In 2020, College Consensus engaged the American Bar Association to better understand the long standing requirement for residential classwork at ABA approved law schools. At the time, the ABA had recently allowed several law schools to experiment with “hybrid” Juris Doctorate programs that combined online and remote classwork with shorter residential periods to satisfy the residency requirement that has been a hallmark of legal education for a century. However, during our interview, the ABA acknowledged that the unprecedented COVID pandemic might change the landscape of legal education. Four years later, that change appears to be happening.
Today, the ABA accredits 5 programs that are completely online, distance programs without any residency requirement. These J.D. programs blend together synchronous classes (live classes with a set schedule) with student directed learning (a.k.a. “asynchronous” learning). This approach reflects broader changes in education. In the post-pandemic world, students and teachers are more comfortable engaging in online classes. Additionally, the pandemic introduced students of all ages to technology skills (web cameras, Zoom meetings, remote work) that are critical to success in remote education.
ABA accredited distance programs offer a new path to a Juris Doctorate that removes geographic and time barriers for potential lawyers. In general, these programs are targeted at students with full-time careers or other obligations that make traditional residential coursework impossible. Remote J.D. programs are also generally more affordable than traditional programs. But note that program length is notably flexible. While most online programs are designed to be completed in 4 years, each student’s unique circumstances will determine the actual length of completing the J.D. program.
How We Ranked the Top Online Law Degree Programs
In order to rank these 5 programs, we focused on the two most critical objective outcome measures for these programs: (1) first-time bar passage rates and (2) employment. We pulled this data from the American Bar Association’s mandatory disclosures that their member schools must final each year. Since remote J.D. programs are largely targeted for working professionals, these criteria best reflect the most crucial goal of most law students: passing the bar in their respective jurisdiction and finding a job in their field.
While attending law school in Hawaii may seem like a dream come true for many, the law school at the University of Hawaii Williams S. Richardson School of Law also offers a JD Flex program that can be completed 100% online. Under the JD Flex program, students earn their degree in a total of four years. While working on their degree, students learn from a faculty of professors renowned for their diversity. The Richardson School of Law has twice been recognized by The Princeton Review for having the most “diverse” faculty in the country. In fact, the JD Flex programs is a reflection of the school’s long-standing commitment to removing barriers to legal education especially since these barriers more often tend to effect minorities and lower income students. The JD Flex program at the Richardson School of Law provides student with round-the-clock technical support as well as traditional classroom environments where students can engage in the “Socratic method” that is a hallmark of a traditional J.D. programs.
The JD Flex program also continues the law school’s commitment to affordable legal education by offering discounted rates for both in-state students and members of the military as well as a wide range of scholarship and financial aid opportunities.
First Time Bar Passage Rate: 69.14%
Employment after 10 months: 96.73%
Length of Program: 4 years; 89 credit hours
Costs: $933 per credit hour (resident), $1,909 per credit hour (non-resident)
Admissions: law.hawaii.edu/academics/jd-juris-doctor-program/onlinejd/
St. Mary’s University School of Law is the first program in the country to offer a completely online Juris Doctorate Program approved by the American Bar Association. The program works exceptionally because of its small capacity–only 25 students are admitted each year. The small size allows online law students to take advantage of a St. Mary’s School of Law vast network of career and academic counseling as well as networking and employment opportunities. Online students also can transition seamlessly to in-person learning if and when appropriate but the core degree requires no residential learning. Like residential students, online students must complete 90 hours of coursework to earn their Juris Doctorate. The online curriculum is, as expected, notably flexible but allows students to complete their online degree in as little as three years depending on their career and familial demands. All students in the online program enjoy the same access to St. Mary’s Office of Career Strategy personnel as well as tailored academic advising and student services.
Tuition for the online program mirrors the part-time residential program as students are free to take advantage of both the online and residential programs. Of course, the online program offers students tremendous savings in living expenses.
First Time Bar Passage Rate: 73.47%
Employment after 10 months: 86.36%
Length of Program: 4 years, 90 credit hours
Costs: $1,513 per credit hour
Admissions: law.stmarytx.edu/admission/applying-j-d/
With a long history of legal education in the Cleveland area, Case Western Reserve School of Law now offers a fully online J.D program that is accredited by the American Bar Association. The hallmark of the program is flexibility. The online program is both fully remote and part-time which is perfectly suited for the program’s target student–a working professional. Online students at Case Western School of Law learn from the school’s highly ranked residential faculty as well as access to Case Western’s award winning experiential learning opportunities. Experiential learning can occur either on the law school’s campus or in remote locations. In either case, the school’s experiential programs equip graduates–online or residential–for the practice of law after they graduate. Remote students also have the opportunity to participate in traditionally “on-campus” legal pursuits such as writing for one of the school’s legal journals or participating in moot court.
Graduates of Case Western’s online program, perhaps most importantly, enjoy being alumni of one of the first schools accredited by the American Bar Association. The school’s extensive alumni network and long-standing history help all graduates find employment.
First Time Bar Passage Rate: 72.09%
Employment after 10 months: 83.05%
Length of Program: 4.5 to 6 years, 88 credit hours
Costs: $2,613 per credit hour
Admissions: case.edu/law/admissions/jd-admissions/online-jd-program
The online program at the Ohio Northern University Petite College of Law offers a complete Juris Doctorate program that mirrors the school’s traditional program at a fraction of the cost. The program is designed to be completed over the course of 11 semesters (including summer semesters) through four years. The online program at Petite College of Law blends both asynchronous and live classwork taught by the same faculty as the residential program. To ensure success, the program is notably small so that all online students receive adequate attention that ensures success. This support extends beyond the classroom as online students also have access to the same career counseling, students services, and students organizations as residential students.
Ohio Northern has also been a leader in affordable legal education for some time. The law school has one of the lowest debt-to-income ratios in the region. The online program continues this tradition by offering online students an even more affordable option.
First Time Bar Passage Rate: 72.17%
Employment after 10 months: 72.22%
Length of Program: Four years, 90 credit hours
Costs: $1,415 per credit hour
Admissions: law.onu.edu/academics/online-jd-program
The Southwestern Law School has long been known for its part-time program that allowed residents of Los Angeles to attend law school on a flexible schedule. Now, the school’s completely online program extends that opportunity to student’s all over the country. The program at Southwestern is carefully designed to allow remote interaction between faculty and students so that “online” learning feels in-person. The program can also be completed in a full or part time schedule adding to its flexibility. Students not only attend online classes at Southwestern Law, they have access to the school’s vast network of hands-on legal learning opportunities. Online students can learn from the school’s award winning experiential programs either in the Los Angeles area or anywhere in the country. Like its residential program, Southwestern Law School’s online Juris Doctorate program seeks to graduate “practice ready” attorneys.
The school is also noteworthy for its entertainment law programs and alumni. Billboard Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter have named SWLA one of the best entertainment and media law schools. You’ll also benefit from a dedicated career counselor for help in job placement once you graduate. Some SWLA alumni include notable attorneys such as Marcia Clark, Gloria Alred, Tom Bradley, and others.
First Time Bar Passage Rate: 64.00%
Employment after 10 months: 81.20%
Length of Program: 3 to 4 years, 87 credit hours
Costs: $2,024 per credit hour
Admissions: swlaw.edu/Online
Are Online Law Schools Accredited?
This gets complicated. The answer is yes and no. Traditionally, online law degrees weren’t accredited, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, that’s beginning to change.
Law schools are accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), but there are limitations to accrediting online law programs. The ABA has been slow to embrace online legal studies, but that’s slowly changing. Schools can offer one-third of the required credit hours for distance education but need to request a waiver from the bar association. The ABA doesn’t accredit programs offered entirely online but has begun issuing releases for hybrid programs. In January 2022, the American Bar Association (ABA) published a guide explaining online law school accreditation.
There are several hybrid J.D. programs through distance education that are ABA-approved for accreditation, and only one 100% online, test program. Earning a J.D. degree in a distance education program may hamper your ability to sit for the bar in some states. U.S. News and World Report published an article that indicated that a 100% online test program at St. Mary’s University School of Law was approved for accreditation in or around September 2022.
Below are schools currently accredited by the ABA for some form of distance education:
University of Dayton School of Law
Loyola Law School (Los Angeles)
Mitchell Hamline College of Law
University of New Hampshire School of Law
Northeastern University School of Law
St. Mary’s University School of Law (100% online. Approved for accreditation September 2022 per U.S. News and World Report)
Seattle University School of Law
South Texas College of Law-Houston
Suffolk University Law School
Syracuse University College of Law
Vermont Law School
How Long Will an Online Law Degree Take?
Online law degrees haven’t become mainstream like other professional degrees, and the right one for you may be hard to find, but that’s slowly changing. Like part-time programs, these degrees can take up to four to five years to complete, a year more than the usual three years of on-campus students.
Of course, the time commitment to an online program will depend on whether you enroll full-time or in a part-time program. Family and work obligations may interfere, and scheduling the classes you need may be difficult.
So, including your undergraduate degree, an online law degree can take up to 8-10 years.
Can I Take the Bar with an Online Degree?
Delaware was the first state, or colony, to administer a legal bar exam in 1763, and it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the formal American Bar Association was created. Formalized examination of legal knowledge began in the 20th century.
If you don’t have a law degree from an ABA-accredited college or school of law, you probably won’t be eligible to sit for the bar exam. That said, some states, notably Vermont, California, Virginia, and Washington, don’t require you to go to law school at all, let alone an ABA-accredited one. To practice law in the United States, however, you must pass the bar to be licensed.
