Concord Law School


Concord Law School (formerly Concord University School of Law), is an online law school based in Los Angeles, California. It is currently known as Concord Law School at Purdue University Global and is one of several schools within Purdue University Global.[2] Established in 1998, Concord Law School was the United States' first fully online law school. They are accredited with the State Bar of California.

Not to be confused with Concord University.
Concord Law School at Purdue University Global
MottoThe best law school may be the one that comes to you.
Parent schoolPurdue University Global
Established1998
School typePrivate, Online University Law School Concord Law School is not accredited by the American Bar Association and has not sought approval by the ABA
DeanMartin Pritikin
LocationLos Angeles, CA, US
Bar pass rate29% (July 2019 first-time takers)[1]
Websiteconcordlawschool.edu

History

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]

Accreditation status

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]

Bar pass rate

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]

Faculty

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

Degrees offered

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]

Employment

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]

References
  1. The State Bar of California Office of Admissions. "General Statistics Report, July 2019 California Bar Examination" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  2. Higher Learning Commission. "Statement of Accreditation Status: Purdue University Global". www.hlcommission.org. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  3. "History: Concord Law School in Review". www.concordlawschool.edu. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  4. "Concord Law School: A Regionally and California-Accredited Online Law School". Concord Law School. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011.
  5. "Concord Law School Merges with Kaplan U., The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 30, 2007".
  6. Mintz, Howard (November 15, 1999). "Law school online Establishment skeptical about digital degrees; advocates site independent-study tradition of Abe Lincoln". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on October 6, 2000.
  7. "Concord Law School Appoints Martin Pritikin as Dean | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  8. "Kaplan Closes Transaction with Purdue for the Assets of Kaplan University". www.businesswire.com. March 22, 2018.
  9. "The State Bar of California: Law Schools". California State Bar website. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  10. Journal, A. B. A. "Afternoon Briefs: 3 online law schools get state accreditation; cop immobilization maneuver can be fatal". ABA Journal. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  11. "FAQs about Concord Law School Requirements & Tuition". Concord Law School. Retrieved October 4, 2020. Concord Law School is one of the first online law schools to be accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California, but is not accredited by the ABA
  12. "Concord Faculty: Distinguished Credentials. Responsive Support". Concord Law School, Purdue University Global. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  13. "Concord Law School Catalog" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2010.
  14. "This Online Law School Traps Students With Debt In Exchange For A Worthless Degree". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  15. Court win for online law school grad Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, California Bar Journal, January 2009
  16. Ross E. Mitchell v. Board of Bar Examiners, no. SJC-10157, Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts, September 3, 2008
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