Law
It is commonly said that there are more students studying law than there are practicing. This is probably because a law degree, or a Juris Doctorate (JD), is one of the most coveted accomplishments in higher learning. Prospective lawyers generally complete four years of full-time study in order to graduate and take the American Bar Association exam. After passing the Bar exam a lawyer is legally able to practice law in his or her state.
Recently, however, more professionals are finding a law degree helpful and have begun completing law degree programs without any attention of taking the Bar exam or practicing law. As a result some law schools have fashioned executive law programs that cater to students who wish to utilize their law degree in the fields of business or medicine. Also, some professionals seek a law degree as a complement to a business administration degree.
Concord Law School offers an EJD, or Executive Juris Doctorate, in addition to traditional law degree programs. The EJD is designed for professionals who would like to use a law degree to further their careers, not to practice law as an attorney. Their three-year part-time program allows students to tailor their coursework to their career needs and offers three career-oriented tracks: HealthLaw Track, Law and Technology Track, and Criminal Justice Track. Since Concord Law School is under the umbrella of Kaplan University, the EJD classes are all conveniently offered online, making it possible for business executives to schedule in coursework.
Online law degree programs are also offered by Abraham Lincoln University School of Law. ALU’s School of Law prides itself on offering quality law degrees to men and women of all ages, backgrounds, and economic standings. Classes facilitated through Live Chat Rooms, email and phone access to professors, and small online study groups are used to make ALU’s law program as interactive as possible. Writing classes, study skill workshops, review classes, and bar preparation classes are all included in the program. ALU’s target students are not necessarily executives but are the students who would be unable to afford traditional programs. Online colleges such as ALU are able to mitigate the high cost of a law degree and make a J.D. more widely available.
Whether for the convenience of a flexible schedule or the price of tuition, students attending an online law degree program should be aware that so far only the state of California allows graduates of online colleges to practice law. For most students, the online law degree is only for those who want the benefits granted by a background in law but do not want to practice.