Attending one of the ABA-accredited online law schools is the first step in becoming an attorney. Although there are a number of alternative law careers that don’t require sitting for the bar, anybody who desires to practice law has to then obtain a Juris Doctorate (JD). After which, they can sit for and pass the bar exam. The ABA regulates the quality of legal education in the US. It ensures that all schools meet a minimum standard. Here, we’ll discuss whether there are any ABA-approved online law schools as well as factors to consider like admission requirements and online JD degree structure.
Article Navigation: What is the ABA? | Importance of ABA Accreditation | ABA Accreditation Process | What is a Juris Doctor? | Bar Exam Degree Requirements | Are Online Law Schools ABA-Accredited? | ABA Reluctant To Accredit | ABA Approved vs. Accredited | ABA-Accredited Online JD Programs | Types of ABA-Approved Law Schools | Admission Requirements | Top 5 ABA-Accredited Online Law Schools | Is It Worth It? | FAQs | Conclusion
What is the ABA?
The ABA stands for American Bar Association. It is the largest voluntary organization of American lawyers and the biggest globally. This organization serves as the national voice of the legal profession. It dictates the code of conduct and modes of operation. Additionally, it is responsible for the decision-making of the legal issues in America, including legal education.
The American Bar Association was founded in 1878. It commits to advance and promote the rule of law across the US and other countries by providing practical resources for legal professionals, law school accreditation, model ethics codes, and more.
The ABA adopted standards for legal education. These standards led, in 1959, to law school accreditation. The ABA has recorded some milestone achievements. One such achievement is the Rule of Law Initiative which established after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Its mission includes providing benefits, programs, and services that promote members’ professional growth and quality of life. The association also promotes full and equal participation amongst members and in the justice system by all persons. It works tirelessly to eliminate bias in the legal profession and the justice system.
It has also overseen an increased public understanding of and respect for the rule of law, the legal process, and the legal profession’s role at home and worldwide.
The ABA holds governments accountable while advocating for new human rights laws and a fair legal process. It assures meaningful access to justice for all people. Thereby, it preserves the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary.
The Importance of ABA Accreditation
The ABA has been accrediting law schools since 1959. It is the most prominent legal association in the US. Though some states have their own accreditation processes, most states require an ABA accreditation to take the bar exam and practice law.
The ABA accreditation process ensures national uniformity in the education of law students. By attending an ABA-accredited online law school, you can take the bar exam in any state. Furthermore, many law firms only hire graduates from ABA-accredited online law schools. Graduating from a certified program gives you the best advantages and flexibility.
Note that accreditation is the process through which a school becomes ABA-approved. Therefore, the American Bar Association accredits any ABA-approved online law school.
Visibility
Having an ABA accreditation gives any law school a level of visibility. Compared to non-accredited schools, ABA-accredited online law schools have more access to funding from donors and the government.
Educational institutions with funding have better economic growth. Therefore, they can afford to be more productive and innovative. The school uses the funds for research grants, contracts for goods and services, student aid, scholarships, work-study programs, and new facilities. All these translate to a better learning environment for students.
Credibility
Since the ABA is a highly recognized and renowned association, any relationship with them rubs off on the school and students. With the high ABA accreditation standards, employers can trust that graduates received the best education from such schools. Generally, graduates of ABA-accredited law schools online hold more credibility in the legal field. As a fact, graduates who attended online law schools ABA-accredited receive higher starting salaries.
Excellent Educational Standard
ABA accreditation status requires law schools to provide excellent learning resources for students. Schools have to maintain the latest learning improvements to retain their status. Also, as a requirement for ABA certification, law schools are mandated to cover the entire curriculum. As time goes on, the ABA keeps updating its educational standards. Students of law schools online ABA-accredited can be sure that they are receiving a top-notch education. Recently, the ABA made a new requirement for schools that 75% of their graduates who sit for the bar exam must pass it within two years. This assures that each school provides a thorough and complete education.
Recognition
Apart from credibility, being a graduate of an ABA-accredited online law school gives students recognition. For starters, graduates of law schools with ABA accreditation can sit for bar examinations in any state of the US. Also, it’s not uncommon for students to put accreditations on their resumes and even mention them during interviews.
How Do Law Schools Get Accredited?
Primarily, the ABA accreditation ensures rigor and uniformity in your legal education on a national level. The process to achieve ABA accreditation is lengthy and involved.
To receive certification from the ABA, the law school has to first apply to the association. After application, the institution must develop a self-study where they highlight the school’s strengths, weaknesses, goals, achievements, and plans. The law school must comply with the association’s standards to get a provisional status. Law schools can stay on provisional status for at least three years but not more than five years.
The ABA sends delegates to the school for visitation and site evaluation during these three years. These delegates inspect and evaluate the school’s facilities. After which, they report to the accreditation committee. Once the ABA is satisfied with the institution’s compliance with its standards, it can then offer accreditation.
After accreditation, the law school will still have to keep up with the ABA accreditation standards. Some law schools have lost their certification for failing to maintain the ABA’s educational standards.
What is a Juris Doctor?
Juris Doctor is the Latin phrase for Doctor of Law. Abbreviated as JD, a Juris Doctor is an academic credential and law degree that enables graduates to take the bar exam. They then qualify for a license to practice law. An online Juris Doctor degree typically takes three years to complete and can be anywhere between 85 to 90 credits. The ABA recognizes a JD as the “first degree in law.”
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- Vermont Law School Juris Doctor
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Can You Sit For the Bar Exam if Your JD is Not ABA-Accredited?
According to the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), attending an online law school ABA-accredited allows candidates to sit for the bar examination in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, an ABA accreditation seal means that the institution has met the ABA’s quality requirements for legal education.
However, you can become a lawyer without attending an online law school ABA-accredited. In the District of Columbia, California, New York, and 29 other states, candidates can take the bar examination with a degree from a law school not accredited by the ABA.
While you can enter law practice without ABA credentials, this path is risky as most employers prefer graduates from accredited schools. It is advisable to research admission limitations and the school’s ability to provide adequate legal training before applying to a law school without ABA accreditation. Review the most recent admission guidelines from the ABA for further guidance.
Are Online Law Schools ABA Accredited?
The American Bar Association has a rigorous and rigid process for accreditation and approval of virtual or online courses. But the good news is that accredited online law courses are becoming more common. The American Bar Association has considered reducing the rigorous rules and regulations that have hindered online law degree programs.
Even though the American Bar Association has been reluctant to approve online programs, expectations are that distance education accredited programs will become more common.
At the time of this writing, only the online law program from St. Mary’s University is 100% online and ABA-approved/accredited. That said, there are a variety of ABA-approved online law school options, though they offer hybrid programs that require some in-person attendance.
Why Is the ABA Reluctant To Accredit Online Law Programs?
One of the major setbacks for ABA’s disapproval of accreditation for online law courses is in the examination process. While traditional law degrees give one big exam at the end of the course year, online schools advocate for segmented examinations. Students in virtual courses would be required to take more than one examination.
This does not meet the ABA standards and policies well, and it may slow down the process. Moreover, students take this one exam on campus under intensive supervision. This would not be the scenario with virtual law schools.
Furthermore, the ABA has the long-held notion that interaction in the classroom is an integral part of a quality and standard legal education. Consequently, officials with the ABA may not realize what is achievable through online learning or the virtual classroom. The ABA prefers traditional learning classrooms punctuated with face-to-face debates, arguments, and rhetoric over virtual learning, devoid of these advantages.
The legal profession is unusually slow to change. Such a conservative attitude consequently makes the possibility for ABA accreditation for online courses highly unrealistic. One of the reasons and factors for this is the hefty school fees these on-campus law schools charge. There are fears that online law schools may reduce the costs and minimize the prestige and nobility associated with the law degree.
ABA Approved vs. ABA Accredited Programs: What’s the Difference?
There is no difference between ABA approval and ABA accreditation. In fact, ABA accreditation is the process by which a school becomes ABA approved.
Suppose a program or school claims to be ABA approved. Then the American Bar Association has accredited it. Therefore, it’s a worthwhile program to attend if you wish to get your JD or complete other college courses.
For now, there aren’t very many ABA-approved online law schools or programs. Furthermore, there’s only one 100% online JD program that’s approved by the ABA: the part-time law program from St. Mary’s University. However, this could change in the future as the ABA adapts to changing standards and educational technologies.
ABA-Accredited Online JD Degree Programs
The ABA accredits 199 programs and schools. Aspiring legal practitioners can earn their Juris Doctor degree from these institutions. As a matter of fact, a handful of these are ABA-approved hybrid law schools. Hybrid programs allow students to blend online learning with in-person components.
Fully-online law programs exist; however, none hold accreditation by the ABA aside from the program at St. Mary’s University. Before choosing which online law school JD format is best, candidates should consider particular factors such as learning style, career goals, and budget.
The ABA maintains a list of ABA-approved online hybrid JD degree programs.
Distance education programs eventually became ABA-approved law schools online with changes to Standard 306. Standard 306 outlines various instances in which distance education courses can be counted as credits toward JD degrees at an online accredited law school.
Specifically, the ABA usually allows up to one third of credits required for a JD degree to be acquired through distance education courses. The rest of the credits have to be acquired through in-person classes.
More recently, the ABA Council voted to make amendments to Standard 306 and other relevant sections. As a result, these amendments will require future distance education law school courses to require “regular and substantive” interactions between students and faculty members teaching specific courses.
Furthermore, the ABA will require distance education law school programs to document all the instances in which it permits student remote participation. In essence, this will help the ABA verify that law schools still require the same attention to detail and person-to-person interaction that’s considered highly important for a quality JD program.
These amendments won’t make most online JD programs automatically ABA-approved. But it will help outline standards that online JD program providers can follow to make their programs more likely to receive ABA approval. If the above-mentioned online program from St. Mary’s is a success, more fully online programs may follow suit.
If a program wants to grant more than one third of the required credit hours for a JD degree, it has to apply for a “substantial change” under the ABA Standard 105 and Rule 24 guidelines. These mean the program has to meet certain rigor and “live” meeting requirements, such as requiring the student and professors to teleconference with each other a certain number of times per week.
Types of Hybrid ABA-Accredited Online Law Schools
In your search for an ABA-approved online hybrid JD degree program, you might encounter many different program types.
In order to offer distance education solutions for their students, schools petitioned the ABA for waivers. The waivers allow the schools to offer more than one third of the credits required for JD degrees. Only some schools have managed to acquire these waivers. Many programs have gotten around the waiver requirements by offering “hybridized” programs instead.
Here’s a breakdown of common online law school accredited programs and their in-person/online attendance requirements.
Law Schools with ABA Waivers for Online Programs
Some online law schools accredited offer online JD programs through the use of ABA waivers. Syracuse University is one such school.
In a nutshell, an online JD program with an ABA waiver offers more than one third of its credits online (and oftentimes more than half). Those online credits are frequently assigned to online class sessions that require interactive and live instruction and interaction with professors and peers.
These programs also have roughly ¼ to 1/3 of their credits assigned to on-campus residencies. These are focused residencies that usually take place over a handful of weeks spread out over the program’s duration.
In addition to that, law schools with ABA waivers for online programs include self-paced learning modules that students can complete asynchronously or on their own schedules.
Part-Time Hybrid Law Programs Without ABA Waivers
Part-time hybrid law programs without ABA waivers are fairly similar to the above program types. These don’t require ABA waivers. These existing hybrid JD programs offer about one third of their credits through distance education modules while requiring the rest of the credits to be earned in-person.
With these programs, students typically complete four years of curriculum-based instruction. On-campus instruction is every other weekend, so students have to travel frequently. Then they complete one third of their credits online (often asynchronously). Generally, students complete more online classes or credits over the second two years of their programs.
These programs are ideal for working professionals who don’t have the time to focus exclusively on school.
ABA-Accredited Live Online Law School Programs
These days, there are more and more ABA-approved online law school and JD programs.
Live online law school programs are provided with the vast majority, if not all, of their courses livestreamed to students in real-time. In effect, such online law school programs simulate the in-person classroom experience that students could expect from attending a campus physically.
Live online law school programs are ABA-approved because they meet the same academic and interactivity requirements needed for accreditation. Live online law school programs have very few, if any, asynchronous or totally online credits or class modules. Therefore, students must be prepared to “attend” class on time and make heavy use of online interactive resources and technologies, like videoconferencing software.
ABA-Approved Blended Online Law School Programs
ABA-approved blended online law school programs are hybrid online experiences that have received ABA approval despite offering more than one third of their credits through online modules/classes.
Such blended programs still make heavy use of webcams, videoconferencing software, and other remote learning tools. But they don’t require as much “attendance” of live streamed classes as live online law school programs.
Like other hybrid programs, they usually require intense on-campus residency weeks or weekends (typically between four and seven such weeks throughout 2-4 years). Thus, these programs are not 100% online.
ABA-Accredited Weekend Online Law School Degrees
ABA-approved and weekend-based online law school programs are ideal part-time solutions for working professionals who want to complete their JD degrees over three or four years. The 100% online law program from St. Mary’s University is a great example, as it’s a part-time program that primarily requires students to complete work over the weekend.
These programs may require on-campus residencies or in person weekends (though the St. Mary’s program does not). Otherwise, they meet the same rigor and academic interactivity requirements laid out by the ABA in order to maintain their accreditation status.
ABA-Approved Hybrid Law School Admission Requirements
Before applying to any online law school, you need to know the common admission requirements you’ll face. Most online JD degree programs have the following requirements:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Most JD programs require the bachelor’s degree to be in a relevant major, like law, criminal justice, etc.
- A GPA of 3.0 or above. Many competitive JD programs require even higher GPAs from your former schooling, like 3.2 or 3.5
- An accredited LSAT score. The LSAT is a standardized test that’s administered four times per year. It includes 175 multiple-choice questions. It tests students’ reasoning, analytical, and reading comprehension skills. The average score is 150, and more competitive law schools require LSAT scores higher than this
- A personal statement. The personal statement is an essay anywhere between 300 and 1,000 words in length that describes why you want to attend a specific law school or why you want to earn your JD degree
- 1-3 letters of recommendation from former or current professors or from former supervisors in a legal context (such as attorneys you work for)
- A resume with your work experience. If your resume has a lot of legal experience, your application will look more competitive to the admissions team
Finally, some online law schools require you to sit for an interview as the last part of the admissions process. The interview will include several in-depth questions about your goals, ambitions, and past experiences. Interviews can be conducted in person or online using videoconferencing software. However, some schools require you to visit their campuses in-person.
Top 5 ABA-Accredited Online Law Schools
University of New Hampshire School of Law
Degree: Juris Doctor / Intellectual Property & Technology
Student Fees In-State Total: $115,820The University of New Hampshire School of Law offers an ABA-standard education with no relocation. The ABA-approved online hybrid JD degree program at the University of New Hampshire School of Law focuses on intellectual property, technology, and information law. Thus, it’s a great program for those who want to focus on law in these areas (such as becoming an IP lawyer or IT lawyer).
Staff at the university have designed this particular JD program to assist professionals in technology and related fields in advancing their careers. Like traditional students, hybrid plan students can access the faculty’s resources, academic support, bar examinations preparation, and scholarship opportunities.
The program is 85 credits at minimum. All students must take a minimum of six credits in experiential classes as well as six credits in bar readiness classes.
As far as residential requirements are concerned, hybrid JD students must complete residential or in person sessions each semester. These include five days in August and four days in October for the fall semester, four to five days in March for the spring semester, and four days in May for the summer semester. Each of these residential days require about nine hours of class time and some time for non-classroom activities.
Students are responsible for arranging their airfare and hotel costs. It’s essential to keep these costs in mind when calculating the total expenses of this program.
University of Dayton School of Law
Degree: Juris Doctor
Student Fees In-State Total: $138,680The University of Dayton School of Law is one of the best online law school JD programs. After finishing the hybrid JD program at the University of Dayton School of Law, students will be able to sit for bar examinations and successfully pursue a career in the legal field.
The program takes four years to complete, and it’s appropriate for students with work and family responsibilities. With the help of legal experts at the University of Dayton School of Law, students will study civil procedure, evidence, contracts, torts, constitutional law, evidence, and criminal law.
The program culminates in a capstone course during which all students receive simulated problems that they have to solve as if they were real world lawyers. All students must complete four on-campus residency sessions of three days each (effectively one session per year).
Want to finish your JD degree early? You can take advantage of the “3+3” program, in which you’ll start your law school in the final year of your bachelor’s education. In this way, you can earn both your bachelor’s degree and your JD in just six years.
Note that there are three admission cycles for this program. Students must complete the LSAT or GRE exam. Additionally, they must submit two letters of recommendation, a resume and personal statement, and official undergraduate transcripts in order to be considered for admission.
St. Mary’s University School of Law
Degree: Juris Doctor
Student Fees In-State Total: $141,610St. Mary’s University School of Law has a fully online JD program that teaches foundational concepts in law. It is the only 100% online and ABA-approved JD program you can attend. The school’s faculty of law professors are trained and certified to teach online. With concerns for the online education quality, St. Mary’s has limited the number of online JD students to 25.
Enrolled students receive classes on foundations of substantive law, legal writing, and analysis. This online JD degree ABA-accredited program is a part-time curriculum, so students will complete it in approximately three years or 11 terms.
Furthermore, this is a very limited cohort program. To guarantee that each online student has a great experience, the online cohort is capped at 25 students. The curriculum focuses on substantive law foundations and legal writing and analysis. It produces well-rounded JD graduates who are prepared to work in a variety of legal contexts.
To graduate, students must earn 90 credit hours minimum and have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or higher. Graduates of this program are automatically eligible to sit for the Texas Bar Exam and the Uniform Bar Exam.
Syracuse University College of Law
Degree: Juris Doctor
Student Fees In-State Total: Tuition Information is UnavailableSyracuse University offers one of the most unique online JD programs ABA-approved. SU’s College of Law, the online JD program holds the distinction of the “JDinteractive” program. The unique program is specially for students with responsibilities and commitments.
Different components like live online classes, self-paced instructions, on-campus courses, and experimental learning make up the JDinteractive program. As an advantage, students of the JDinteractive program can take elective courses, participate in supervised externships, and participate in organizations like the Student Bar Association and the Syracuse Law Review.
The program combines real-time and live online classes with self-paced instruction and on-campus courses. All students will also take a supervised externship program to acquire practical experience before graduating.
If you attend this program, note that most of the courses are fully online. Usually, the online classes are 50% live and 50% asynchronous. All students must complete short and intensive residential classes covering topics like legal foundations and legal applications. These occur once per year throughout the three year program duration in August, January, and January again.
Furthermore, students can take advantage of a joint online JD and MBA degree program, which collaborates with the Whitman School of Management. This combines legal education with an MBA program. Therefore, it’s perfect for future business owners who want to learn more about legal topics that may pertain to their industry.
Vermont Law School
Degree: Juris Doctor
Student Fees In-State Total: Tuition Information is UnavailableVermont Law School offers different variations of its JD program. The JD degree online program equips students with the skills needed to lead in other areas of law — criminal law, environmental law, conflict resolution, International law, land use, water resources, and energy law.
The curriculum focuses on legal doctrine, the social content of the law, and values for effective law practice. Traditionally, the JD program spans three years, with students attending fall and spring semesters classes. However, Vermont Law School has an accelerated two-year plan for students with limited funding. There’s also an extended four-year plan for students with other responsibilities.
Just like most online JD degree ABA-accredited programs, the program at Vermont Law School is not 100% online. However, this online law school ABA-accredited only requires three short in-person residential sessions. Therefore, you won’t have to travel away from home very often. The residencies are Thursday through Sunday during the first, sixth, and final semesters students take.
The online classes are mostly synchronous – they’re held Monday through Thursday in the evenings from 6:30 PM to 9 PM Eastern. However, there are also some asynchronous classes that enable and encourage projects and collaborations with peers.
Students can concentrate on one of four areas of specialization if they wish to practice in a specific area of law. These specializations are food and agriculture law, restorative justice, energy law, and environmental law.
Is an Online JD Degree from an ABA-Approved Program Worth It?
Although a JD degree provides the leverage for aspiring attorneys to join a law firm, there is more to it than that. People with a JD degree play essential roles in almost all sectors of the country’s economy. You can find them everywhere, from courtrooms and government agencies to academia and Silicon Valley startups.
Additionally, the analytical thinking imparted in legal training applies in virtually all professions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), lawyers earned an average of $126,930 in 2020, with the top 10% earning over $208,000 annually.
Students can work and learn simultaneously with the increasing number of hybrid or online JD programs.
FAQs
Can you go to law school online?
Yes. However, it’s wisest to attend an ABA online law school. This means the program offered by the university in question will be rigorous and will prepare you for your state’s bar exam. ABA-approved degree completion is oftentimes required for State Bar licensure, too.
Are online JD programs legit?
Yes. However, the ABA, American Bar Association, only accredits and approves some online JD programs. Online JD programs are only partially online. To be approved by the ABA, they have to have a portion of their program offered in person. You can check out a breakdown of ABA-approved law schools that offer distance education here.
Which states accept online law degrees?
At the time of this writing, only California allows students to sit for the bar exam if they acquire a 100% online JD degree (such as the degree from St. Mary’s University). However, all states allow students to sit for their bar exams if they attend a hybrid online program that is approved by the ABA. Make sure to attend an ABA-approved JD program to ensure you can sit for your state’s bar exam.
How long is law school?
Law school typically takes 3 to 4 years to complete. However, it takes two years to complete some accelerated JD programs. Furthermore, some schools allow students to start law school early by beginning their JD education in the final year of their bachelor’s degrees. These students can acquire all the education they need to become lawyers in six years.
What kind of bachelor’s degree do you need to be a lawyer?
Technically, you can get into law school with any kind of bachelor’s degree. But you’ll be better off acquiring a bachelor’s degree in a relevant major. This ensures that you already have some foundational knowledge that can help you in law school. Good bachelor’s degree majors to pursue include criminal justice or pre-law, English, philosophy, and economics.
Enroll in an ABA-Accredited Online Law School Today!
To ensure that your JD degree is worth the time and resources, ensure that you have a clear-cut career plan. In short, this will enable you to pick a suitable degree program in line with your schedule. After enrolling in any program, explore networking and externship opportunities. You can also visit the GetEducated.com education resource center to learn more about the legal profession and its various career paths.