Juris Doctor Comments

Believe it or not, there are jobs for Concord graduates.  The best way to secure one is through the internship course.  Since most Concord students are already educated, there is a secondary demand for their skills that lets many employers overlook the fact that you got you degree online.  Also, online is not such a bad word anymore when you consider the number of people getting online degrees.

I agree with 3 L student at Concord. I am starting my classes in Sept. 2010.  U must do your own homework on deciding which law school to attend.  As with law, your information should be based on facts not opinions. Concord has over 1500 students. A few negative opinions is not sufficient information as to the deciding factor of your education. I am glad I decided on Concord. After reviewing several other online schools, Concord stood out the most.  Concord students came in second in moot trial competition, fact. That is enough for me.

Being smart is not enough for law school--you really want to WANT IT--that means studying all the time in the first year--with practically no life--but it is all worth it. Concord Law School is for self motivated, organized and dedicated students. I am very glad I choose to go to Concord--it has the course of study--JD and Master degree programs--that I allow me to move into a second career with the lowest debt possible with the flexibility I need to manage a family. I intend to have my own practice when I graduate, and Concord graduates are great networking source.

I have only one thing to say to all of you who posted negative comments and dont know what you are talking about! If you check the CA Bar website, you will see that Concord has an impressive pass rate for both the FYLSE and the BAR exam...2 major points to look for when picking a school.  They have the highest pass rate in all the non ABA/distance learning schools...that should tell you something!!!
I am currently finishing up my 3rd year in their JD program and then have 1 more year to go.  I will be taking the CA Bar next July.  If you dont live in CA, yes, it is pretty challenging for you to practice law else where.  However, I do live in CA and will be admitted to the Bar just like any other law student who passed the Bar and can practice the same.  This fact was disclosed several times when I first applied, so to those who claim they didnt know....ignorance is not an excuse!!! 
I am a very detail oriented person, and believe me , I dont work for concord or get any points for this post...but I did my research on all the on-line / non-ABA approved schools, and am definitely happy with the choice I made with Concord!!! 
good luck!!!

For most of my life, I wanted to attend loaw school and practice law. I am looking at a few online alternatives (I owna business and have a family). I can put i nthe time, but I can not be available consistantly for a class miles away at a specific time every dayo or weel. Unfortunately, our "Good Ol' Boy" system includes the ABA and most fo the 50 state bar associations. In 2010, EVERYTHING happens on the internet. Other than closing the doors to anyone but a 20 something who lives at home, the ABA clearly wants to limit the already over lawyered US system.

Anyway ... although Concord was not my first choice, I read everyone's review. Concord moved down the list with the obvious answers from employees. Particularly, the response from "Bottom Line". Recruiters for many of these programs make it seem far too easy to complete the program, take the bar, and then practice law. Most are too eager to tell you how easy qualifying for the bar exam in other states, securing a place in federal court, etc. is if you choose their school.

I find it hard to believe that "Concord Student" was read a script that even came close to truth in these areas. I know that recruiters are supposed to "sell" the program, but don't blame the buyer when the pitch is off target, and the buyer has issue with it. Shame on you and your school for even suggesting that he was informaed.

Regarding Concord specifically, I could not get any basic information about the school from the "counselor" (who was obviously a poorly educated call center temp). I moved right on and found a list of schools from the CA BAr to help me find a match. I knew that if I could not get help whem they were trying to get to my money, I would have no chance after.

Dear Concord Student based on your writing you are not a currently living in CA. Therefore you knew your limitations on where you can practice law, I am sure they disclosed this to you prior to signing up as a student. So why complain!  On the bright side I heard that some states will allow you take their bar exam after practicing five years in CA.

As others have noted, using a JD from Concord to become a practicing attorney is quite difficult. As a non-ABA approved school, graduates are essentially limited to taking the CalBar and practicing in CA.  While there have been other grads who have passed other states' bars (WA, WI and MA), they represent the minority, not the majority of cases and they were in the tops of their classes. You can- in theory- practice law in the Federal arena (i.e. tax, immigration, VA and social security law), once admitted to the CalBar, but, in reality, it isn't always possible. In my state, for instance, you need to be a member of the state bar before being admitted as a general member to the Federal court.  You may try cases on a case by case basis, but it is a cumbersome process to do so. Furthermore, if you are able to gain admittance, then you are limited only to Federal law; any appeals relevant to your cases, et c., outside of that area will have to handled by a member of that state's bar.

While Concord does offer some advantages (cheap tuition, convenience), and the faculty is very helpful to students who reach out to them, it may be very difficult, if not almost impossible, to use this degree in the practice of law.  However, if you simply want to study law out of interest, then it may be the best option.

Peter ... thank you for your candor.

I found the instruction at Concord to be quite good as far as it went.  By that I mean the curriculum focused mostly on teaching the law and not so much on teaching lawyering skills (although there was some of that too). Concord uses many of the same texts and curriculums as accredited schools do, so if you do the work you will learn the law. You will have some gaps in your skills, but the graduates who do pass the bar and find attorney jobs (a select crowd to be sure) do say that those gaps are filled in quickly on the job.  What Concord does not tell you up front (or at least not when I started 5-6 years ago) is what your odds of complete success are (which I define as "finding employment as an attorney").  The school has only been producing graduates for about 8-10 years so they have held off on publishing a complete set of statistics.  From what I can tell though, of those that start at Concord only about 15-20% will get a JD degree and only about 30% of those degree earners will pass the Cal Bar (the pass rate for Concord grads who take the Bar is around 35%, but not all JD grads take the Bar - don't ask me why). My numbers are based on observations and anecdotes and not hard data but my ESTIMATE is that only 5-8% of those who start will pass the Cal Bar.  Of those, maybe 10-20% will find jobs as attorneys.  So that means less than one percent of those who enter Concord on day one will be working as attorneys 4-6 years later.  I am a graduate of Concord and passed the Cal Bar so this is not a case of sour grapes (maybe squashed grapes, but not sour ones).  It is difficult to secure an attorney job coming from a traditional law school, it is even harder to get one coming from a non traditional school like Concord.  People have done it, but you need to ask yourself before starting, "am I in the top 1-2% of the class of people who would try this."   Also, if you do not live in CA, or plan to move there, I would not try this program.  Even if you can pass the Cal Bar, there are very few states that will allow you to take their Bar after having attended Concord (Wisconsin and Vermont may be exceptions, Washington may also allow it if you have practiced first in Cal or some such arrangement). So your employment prospect will be even dimmer if you are not living in Cal (yes, there are a few Concord grads who work as attorneys outside of California). As for the notion that you can practice in Federal Court in any state once you pass the Cal Bar, that is dubious.  While it may be technically true, the common practice is to be a member of the State Bar of the state in which the Federal Court you wish to practice in resides.  To summarize, if you are thinking about trying this you need to be ready to work extremely hard, know that the odds are against you from day one, and be willing to move California if you should defy those odds and pass the Bar. Then and only then do you get to look for work in a state with 200,000 attorneys.

I tried Concord...not for me.

I don't usually respond to comment sections but feel i must dispute and disagree with the above negative comment regarding Concord law..I am in the JD section, and while initially had to study 25-35 hours a week for the first 3 months, was able to cut back to 15 more or less dependent on the assignments. i work full time and din't expect a rose garden..It IS law school...And of course they focus time on passing some ket tests..Hey, if you don't pass these tests you don't move forward..And , last but not least, i feel that the support given to me was above average, and always got quick responses to my questions. While it is a bit pricy for an on-line experience, i haven't regretted my decision and welcome to the 21st century, Soon many of these schools WILL be accredited. we are pioneers.

Individuals seeking to practice law and develop the greatest range of career opportunities should enroll in the Juris Doctor Program. Graduates are eligible to apply to sit for the California bar examination. Upon passing the bar examination and fulfilling other statutory requirements, graduates become eligible to practice law in the State of California. Concord's Juris Doctor alumni may also apply to practice before most federal and other governmental agencies. Beyond the traditional practice of law, a licensed attorney has the knowledge, skills and credentials for employment in a broad spectrum of career opportunities.