Unlike in most countries, law is a graduate program of study in the U.S. To practice law, you must pass the bar exam of a state or territory. And nearly every state requires lawyers to have a J.D. Foreign lawyers may qualify in many states with an LL.M. degree.
Whether they are coming straight from college or from the workforce, J.D. applicants usually have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. But what about applicants who have only an associate degree? Will law schools accept them as well?
This question doesn’t have a simple answer — each state bar sets its own requirements.
[Read: What Law School Applicants Should Know About the Bar Exam.]
How to Determine Whether Your State Bar Requires a Bachelor’s Degree
Each state bar posts the rules for eligibility online. For a general reference, see this compendium of state rules by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Be sure to check the rules for bar eligibility in the state where you plan to practice law, not where you currently live or plan to attend law school.
Currently, 17 states set specific education requirements besides a J.D. Some of those clearly cover associate degrees. California and Michigan require only two years of undergraduate study, for example. Maryland and North Carolina merely require bar applicants to satisfy the educational requirements for admission to an accredited law school.
On the other hand, 13 states require a four-year bachelor’s degree, including some with major legal markets like Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania. New Hampshire and Nevada require three years of undergraduate study.
Which Law Schools Allow Applicants With an Associate Degree?
Even if an associate degree satisfies the rules of the state in which you plan to practice law, be sure to check the requirements of the law schools that you plan to apply to. Many law schools set stricter eligibility requirements than the bar.
[READ: Advice for Law School Applicants With STEM Backgrounds.]
Schools post these requirements on their websites, but you can always call or email their admissions departments to confirm.
Some employers or legal specializations may also have specific educational requirements. For example, the patent bar requires a bachelor’s degree, which must be either in a scientific field or supplemented by classes or experience that demonstrate knowledge of science or engineering.
If a law school that accepts applicants with associate degrees is not accredited by the American Bar Association or out of compliance, be cautious. Some states like California will allow you to qualify for the bar after attending an unaccredited school, but it’s essential to make sure your tuition money isn’t wasted.
Advice for Law School Applicants With an Associate Degree
If you’re able to apply to law school with your associate degree, use your application materials to showcase academic skills like reading, writing, reasoning and oral communication.
Even if your transcript doesn’t show low grades, be sure to secure excellent recommendation letters from your professors, and present a strong resume and personal statement.
[Read: College Classes That Best Prepare You for Law School.]
Some universities offer an accelerated B.A.-J.D. program, which allows eligible undergraduates to transition from college to law school a year early.
California and Oregon offer a path to practice law without a bachelor’s degree or a J.D. through a supervised legal apprenticeship. These programs vary in their details but generally require many hours of self-study and practice within a law office. Vermont, Virginia and Washington also offer such a program but require participants to have a bachelor’s degree.
Just to be safe, you may want to transfer to a four-year program to show you can handle rigorous classroom work, including major papers and other academic research projects. Law school classes aren’t easy, so it’s important to be prepared for the work ahead.
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What to Know About Applying to Law School With an Associate Degree originally appeared on usnews.com
