Absolute cheapest online JD program?

[Randyb100]

I already know of Concord Law and recently found Abraham Lincoln University. They're both around the 40-50k mark in total, and both are based on the California bar. Concord is regionally accredited and ALU is DEAC accredited only.

Does anyone know of any similar online juris doctorates that are actually affordable?

I have found several scholarships available for law students, such as through the ABA itself and similar organizations, but the majority only offer them based on ethnic background and require people to be ethnic minorities to qualify, which I am not. Somehow I am supposed to be able to afford an insane amount of cash for law school when federal funding won't cover 1/4 of most schools in reality. I'm not sure what they expect but I can see that law is definitely for the 1%.

[jsd]

NWCU Law is only $3,900/year and is CalBar accredited (though no regional or institutional accreditation)

American International School of Law is probably the absolute cheapest at $2,975 first year, $2,075 years 2-4. But they are not CalBar accredited so you'd have to take the baby bar (and honestly their website doesn't give me much confidence in the school).

Keep in mind if you're planning to practice outside of California, you really need to do your research because these California online law programs (including Concord and ALU) have very little utility outside of the state.

[Randyb100]

NWCU Law is only $3,900/year and is CalBar accredited (though no regional or institutional accreditation)

American International School of Law is probably the absolute cheapest at $2,975 first year, $2,075 years 2-4. But they are not CalBar accredited so you'd have to take the baby bar (and honestly their website doesn't give me much confidence in the school).

Keep in mind if you're planning to practice outside of California, you really need to do your research because these California online law programs (including Concord and ALU) have very little utility outside of the state.

Thanks. I found this link that shows law reciprocity by state.

My issue is financial aid. I see that NWCU is extremely cheap, and I will be limited to CalBar, but Concord has several accounts of people being allowed to practice law in other states. I may end up just doing a master's and then this later since it won't help me in my professional life much where a master's will.

[jsd]

You'll notice none of those states have defacto reciprocity with CA. 20 something States will allow you to sit for their bar, but only after you pass the CA bar and practice in California for 3-5 years and/or complete an ABA Master of Law degree. Then there are states like WV and Texas, NY that ban fully online law degrees outright (though now that some ABA schools are fully online, they might change that to allow those ABA schools - but doubtful they'll extend that to calbar).

The states that allow Concord will also allow NWCU, but for both you'll generally need to plan on practicing in CA for a few years with little exception.

[ss20ts]

You'll notice none of those states have defacto reciprocity with CA. 20 something States will allow you to sit for their bar, but only after you pass the CA bar and practice in California for 3-5 years and/or complete an ABA Master of Law degree. Then there are states like WV and Texas, NY that ban fully online law degrees outright (though now that some ABA schools are fully online, they might change that to allow those ABA schools - but doubtful they'll extend that to calbar).

The states that allow Concord will also allow NWCU,  but for both you'll generally need to plan on practicing in CA for a few years with little exception.

I don't know if NY will ever accept an online JD to sit for the Bar. They're so freaking picky about anything requiring a license. I know several people who have earned a JD, but never became lawyers nor did they sit for the Bar. In this case, an online law degree is fine, but you can't practice law in many states with it.

[Randyb100]

Do any of these have Title IV funding? I will need grad loans.

[armado]

Guglielmo Marconi University DBA delivered by Eaton Business School only for $15k.
Any buddy familiar with Eaton Business School ?

[jsd]

Do any of these have Title IV funding? I will need grad loans.

The cheaper CA law schools generally don't because they're either not NA/RA (Like NWCU or AISOL), or because they intentionally opt out to keep overhead low. You could go with the more expensive ones like Concord for that, I suppose. I know nothing about Title IV funding, so I'm not sure if it makes more sense to got ot a more expensive school but have some of it covered, or just go to the cheaper school in the first place.

Guglielmo Marconi University DBA delivered by Eaton Business School only for $15k.
Any buddy familiar with Eaton Business School  ?

I'd recommend posting this question in a relevant thread (or start a new one).  Not many people are coming to a JD thread to discuss DBAs.

[SophiaPrincess]

California has the toughest bar exam in the nation. Most applicants never pass. Many attorneys from ABA approved schools are unemployed/underemployed due to the glut of lawyers. ABA is gradually accepting hybrid online programs with a significant in person component.

Fastest way to gain employment as an attorney is a foreign online law degree from a country acceptable to your target state. You will still be required to pass the bar.

[berlinerd]

Fastest way to gain employment as an attorney is a foreign online law degree from a country acceptable to your target state. You will still be required to pass the bar.

Are you sure? Significant number, if not most, state bar associations will still require ABA-approved LLM (in person or mostly in person) to be even allowed to sit the bar. And some of them require your first degree to be from common law jurisdiction or you are not eligible (say, all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, or Quebec, or China, Japan, all Latin America except Belize etc are not eligible). And, some of them will deny you eligibility to sit bar if you have eligible first degree but it was online. Here is ABA's list (page 26), not much (if anything) has changed since 2021. 

As California allows you to sit California bar if you are a licensed attorney in any country/jurisdiction in the world, a viable option is, let's say, get a license in England and Wales and then sit California bar. Other than that there is not much of pathways if you are not a qualified lawyer in any country in the world. Kind of vicious circle.