States that admit non-ABA accredited law school grads?

July 29, 2009 4:59 PM

States that do not require an ABA accredited law degree to sit for the Bar exam?

Nashville School of Law allows students to sit for the Bar exam and practice in TN; however, it is not (and has never applied to be) ABA accredited. There are many practicing attorneys in TN who have graduated from this school. My question is what other States, if any, could a Nashville School of Law grad potentially practice in? My friend, whose stepmother teaches at the school, told me that there are a handful of states that a non-ABA law school grad can practice in after so many years of practicing law in their home State... Is this true? Anyone know which States those are?

Thanks for any information.

posted by roxie5 to Education (8 answers total)

In California, you just have to sit for the "baby-bar" after your first year as a law student if you go to a non-ABA accredited school. The details are here. There may be other ways to practice in CA, but I'm not sure what they are. I've worked with and known a lot of attorneys here that did not go to ABA-accredited schools.
posted by jabberjaw at 5:11 PM on July 29, 2009

You can do this in Vermont, but it's a fair amount of work.

Vermont has a “law office study” program to satisfy educational requirements in lieu of graduation from an approved law school. It requires not less than four years of study. That study is done in the law office and under the supervision of a Vermont attorney who has been admitted for at least three years at the time study commences....

With the approval of the Supreme Court and subject to the discretion of the Board, a four-year program can also be completed by:
(1) Attendance at an approved law school and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont, or
(2) Graduation or attendance at an unapproved law school and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont, or
(3) Law office study in another state that has an established program of law office study leading to admission and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont, or
(4) Admission in a foreign nation that is a common law jurisdiction and not less than two years of law office study in Vermont.
In addition, if you are admitted in another jurisdiction at the time of application in Vermont, the approved law school requirement may not apply.

posted by jessamyn at 5:13 PM on July 29, 2009

This chart (click on first google link -- .pdf) seems to answer your question, although it's a few years out of date. I couldn't find a more updated version.
posted by hhc5 at 5:21 PM on July 29, 2009

Sorry. Here's the updated chart. Click on the .pdf link on the right, see page 10
posted by hhc5 at 5:24 PM on July 29, 2009

I was thinking there might be some online JD programs that were bar accredited, but looking at this page it looks like there are none, but that California allows people to sit for the bar who have taken online courses. That article has a lot of information on passing the bar without an accredited JD.
posted by delmoi at 6:08 PM on July 29, 2009

I was thinking there might be some online JD programs

The ABA, if I recall correctly, requires X number of hours of in-classroom study such that an online law school cannot ever be accredited under current guidelines.
posted by toomuchpete at 7:24 PM on July 29, 2009

My uncle went to an un-accredited law school in CA and did the whole baby-bar thing and now is a successful family law attorney.
posted by radioamy at 7:45 PM on July 29, 2009

Try this from the National Conference of Bar Examiners
posted by mcroft at 3:55 AM on July 30, 2009