Getting a law degree at an online school is very attractive to many people. Taking time off to get such a degree puts it out of reach for many. Being able to study at one’s own pace suits many people better than routine classes offered at a particular time in a college or university although some of the online schools offering law degrees do just that. The professor schedules the class at a particular time (or times) every week and attendance is required.

The major obstacle at this moment is that the only state in this country that will accept a correspondence degree for admission to the bar is California; and the American Bar Association has, up to now, refused to accredit most legal education from online schools. It is felt that becoming a member of the bar in one state will probably transfer to most other states; however, before investing time and money in a law degree from an online school, it would be wise to explore and look for precedents in one’s own state.

The California School of Law does meet the basic criteria for accreditation due to the rigor of its program and its success in turning out high-quality students, a large percentage of whom pass the bar exam on the first try.

Most experts in the field of law education believe that as time goes on and enough students have demonstrated the quality of law education in online schools, the restrictions will begin to be less stringent.

The important lesson to be learned from this is the wisdom of checking out any online school offering degrees in law before you enroll and spend time and money on a degree that may not land you in your hoped-for career in law.