<p>I'm an old lawyer who is appalled at the current cost of law school tuition. I think that it is a very bad thing that a young person seeking to enter the legal profession has to take on a huge amount of debt simply to complete the required education to take the bar. Here in California ABA certified law schools charge from $40K to $55K per year tuition - including the state university law schools. Three years of law school at those prices puts a young person who doesn't come from a wealthy family in a big hole starting out in a career where most jobs start at $50 to $60K per year - and less - if you can find one.</p>
<p>But California allows would-be lawyers to take the bar after 4 years of alternative study - at non-ABA accredited law schools, studying with a judge or lawyer, or on-line or correspondence courses. And those who pass the bar can practice law in this state, and those who don't, can't. This got me thinking. I know here on CC everyone is obsessed with "T14" law schools, and assumes that they'll be in the top 10% of their class, etc. But, in fact, most lawyers don't attend T14 schools and 90% - well, you get my point. And in my experience even those who obtain those credentials aren't guaranteed a successful or rewarding legal career. I've seen very good lawyers from "third tier" law schools, and terrible ones from T14 schools. Good and successful lawyers make their own career success through their work once they become lawyers. Others fall by the wayside. I've known many lawyers, from all sorts of law schools, who dropped out of the profession for one reason or another over the years. So why not simply take the alternative course of action, even if it takes an extra year, and save a ton of money early in life? Four-year State Bar approved online legal educations are available for as little as $4000 per year. And while the bar passing rates of the alternative schools are lower - ~20% of "alternative" first time takers pass the bar vs. 75% of ABA school graduates - my assessment is that passing the bar, for which a separate prep course is virtually mandatory, depends more on the person than their law school. </p>
<p>Needless to say, the 20% of alternative students who pass the bar with minimal debt are in a much better position than the 25% of conventional grads who don't pass and are facing six-figure student loans coming due. Seems to me, if you're not a T14 candidate (and you're planning on practicing in California) it's not an unwise alternative.</p>
<p>What do you think?</p>