Law school accreditation
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the definition of accreditation is "to recognize (an educational institution) as maintaining standards that qualify graduates for admission to higher or more specialized institutions or for professional practice. "Schools of law in general, are divided into three categories of accreditation, American Bar Association (ABA) accredited, state accredited or unaccredited.
Accreditation ABA – According to the American Bar Association, "Law schools approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) provide a legal education that meets a minimum set of standards promulgated by the ABA. Each jurisdiction in the United States has determined that graduates of approved law schools-ABA are capable of sit at the bar in their respective jurisdictions. The role of ABA as a national accreditation body for accreditation has become unified and national in scope rather than fragmented, with the possibility of inconsistency, among the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and other territories. The Council of the Section of Legal Education ABA and Admissions to the Bar of the United States is the Department of Education recognizes the accreditation agency's programs that lead to the first professional degree in law. The approval process for law school established by the Council is designed to provide a careful and thorough assessment of a law school and compliance with the Standards for Approval of Law Schools. "
State accreditation – Most states have their own accreditation processes and in most cases give accreditation status to ABA accredited schools. However, there are many law schools that for one reason or another not meet all ABA accredition. Some of these schools, however, conform to the requirements of States. Note: State requirements can vary by state. If a school meets state requirements can apply to that state for state accreditation.
Not accredited – According to the College of State Bar of California "An unaccredited law school is an operation such as law school in the State of California that is neither accredited nor approved by the Committee, but must be registered with the Committee and to comply with the requirements contained in Rules XIX and XX of the Admission Rules, applicable provisions of the Rules of Court California and the relevant sections of the California Business and Professions Code. A law school operating wholly outside of California is unaccredited unless it has sought and received accreditation from the Committee or provisionally or fully approved by the Bar Association of the United States. "Standards in many other states are the same.
ost states require M meet certain requirements before being eligible to take up his diploma. The California Bar Association states that "To be eligible to take the bar exam in California, you must have completed at least two years of college before beginning the study of the law or should have happened that require college-level equivalency examinations program before you start studying law and must have graduated from a school of law adopted by the American Bar Association or accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The Bar of California or have completed four years of studying law at a law school accredited or registered mail with the Committee or studied law at a law firm or chambers judge in accordance with the Rules Regulating Admission to practice law in California. "Most states have similar requirements.
L to the above suggests that many states do not allow non-ABA accredited law schools of the State graduates to take their bar examination, unless he went to school in this state or a school that is certified for that state. Thus graduates of ABA accredited law schools do not can not be allowed to practice in any state other than the state when he attended school. Note: Some states have reciprocity agreements with other states allowing attorneys registered in a state of becoming a member of the bar in another state without taking a bar examination in the new state.
N otwithstanding above, there are many good law schools in this country that are not ABA accredited. Additionally, many ABA accredited schools do not offer evening or part-time classes. Finally, there are many more applicants than spaces available in ABA accredited schools, forcing many good students to attend other schools. Therefore, accreditation should not be your only criterion in choosing a law school or deceiding whether or not to hire a law graduate of the school in particular.
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About the Author
David G. Hallstrom, Sr. is a retired private investigator and
currently publishes several internet directories including http://www.resourcesforattorneys.com a
legal and lifestyle resources directory for attorneys, lawyers
and the internet public.
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