Juris Doctor Program
Do you have a passion for the law? Are you an effective communicator who enjoys researching and analyzing information? As part of Purdue Global, Concord Law School's Online Juris Doctor program could help you pursue your goals. Read on to learn more about this flexible degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kind of Program Is It?
The Concord online Juris Doctor (JD) degree is a part-time program that can be completed in four years. Its traditional curriculum includes a base of core bar courses. The online program includes live classes, and previous students have noted that the distinctive interactive environment offers more individual feedback and interaction than their previous graduate program experiences. Graduates of Concord Law School's online, distance learning JD program will have completed the legal education requirements of the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California. After meeting additional state requirements, including passing the First Year Law Students Exam and the California Bar Exam, graduates may apply for admission to the State Bar of California.
What Are the Prerequisites?
To be considered for admission to Concord's law programs, applicants will need to have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally or DETC-accredited institution approved by the State Bar of California. All applicants must also meet the statutory requirements for pre-legal education required by California law and State Bar rules, in addition to the normal admissions requirements for Concord Law School. In general, students must have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better. Applicants who have taken the LSAT may also submit those scores.
All applicants must also complete Concord's online admissions test and complete a telephone interview. This interview is crucial to determining applicants' motivation, suitability for distance learning and desire to succeed. Concord Admissions Advisors are available to provide additional information on admissions requirements.
What Are the Course Requirements?
Concord's Juris Doctor program is grounded in the core bar courses, with the first two years devoted entirely to required courses. Students must successfully complete a total of 92 units; at least 22 to 24 units of coursework must be completed in 48 to 52 consecutive weeks each of the four years. Graduates of the JD program will have met the legal education requirement of the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California, and, after meeting the other regulatory requirements, may apply for admission to the State Bar of California.
Juris Doctor Requirements
- Contracts
- Torts
- Criminal Law
- Legal Writing and Test Taking
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Real Property
- Criminal Procedure
- Corporations
- Evidence
- Professional Responsibility
- Legal Analysis and Writing
- Legal Research
- Community Property
- Wills and Trusts
- Remedies
- Capstone
- 8-12 units of electives
What Could I Do After I Graduate?
Career Opportunities
Graduates of Concord's JD program may move into a law-related position in their field, expand their current careers or start a law practice in California. Additional career opportunities may include in law firms, corporations, criminal justice agencies, human service and intellectual property departments, non-profit organizations and regulated industries. Legal career opportunities may also be found at the local, state or federal government levels.*
Concord Law School's Juris Doctor Program is designed to help prepare students to sit for the California Bar Examination. Upon passing the bar exam and meeting other regulatory requirements, JD graduates are eligible to practice law in the state of California.+
* Purdue Global's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job or employed at all.
+ Concord Law School is registered as a Distance Learning Law School in the unaccredited law school category with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. Registration with the Committee permits Concord JD graduates, who meet the regulatory requirements, to apply for admission to the State Bar of California. Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or satisfy the requirements for admission to practice in jurisdictions other than California. A student intending to seek admission to practice law in a jurisdiction other than California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding the legal education requirements in that jurisdiction for admission to the practice of law.
Concord is part of Purdue Global, which is regionally accredited. Concord is separately and specifically accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a national accreditor.
DETC, 1601 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, Tel.: 202.234.5100, www.detc.org.