program provides a comprehensive education in the legal field and enables students to gain the skills and knowledge that are necessary for success as a lawyer. The coursework for this program covers subjects such as constitutional law, criminal law, contract law, torts, and business law. The program also covers areas such as legal research, legal writing, office management, and courtroom practice.
 

Flexible Admissions Guidelines

Concord Law School has flexible admissions guidelines, which make it possible for anyone with the right qualifications to get accepted into the program. This includes individuals with no legal experience or education, as well as those who are experienced in the field. The admissions process is quick and easy, and requires applicants to submit official transcripts, a personal statement, and a resume.

Concord Law School is the nation's first fully online law school, offering a J.D without requiring that a student ever go to a single class. The education process is conducted entirely online, with streamlined lectures and chatroom discussions. Because of its novel way of teaching law, some might question the effectiveness or even the validity of a Concord J.D. or of its Executive Juris Doctor (E.J.D.SM) degree. But rest assured of Concord's fine credentials.

It's authorized by the Bureau of Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education in California. The school also has complied with the registration requirements of the State Bar of California, which permits its graduates to apply for the California Bar. Upon passing the California Bar Examination, Concord grads will be qualified to practice in California courts. They may also apply to practice in many Federal courts. Graduates who want to practice in other state courts may be eligible under reciprocity rules.

In January 2000, after a rigorous review of the faculty, curriculum, finances, facilities and technology, Concord received accreditation under a pilot program from the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, the DETC is also a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and strives to identify schools that offer high-quality distance education. In 2001, Concord launched an online Trial Advocacy Program in conjunction with William Mitchell College of Law, which was our featured law school here on LawCrossing.com a few weeks ago.

Students take regular interactive exams on the Internet that assess their retention and understanding of material. They receive instantaneous feedback on their performance, with directions to study the material that will address their individual needs. The exams mirror the content and language on the Bar Examination, preparing students throughout their education for the final hurdle to licensing. Students receive regular feedback on written assignments via e-mail.

The four-year program costs about $28,000. This makes it quite an affordable option to some who may not otherwise be able to pay for their legal education. It also caters to those who are geographically removed from other law schools, making it difficult or impossible to commute to a brick-and-mortar institution.

Concord first "opened it doors" in 1998 and has been serving working professionals, family caregivers and others whose circumstances prevent them from pursuing a legal education at a fixed-facility law school. The typical student is a mid-career professional with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. More than 1,700 students currently study at Concord, including alumni of such prestigious universities as Harvard, Yale, and MIT. More than 40% of the students already hold advanced degrees and hail from all U.S. states and at least nine foreign countries.

Many students look to Concord's legal education as a way to bolster their already-established role in the corporate marketplace or the community. For example, many students are educators, physicians, bankers, and police officers.

The Concord Law Program works much the same way a traditional law school would. Students view lectures over the Internet via audio-visual streamlining. It offers the added convenience of being available 24 hours a day, whenever a student feels like studying. Professors lead dialogues where legal concepts are discussed and debated, following a curriculum that corresponds to that of most leading ABA law schools. Professors are available via e-mail or telephone.

Concord also assigns mentors to oversee the progress of students as they work their way through the curriculum. By monitoring "logins" and completion of assignments, the mentors (the Dean of Students and Assistant Dean of Students) can reach out to students who are falling behind or who have not checked in frequently for classes. This outreach, in the form of an e-mail, commences an exchange between the student and a counselor on non-academic study issues.

Oftentimes, these counselors work with students to alter study habits or devise additional methods to motivate them to "catch up" on assignments. These counselors, trained in academic support, can also provide additional writing help for students who are having difficulty with their essay assignments.

The school also provides many amenities that are offered at traditional schools. These include a law library and bookstore, career services, and technical services. Two internal newsletters, The Concord Connector and The Concord Reporter, keep students informed. Concord's Law Library enables students to become proficient in performing legal research and provides links to all material necessary for completing assignments to fulfill the curriculum.

Students are also trained in electronic methodologies and have access to online systems used by practicing attorneys nationwide, such as Westlaw. Concord's career services help students explore employment opportunities in law and law-related fields.

So despite its relative new and unorthodox way of teaching, Concord has already begun to be taken seriously as a viable means of obtaining a legal education. With 1,700 students, Concord may be paving the way for other legal programs to reconsider the way they're doing business.