By: Byron White
Law is an extremely broad field with many branches. Those who study law can diverge into other work, including public advocacy, politics, law enforcement or non-profit work. Within the field of law, there are also a number of specialties beyond just a broad-based law degree, including civil, criminal, entertainment and immigration law.
Many people imagine years of training at a stuffy law school before reaching the position of lawyer. While that is still an option for those who want to go that route, there is another more enlightening and convenient choice for the rest of us—an online law degree. These online law degree programs include such things as law and public policy, a Juris Doctor program for practicing law, a bachelor’s degree in legal studies, a master’s of science degree in criminal justice, managerial law, health law and human resources law just to name a few.
An accredited online law degree is now possible through a number of online law schools that provide an in-depth and challenging curriculum that matches traditional law degree programs in degree of difficulty, knowledge and scope. For example, one prime example of the changing face of law school is Concord Law School, part of Kaplan University. Concord Law School is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and is registered with the State Bar of California.
As with any online degree, prospective students should perform careful research to get a law degree online from an accredited institution that provides a quality e-learning experience and has a credible reputation for future job prospects. The good news is the credibility is growing. In fact, according to The National Law Journal, The U.S. Supreme Court admitted four graduates of the Concord Law School in 2008.
Online law school programs have a number of admissions requirements that mirror traditional programs. To get a law degree online, online law degree applicants typically are required to take an admissions test and provide official transcripts for previous degrees. An admissions advisor from that accredited online law school will then work with the qualified applicant and the school’s admission committee will make a decision after a review. Usually, there are four different start dates for an online degree in law.
Whatever you decide in terms of an online law degree, remember that the best school for you is the one that fits your goals and needs as well as provides an excellent return on value where you will be able to parlay that degree into a lucrative law career.
