Online Law Degree – Juris Doctorate Degree (JD)

• About 27% of lawyers are self-employed.
• Competition for admission to law schools is intense, as is competition for job openings.

To become a lawyer you must complete:

• 4-year college degree
• 3 years of law school and a
• Passing score on the written Bar Examination.

Here is the CATCH!

In order to sit for the Bar Exam, you must graduate from a law school approved by the American Bar Association. There are NO online law schools that are approved by this organization! California is the only state that is the exception, as it has a provision for distance, online learning. As a result, you are eligible to take the California Bar Exam with an law degree online.

What if you don’t want to practice law in California? You could work for 5 years and then take the Bar Exam in a state of your choice. Additionally, there are a number of different things you can do with an online law degree:

Do you have an established career in health administration or human resources? You could use an law degree online to enhance your career advancement and expand your skills. You can also pass the California Bar Exam and work an as in-house lawyer for insurance companies, corporate firms or practice patent law. By passing the California Bar Exam, you could also work and practice law in a federal court in a state of your choice.

When taking online courses, instructors will post the syllabus, lectures, assignments and projects. Students will complete assigned readings, post questions and communicate via class websites, bulletin boards and emails. Opportunities to earn grades are greater than in traditional programs as the Internet provides more flexibility to both faculty and students. Quizzes and midterm exams are administered online; research papers are submitted to the instructor or uploaded to the class site with comments returned electronically. Communication with other students and faculty is plentiful due to the use of email, teleconferencing, class message boards and class websites.

If you are considering obtaining law degree from many law degrees online, carefully investigate online law schools and the programs they offer. Pay special attention to accredited online law degrees, courses and books offered and how they compare to the courses and books used in traditional law schools. Examine the number of faculty at the school and their respective credentials (education and work experience). Inquire regarding the number of students taking and passing the Bar Exam as well as research recent graduate student satisfaction with the program. Do not rush – take your time as you will have to live with your choice for quite some time.

As in traditional law degree programs, the first year of your online law degree study will focus on general and broad courses, such as property law, constitutional law, torts, civil procedures, legal writing, research methods and analytical analysis. The last two years will become more specialized and you will be expected to choose course in areas such as tax, corporate, or labor law.

In addition to coursework, expect to gain practical experience by practicing in school-sponsored legal clinics, moot courts and practice trials. In an online program, this would be achieved by live web casts, interactive chat rooms and bulletin boards. Your work would be closely supervised by lawyers and law school faculty.

Lawyers, also called attorneys, serve as both advocates and advisers. Lawyers present evidence, arguer in court, counsel clients regarding their legal rights, research the intent of the law and apply it to daily life.

A law degree online will prepare you for the general practice of law and allow you to choose your particular specialization and focus. As a lawyer, you may specialize in bankruptcy, international, environmental, criminal or civil law. A large number of lawyers are employed by the government, legal aid societies and insurance companies. Given the broad range of areas touched by law, you will have plenty of opportunities and choices ahead of you.

As a lawyer you would do most of your work in an office, library or courtroom. You would have to meet with clients at their homes or area of business. Also be prepared to travel for meetings as well as to gather evidence, conduct interviews and depositions. Be especially prepared to work LONG hours. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, of those lawyers who work full time, 37% work 50 hours or more a week.

According to the US Department of Labor Statistics, employment of lawyers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations. In May, 2006 the median annual earnings for lawyers were $102,470. The highest annual earnings were for those responsible for management of companies, earning a median annual salary of $128,610. The lowest median annual earnings were for those in state government agencies, $75,840.

In choosing a law degree, be prepared for keen competition for jobs, as the number of law degrees graduates rises. Flexibility in location, willingness to take an additional State bar exam as well as specialization in an area of law should all lead to greater job opportunities and an edge over the competition.

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