What Is Concord Law School? ⚖️

Concord Law School is an online law school that operates as part of Kaplan University (now Purdue University Global). It represents one of the earliest and most established distance-learning legal education models in the United States. To understand what it is and how it fits into the law school landscape, you need to know how online legal education works, what accreditation means, and what different types of law degrees can lead to.

The Core Model: Online Legal Education

Concord Law School offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree entirely through distance learning. This means students complete coursework, participate in classes, and engage with professors and classmates through an online platform rather than attending a physical campus.

The school was founded in 1998 and has operated for more than two decades as an experiment in whether quality legal education could be delivered remotely. This matters because traditional law school has almost always been an in-person experience, and many people in the legal profession questioned whether that model could translate to distance learning.

Concord's existence raised important questions: Can you learn law effectively online? Will bar examiners and employers treat an online J.D. the same as a traditional one? The answers are nuanced and depend on several factors.

Accreditation: What It Means and Doesn't Mean

Concord Law School holds provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association (ABA). This is a critical distinction that shapes everything about the degree.

Provisional accreditation means the school meets baseline standards set by the ABA but operates under a conditional status. It does not carry the same weight or permanence as full accreditation. Schools typically hold provisional status for a set period while they build enrollment, infrastructure, and track record.

What accreditation actually guarantees:

  • The school meets minimum ABA standards for curriculum, faculty qualifications, and student support
  • Graduates are eligible to sit for bar exams in every U.S. state (assuming they meet other requirements)
  • The degree is legally recognized as a law degree

What it does not guarantee:

  • Employer preference or recognition
  • Employment outcomes
  • Bar passage rates
  • That the school will maintain its accreditation status indefinitely

The provisional status matters because some employers, particularly large law firms and government agencies, may be more cautious about hiring graduates from provisionally accredited schools compared to those with full accreditation.

Bar Eligibility vs. Bar Success

A crucial distinction: Concord graduates can sit for the bar exam, but bar passage rates vary.

All ABA-accredited law schools must publicly report their bar passage rates. Concord's rates have historically been lower than those of traditional law schools. This reflects several factors:

  • Distance-learning students may have different baseline academic preparation
  • Online delivery may not suit all learning styles
  • The student population differs from traditional law schools in age, work experience, and motivation
  • Bar passage depends partly on how thoroughly students mastered the material and partly on individual test-taking ability

Any prospective student should research and compare Concord's bar passage rates against schools in their state and schools serving similar student populations. This is publicly available data that should inform your decision.

Cost and Value Proposition

Concord's tuition is typically significantly lower than traditional law schools. This reflects the lower overhead of online delivery and the school's position in the market. However, lower tuition does not automatically equal better value—that depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

The calculation looks different for different people:

  • Career changers pursuing law degrees later in life, without expecting traditional law firm employment, may find the cost-to-outcome ratio reasonable
  • People already working in law-adjacent fields who need a J.D. for credential or advancement purposes may see real value
  • People hoping to secure large law firm employment would need to weigh lower tuition against potentially lower employer recognition and bar passage rates
  • People targeting specific bar exams in states with lower ABA law school representation might find geographic flexibility valuable

How Employers View Concord Graduates

This is where individual circumstances matter most.

Factors that influence employer perception:

  • Geographic location: In some markets, distance learning is more accepted than others
  • Employer type: Large national law firms tend to have more rigid hiring criteria than solo practitioners, small firms, or in-house legal departments
  • Your background: Prior work experience, connections, and demonstrated expertise can offset institutional prestige
  • Specific role: Some legal positions (compliance, contract review, legal operations) may prioritize experience and skills over school prestige; others (litigation, transaction work) may lean more heavily on school reputation
  • Bar passage success: Passing the bar on your first attempt strengthens your candidacy with any employer

Concord graduates have successfully launched legal careers. They have also faced skepticism from employers accustomed to traditional law school hierarchies. Both realities are true.

What You Need to Evaluate Before Choosing 📋

Bar passage performance: Request detailed pass rate data, broken down by jurisdiction if possible. Compare it to schools you're also considering.

Bar exam requirements in your target jurisdiction: Some states have specific rules about online legal education. Verify that your target state accepts Concord graduates without additional restrictions.

Your career goals: The path matters. If you're clear about what legal work you want to do and have a realistic plan for getting there, Concord may serve that goal. If you're hoping the law degree alone will open doors, you're taking on more risk with a distance-learning model.

Your learning style: Online legal education requires self-discipline, time management, and comfort with technology. It works well for some people and poorly for others. Be honest about which category you fall into.

Employment support and alumni network: Distance-learning schools typically have smaller and more dispersed alumni networks. Investigate what career services and mentorship resources Concord offers.

Total cost of attendance: Tuition is lower, but you'll still need to factor in living expenses while in school, bar exam costs, and opportunity costs of your time.

The Bigger Picture: Where Concord Fits

Concord represents a real alternative to traditional law school, not a replacement. It works best for people whose circumstances, goals, and learning preferences align with its model. It carries real trade-offs: lower cost, but lower employer recognition among elite employers; flexibility, but less campus community; proven accreditation, but provisional status rather than full.

The question isn't whether Concord is objectively "good" or "bad"—it's whether it's the right fit for your specific situation, goals, and constraints. Understanding what it is, how it's accredited, how its graduates perform on bar exams, and how employers view it gives you the information you need to make that decision.