Online Law Degrees

These days you can learn almost anything online and that includes the law. However just because you can study something doesn't mean that it is adequate preparation for a career in that field. This is an issue with online law schools, there are lots of options for study but few that will lead to a career as a lawyer. That doesn't mean you shouldn't consider an online law school just that you need to be aware of the limitations.

Online law degrees are bit of a gray area, they exist but their actual value is open to some debate. The problem is that in only very limited circumstances will you actually be able to become a lawyer with an online law degree. Normally the required education to be able to become a member of the state bar and be licensed to practice law is set by the state bar association. In almost all cases they do not accept online law degrees. There are a few exceptions to this but in general you probably shouldn't expect to become a practicing attorney with an online law degree.

The fact that an online law degree likely won't lead to a career as a lawyer doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't consider one. There are some very good reasons to get an online law degree. It is possible to start a career as a legal consultant without actually being a licensed attorney. A law degree is also an excellent preparation for a career in business. In addition to having a thorough understanding of the legal issues involved with business a law degree provides training in things like research, presenting an argument and negotiation. All valuable skills in a wide variety of careers.

One thing that you are going to have to keep in mind if you decide to pursue an online law degree is that they are often offered by schools that are not generally well known. Most online law schools are for profit businesses that have been set up for the purpose of providing an online legal education. Some of these schools are of pretty questionable quality. Most online law schools will not have any kind of accreditation either so it can be hard to tell which are the good schools and which are of lesser quality.

The best way to determine how good an online law school is would be to look at the results of the California baby Bar Exam. California is the only state where it is really possible to become a lawyer with an online degree. In order to be able to take the California Bar Exam online students must successfully pass a pre-exam called the baby bar. The success rate of students from the various online law schools on this exam are available online. There can be a huge difference between the schools so it gives a good idea of the quality of the education that is offered.