In October 1998, 33 students began the online program. By July 2006, 100 students had passed the California Bar. The merger of Concord into Kaplan University in late 2007 made Concord the first online law school to be part of a regionally accredited university. As the first fully online law school in the United States, the concept of Concord initially drew criticism from the legal establishment, including U.S. Supreme Court JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg. In June 2016, Martin Pritikin joined Concord Law School as its dean. In 2017, Purdue University, a public university based in Indiana, announced the acquisition of Kaplan University with the aim of making a nonprofit institution and a new online university, Purdue University Global. The acquisition was completed in March 2018 and as a result, the university is now known as Purdue University Global. However, for-profit Kaplan Higher Education still has a 30-year contract to serve Purdue Global.
Accreditation status
Concord is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the California State Bar as an unaccredited law school. Because of the law school's status as an unaccredited distance learning law school by the State Bar, Concord students must take and pass California's First-year Law Students' Examination, colloquially called the "Baby Bar," after their first year of law study. Students may progress to advanced law courses and eventually sit for California's State Bar Examination once they have passed the Baby Bar. Concord Law School is not accredited by the American Bar Association and has not sought approval by the ABA.
Bar pass rate
Concord's pass rate for the July 2019 sitting of the California bar exam was 29% for first-time takers and 17% for repeat takers, compared to 64% and 27% overall pass rates, respectively.
Faculty
The Concord Law School lists 19 faculty: four deans, six professors, and nine adjuncts.
Degrees offered
Concord offers two Juris Doctor law degrees. The recipients of the regular J.D. degree who pass the California Bar Examination and otherwise meet theCalifornia State Bar requirements are admitted to the bar and can practice law in California. California bar licensees may practice in most federal courts outside of California, and may work as in-house counsel in out-of-state corporations, among other roles. Recipients of the Executive Juris Doctor are not eligible to take the bar examination. The J.D. program is a 92-unit, four-year program. Students are required to complete at least 22-24 units of coursework between 48 and 52 consecutive weeks each year. Graduates of this program meet the legal education requirement of the Committee of Bar Examiners, State Bar of California and may apply for admission to the State Bar of California. The Concord Law School offers an Executive J.D. degree for a 72-unit, three-year program. This degree stirred controversy, with Buzzfeed News reporting that students were misled into thinking the degree would allow them to practice as attorneys. Higher education experts raised concerns about the value of the degree, saying it was misleading for students.
Cost
Tuition at Concord Law School is approximately $47,748 for its four-year JD program.
Employment
Concord’s website reads, ‘’Concord Law School cannot guarantee employment or career advancement,’’ and no employment information is provided. With a few notable exceptions, graduates cannot practice law outside the State of California. In November 2008, Ross Mitchell, a 2004 Concord graduate who had been admitted to the California bar, sued for and won the right to take the Massachusetts bar exam, which is normally open only to graduates of ABA accredited law schools. In a 6-1 decision, the state's Supreme Judicial Court ruled for Mitchell, citing his excellent law school record and the ability to represent himself and properly present his case. The court also ruled on equitable grounds, noting that under the ABA standards it would have been impossible for Concord to have received accreditation, regardless of the quality of its educational offerings. Mitchell subsequently passed the Massachusetts bar exam in February 2009.
