Web Law Degree Graduate Beats The Bar-Tenders In Massachusetts

I am not sure I would yet feel confident in attending an online law school as opposed to a good old brick and mortar school.  Sure it is cheaper.  Sure it is more flexible and accommodating.  But, there is no guarantee that most states will let you take the bar exam and be licensed to practice and, even if there is an outside chance, who wants to go to the trouble of this guy.

This guy is Ross Mitchell of Newton, Massachusetts.  According to the Boston Herald, Mr. Mitchell graduated from Concord Law School, which is an online law school owned by the for-profit Kaplan.  He went to Concord because the cost of a three-year legal education traditionally runs $100,000.00 and online he could achieve the same thing for $38,000 and still maintain his day job as a computer consultant.

Mr. Mitchell graduated from Concord in 2004 and passed the California bar, which is no easy task.  But, he learned that he could not take the bar in Massachusetts because he did not graduate from an ABA approved law school.  He asked Massachusetts to change the rule, but the bar-tenders refused.  So, last fall he represented himself pro se in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the rule.  He prevailed in a 6 to 1 decision.

Now Mr. Mitchell has apparently taken and passed the Massachusetts bar exam.

Comments

[WDF]

That is a hoot. Well done Mr. Mitchell.

[Michael Hand]

Massachusetts does not require ABA accredation of law schools to take the bar exam.

Several schools in MA are non-aba accredited schools and graduates take the bar upon successful completion of their JD programs

[Patrick H. Stiehm]

Many of the Bar Tenders, as you call them Chuck, seem to be guilty of being narrow, ridged and unimaginative in their application of the rules. In my state, the Commonwealth of Virginia, they recently denied admission to an accomplished and seasoned attorney, with a national reputation,in his chosen field of practice, because he had not graduated from an ABA approved law school. His law school was at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. That university and its law school are older than both the ABA and the Commonwealth of Virginia. It has been turning out distinguished lawyers for centuries, but has not been approved by the ABA. Go figure!