Concord Law School

In October 1998, 33 students began the online program.[3]

The merger of Concord into Kaplan University in late 2007 made Concord the first online law school to be part of a regionally accredited university.[4][5] As the first fully online law school in the United States, the concept of Concord initially drew criticism from the legal establishment, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.[6]

In June 2016, Martin Pritikin joined Concord Law School as its dean.[7]

In March 2018, Purdue University bought Kaplan University to make a nonprofit institution and a new online university called Purdue University Global. The for-profit Kaplan Higher Education still has a 30-year contract to serve Purdue Global.[8]

In August 2020, it became accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California.[9][10] It is not accredited by the ABA.[11]

Concord's pass rate for the July 2019 sitting of the California bar exam was 29% for first-time takers and 17% for repeat takers, compared to 64% and 27% overall pass rates, respectively.[1]

The Concord Law School lists 19 faculty: four deans, six professors, and nine adjuncts.[12]

Concord offers two Juris Doctor (J.D.) law degrees. The recipients of the regular J.D. degree who pass the California Bar Examination and otherwise meet the California State Bar requirements are admitted to the bar and can practice law in California. California bar licensees may practice in most federal courts outside of California, and may work as in-house counsel in out-of-state corporations, among other roles. Recipients of the Executive Juris Doctor (E.J.D.) are not eligible to take the bar examination.

The J.D. program is a 92-unit, four-year program. Students are required to complete at least 22-24 units of coursework between 48 and 52 consecutive weeks each year. Graduates of this program meet the legal education requirement of the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California and may apply for admission to the State Bar of California.[13]

The Concord Law School offers an Executive J.D. (E.J.D.) degree for a 72-unit, three-year program. This degree stirred controversy, with Buzzfeed News reporting that students were misled into thinking the degree would allow them to practice as attorneys. Higher education experts raised concerns about the value of the degree, saying it was misleading for students.[14]

In November 2008, Ross Mitchell, a 2004 Concord graduate who had been admitted to the California bar, won a lawsuit to take the Massachusetts bar exam, which is normally only open to graduates of ABA-accredited law schools. The court ruled on equitable grounds, noting that under the ABA standards it would have been impossible for Concord to have received accreditation, regardless of the quality of its educational offerings.[15][16]

• Official website