Online JD Program at a glance:

A Juris Doctor or abbreviated JD is the latin term for Doctor of Law. A JD degree is obtained to pursue a career as a lawyer. Students will go on to obtain a JD degree following a bachelor of law degree and then take another three to four years to complete.

American Bar Association approved law schools will require a bachelor degree in order to be admitted and typically a competitive LSAT score. There are several non ABA law schools offering online JD degrees and do not require a bachelor’s degree to enroll.  JD graduate students must pass the American Bar exam to go on to practice law. A JD degree is different than a L.L.M degree which is considered a more advanced, specialized degree which follows the JD.

A JD degree can open more doors to the different branches of law one can practice. Students can pick from several specialized areas such as:

• Corporate Law
• Tax Law
• Civil litigation
• Family law
• Criminal Law
• Constitutional Law
• Labor and Employment Law
• International Law
• Property Law

An online JD degree can also lead to non-traditional legal careers in non-profit sectors, advocacy groups, community legal services or government policy. Students who choose to further their education and earn a master’s degree as well, go on to teach in universities. An online JD degree can also be beneficial for business owners or people who seek political office.

An online JD degree can boost your earnings. The average salary for a lawyer is about $86,000 but many make well over six figures. An Online JD degree program offers the same rigor as a traditional campus law school but provides both flexibility and convenience to students. An Online JD degree program typically give students several levels of law education and give students the opportunity to take the bar exam.

Typical Required Courses:

• Civil Procedure
• Constitutional Law
• Contracts
• Criminal Law
• Property
• Torts
• Lawyer Skills

Other Course offerings:

• Accounting for Lawyers
• Administrative Law
• Advanced California Criminal Evidence
• American Legal History
• Antitrust
• Bankruptcy
• Biotechnology Law
• Business Planning
• Child Rights and Remedies
• Patents and Trade Secrets
• Trademark Law
• Trusts and Estates

About Tuition:

Tuition can be considerably less than attending a traditional law school and can average around $9,000 a year. It should be noted nearly every state in the U.S. now requires a JD degree in order to be admitted to the bar.