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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 3:00 p.m. EST
Today, law school is not just for lawyers. Concord Law School of Kaplan University, the nation’s first wholly online law school, is changing the legal education landscape by providing mid-career professionals with a rigorous, engaging legal education to augment their careers or help them pursue new ones. Dean Barry A. Currier will discuss Concord’s innovative online program and why more than 40 MDs, 40 PhDs, 90 MBAs, and 125 master’s degree recipients have earned law degrees at Concord Law School since it launched a decade ago. Considering law school? Debate the pros and cons with Dean Currier, who has been a law professor for more than 30 years, including 19 years at the University of Florida College of Law. Dean Currier also served as the dean of Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, and previously taught at Duke Law School, Monash University of Law in Melbourne, Australia, and at the University of Kentucky College of Law. In 2000, Dean Currier became Deputy Consultant on Legal Education at the American Bar Association, where he worked on the law school accreditation approval and review process. He left that position in 2004 to become the Dean of Concord Law School. Concord Law School was founded in 1998 to provide broader access to a legal education through its part-time, online programs. In addition to its JD program, Concord pioneered the Executive Juris Doctor program, a professional law degree for individuals seeking a legal education to enhance their current career, but who do not intend to become practicing attorneys. Since Concord’s first graduating class in 2002, more than 800 students have completed the JD and EJD programs. Is law school your next career move? Whether you’re considering an online or bricks-and-mortar law school, take advantage of Dean Currier’s expertise. Get advice and answers to your questions. washingtonpost.com: Good afternoon, and welcome to Viewpoint. Today Dean Barry A. Currier, J.D. is joining us to discuss Concord Law School of Kaplan University, the nation’s first wholly online law school and its innovative program. Welcome Dean Currier, let's get started! Barry A. Currier: I appreciate the opportunity to be with you today. I am the President and Dean of Concord Law School of Kaplan University, a position that I have held since 2004. I have been a legal educator for a number of decades and have wide experience in both the online and "bricks and mortar" law school worlds. I love what we are doing at Concord and look forward to this dialog. Atlanta, Ga.: Is it possible to work and go to school at the same time? How much of a time commitment would I need to allocate? Barry A. Currier: It is possible to go to law school and to have a demanding full-time or part-time job. Not easy, but possible, as our students demonstrate to us everyday. What we try to do at Concord, and what online degree programs make possible in a number of different educational programs, is to make that program more accessible, more feasible, and to work better for students in a number of ways through the flexibility that technology provides. At Concord, our students report on average spending 25 hours per week on their studies. In the first year, you likely will invest more time than that as you build the skills necessary to be successful in law school. Passaic N.J.: What is the difference between Concord (or any online Law school for that matter) and a traditional law school as far as what is taught? Barry A. Currier: Good question. The courses vary from school to school, of course, but there are no fundamental differences in what is covered. Online schools and traditional schools cover subjects that are required for the bar exam and provide a broad and deep understanding of concepts needed to be an effective lawyer or to put your law knowledge effectively to work in business, the public policy arena, etc. In additional to the required core courses - such as Contracts, Torts and Constitutional Law - Concord offers more than 20 electives and develops more each year. Electives include: Advocacy, Business Planning, Contract Drafting, Cyberlaw, Employment Discrimination, Equine Law, a series of health law courses, including Bioethics and Health Care Policy, and a four course concentration in Patent Law. You can request more information about Concord’s online law degree programs at Baton Rouge, La.: How does going to law school online really work? Barry A. Currier: You go to law school online very much like you would if you were attending law school in a building. Except at Concord, the front door of your law school is wherever you and your Internet connection are. Each student receives a customized personal home page. From there you can connect with all the people, services, and administrative offices in Concord’s virtual hallways. Our proprietary LMS – Learning Management System – provides what you would expect to find in the halls of a "bricks and mortar" law school including the registrar, law library, career services and a variety of student-formed groups. From your personal home page, you access your courses and classes. In your first year at Concord, you take Contracts, Torts and Criminal Law plus a Legal Writing course. Our courses are usually divided into 30 modules. A module contains a reading assignment and may also include a video lecture, multiple choice quiz, or writing assignment. After working through a series of modules, Concord students participate in live – synchronous - classes with their professors. As is the case with the bricks and mortar law schools, Concord Law School students are enrolled in sections or cohorts and go through a class with that group. At Concord you can start our online law degree programs – in January, April, June or September. Washington, D.C.: Is the admissions process the same or similar to other law schools? Barry A. Currier: Every law school has its own admissions requirements. For Concord one needs an undergraduate degree and needs to complete our own brief admissions test, which our admissions advisors can discuss with you. We also require a personal statement. We do not require the LSAT, which traditional schools do require. We also allow students to start four times per year, rather than just starting a class in the fall, which is the practice at most schools. For more information, you can visit our website: http://info.concordlawschool.edu or call 866.592.4547 Potomac, Md.: I am interested in applying to your law program, what kind of background do you look for in candidates? Obviously legal experience is good. But what about those who may be interested in changing their profession? How do you stand out from a crowd if you don't have legal experience? Thanks! Barry A. Currier : Looking at a few more questions about admissions to online schools, at Concord we are looking for individuals who have an interest in studying law, whether that's to become a practicing lawyer, to advance a current career, or to move in a different career direction where an understanding of the law would be helpful. Given the nature of our program, most of our students are "non-traditional," that is they are not coming straight from college. It's not that we are looking for those people specifically, it's that the flexibility and accessibility that are hallmarks of online programs like ours work well for adult learners with busy careers and family lives. Boston, Mass.: Is Concord accredited? Barry A. Currier: Concord is not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). The ABA does not, at this point in time, allow the accreditation of fully online schools. Concord Law School is a part of Kaplan University. Kaplan University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC), one of the major regional accrediting groups in the U.S. Concord, in fact, is the first online law school to be part of a regionally accredited university. The way this accreditation works is that it is the university, not the particular program, which is accredited. This accreditation gives our students access to the federal student loan programs. Concord is also accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), the premier accreditor of online programs in the United States. It is one of two online law schools to be so accredited. Albany, N.Y.: How much does it cost? Barry A. Currier: The current tuition for Concord is $9,250 per year. That makes the cost of our J.D. degree - for the four-year, part-time program, equal to about one year's tuition at the average private law school in the United States. The EJD program charges the same annual tuition over a three-year program so it's even more affordable. One of the reasons that I was attracted to Concord was the fact that we are delivering an excellent legal education at a more affordable price point. The cost of legal education continues to spiral upward. While some law jobs pay a very handsome salary, many very important and very satisfying jobs pay a bit less. We want to make sure that Concord graduates continue to see the money that they spend with us as being a good investment that can yield a good return in terms of both job satisfaction and remuneration going forward. For more information, visit www.concordlawschool.edu Washington, D.C.: I have my undergrad degree in Poli Sci (from UCF - Go Knights!) and am considering post-grad education. As someone with an interest in international business policies, practices and trends, would you recommend business school over law school? Or, are there other career options (outside of becoming a lawyer) for a law school grad? Barry A. Currier: _ A legal education is very versatile. Earning a law degree develops your abilities, skills, and perspective in the fundamentals of law and legal systems, professional and practical skills, and it builds and hones your ability to think critically and outside the box. In addition to providing a pathway into a traditional career as a practicing lawyer, law study also is widely recognized as a valuable credential for individuals working in business, government, education, and public interest positions. Today the law permeates so many fields, particularly highly regulated industries such as healthcare, banking and finance to name a couple – not to mention the impact of Sarbanes Oxley in the corporate world - that earning a law degree online can boost a current career or help you move in a new direction. To learn more about using an online law degree from Concord, please see Using a Law School Education at www.concordlawschool.edu Eugene, Ore.: Since it is an online program, could I take it at an accelerated pace and finish early, or are there timely things I would have to participate in like live online discussions with the class or video conferences? Barry A. Currier: There is a lot of flexibility in our program - that's one of its hallmarks. However, the rules of the California Bar under which we operate require four years of study. So, we do not have the ability to allow students to shorten the time to degree. In addition, because Concord is not a correspondence program - not completely self-directed, we do control how fast you can go through our courses, so that we keep everyone in a class roughly on the same pace. That makes the live classes more worthwhile, facilitates study groups, and so on. We are not trying to imitate a brick and mortar law school experience in cyberspace; rather we are trying to make the online Concord Law School experience as good or better, overall, than a traditional law school program. An important part of law school is interaction with classmates and your professor. Staying roughly in synch is a good way to promote that interaction. Davidsonville, Md.: How do you think employers will feel about a potential employee with an online law degree? Barry A. Currier: Our graduates have enjoyed good reception from employers. In many cases a graduate continues to work where she was working, only in a different (and we hope improved) role. Graduates report better opportunities and better salaries, which makes us feel good. Graduates who are looking to move to a new business or new career also do not report any special concerns about the fact that the degree was earned online. Since online legal education is still a relatively new phenomenon, employers are sometimes surprised that such an opportunity exists. That said, we shouldn't be naive about the fact that prestige counts in a field like law. So, a degree from Harvard or Yale has more currency in the marketplace than a degree from any brand new school. We believe, however, that the fact that we are part of Kaplan, which is in turn part of the Washington Post Company, gives us an edge and an opportunity to grow our brand more quickly than we could without those connections. Kansas City, Mo.: Who typically goes to your school? Will I being going to law school with students my children’s age? Barry A. Currier: Not likely with the demographics of our student body. Here’s a quick look at Concord Law School’s student population:
More than 80% of our students work full-time. In your online law class at Concord, you are likely to find airline pilots, teachers, doctors, small business owners, corporate execs, contract administrators, nurses, engineers and IT professionals. More than 40 MDs, 40 PhDs, 90 MBAs, and 125 master’s degree recipients have earned law degrees at Concord Law School since it launched a decade ago. For more information, feel free to call 866.592.4547 Columbus, Ohio: I have colleagues at work who have gone to law school. It was really hard for them to keep up. How is going to law school online different from a traditional law school? Barry A. Currier: Let's not kid ourselves, it is hard to balance work, family, and going to law school at the same time. I respect anyone who can do this, whether they are going for an online J.D., Ph.D., MBA, or undergraduate degree. What Concord and other online programs offer, however, is flexibility that makes it more possible to do all of this and emerge with the degree in one hand and your sanity in the other. You do not have to drive anywhere to get to class. If you miss a class, you can catch it in our archive. We have a group of law advisors who are there to guide and help students through the pressures that they encounter during the program. One of the most amazing things to me is that at our graduations we always hear students talk about how they are going to miss the classes and the friends that they have made at Concord. I'm thinking that they would be glad to be getting their lives back, and they are thinking what a wonderful experience it was to go to Concord. Amazing! (Concord’s School Tour at http://info.concordlawschool.edu includes video clips of our graduates talking about their online law school experience.) Tampa, Fla.,: What about the bar exam? Would graduating from an online law school give me the same opportunities that I would have from a traditional law school? Barry A. Currier: Concord is registered as a distance-learning law school with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. Registration with the Committee permits Concord J.D. graduates, who meet the regulatory requirements, to apply for admission to the State Bar of California. Concord is not on the list of schools approved by the American Bar Association. The ABA Standards for the Approval of Law Schools currently do not allow for J.D. programs that are delivered fully or substantially online. Bar admission is regulated at the state level and most admission rules require an applicant to have an ABA approved legal education. If you are interested in bar admission in states outside of California, the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ site, www.ncbex.org, includes links to the state bar admission sites. In addition to the California Bar Exam, Concord graduates have also taken and passed the bar exams in several states and in Washington, D.C. under various state bar admission rules. Concord’s first-time pass rate on the California Bar Exam demonstrates the soundness of the program of legal education that we offer. More information about those results is available on the school’s website - http://info.concordlawschool.edu Austin, Tex.: What courses will I take? Barry A. Currier: We have a range of courses. The first year program is Torts, Contract, Criminal Law, and a writing course. Our J.D. program has a higher percentage of required courses than many traditional schools, but there are plenty of electives and opportunities to take them. We also allow students to have an externship for academic credit, as do most law schools, that offers an experiential learning opportunity to our students with judges, lawyers, and the legal departments of businesses or public interest organizations. You can see more about our online curriculum on our website: http://info.concordlawschool.com Seattle, Wash.: How long does it take to get a law degree online? Barry A. Currier: We have a four-year, part-time J.D. program and a three-year, part-time EJD program. The J.D. program qualifies a student to sit for the bar in California and to becoming a practicing lawyer. The EJD provides a professional legal education for individuals who want a good legal education but who do not intend to practice law. J.D. programs at traditional schools are three-year full-time programs. Many schools have part-time programs that take four years to complete. Working adult students tend to enroll in them. So an online J.D. can be done in the same amount of time that a part-time J.D. program can be completed at a bricks and mortar school. For information, see the Admissions section of the Concord Law School site at http://info.concordlawschool.edu Baltimore, Md.: Who are the professors? Barry A. Currier : Concord has a full-time faculty of 24 and dozens of additional part-time professors. Our faculty have a range of experiences in practice and in legal education. We have a number of part-time professors who hold faculty appointments at traditional law schools and teach a course or two a year for us. For bios of Concord’s professors, visit the Faculty section of http://info.concordlawschool.edu Manchester, N.H.: How are the tests administered? If a student is at home, wouldn't it be easy to cheat? Barry A. Currier: Our tests are administered through an online learning management system that we have developed internally. We have a number of checks in place to assure ourselves that there is no cheating going on. One way in which we do that, which has a lot of educational benefit to it entirely apart from checking cheating, is to do frequent assessments (online quizzes, essays, etc.) If a Concord student wanted to cheat by having a surrogate do her work, she would have to employ that surrogate on a part-time basis, not just hire him to show up for a final exam. There are a variety of techniques that both online and traditional schools have at their disposal to address academic integrity issues. We have an honor code, and that helps. Cheating, unfortunately, seems to be more commonplace than it used to be. We are not immune from that societal context. We do our best to make it difficult and more trouble than its worth to cheat at Concord Law School. Certainly busy professionals have better things to do with their time than to sign up for a demanding online program like ours and then try to avoid getting the education for which they are paying. Arlington, Va.: What are the benefits of going to law school for someone who is mid-career? Barry A. Currier: Good question. The benefits depend so much on who you are and what you want to do with the rest of your life. We have individuals in our school who are just attracted intellectually to the law. We have folks who want to move from whatever they are doing into the practice of law. Others want to practice law in the area in which they have built an expertise (an engineer who wants to be a patent lawyer, for example). Some students don't want to practice law at all, but know that knowledge of the law will help them in their chosen line of work (e.g., a city planner with a knowledge of property and land use law). What is so interesting to me is that we are moving into a period where it is likely that we will all have several careers, not just one. We are living longer, feeling stronger, want to earn money, and want to make a contribution. It is great for the law and the legal profession that we will see more and more people with good life experience want to study law and move into careers where legal education is necessary or helpful. The perspective that those individuals have will make the law stronger and better. And the motivation that those individuals have to study law makes them better students. Our students are in law school because they want to be. washingtonpost.com: Well that is all the time we have today. Thank you Dean Currier for being with us. Barry A. Currier: It was a pleasure being with you today. I appreciate the interest in legal education and, in particular, in online legal education. We will continue to answer some questions off-line and we will post those later. We are proud of what we do at Concord. I hope that I have answered many of your questions. For more information, please go to our website (http://info.concordlawschool.edu) or call 866.592.4547 to speak to a school representative. |
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