An online law school graduate recently made the news when he sued the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners and won the right to take the state bar exam.

Like a sonic boom, it has rocked the legal education community.

Ross Mitchell, an online school graduate of Concord Law School, passed the California bar exam in 2004. But since Concord is not approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), Mitchell was not eligible to practice law outside of California and could not sit for the bar exam in other states.

However, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in Mitchell’s favor and made an exception after reviewing his excellent academic record.

The decision comes at a time that the American Bar Association is preparing to perform a comprehensive review, which will include an thorough assessment of online law schools. Mitchell’s success in this case may open up the opportunity for other exemplary e-learning law school grads to challenge the ABA requirements for taking state bar exams.

Concord Law School, Mitchell’s alma mater, is a fully online law school. It is recognized by the California Bar Association; so graduates may sit for the California bar exam and, if they pass, practice law in California. However, the ABA does not recognize any law degree that is completely earned by distance learning.

And although Concord Law School is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, it is not approved by the ABA because it is an online law degree.

Some states outside of California allow Concord Law School graduates to sit for the bar exam if the candidate has passed the California bar exam and has worked as a lawyer for five years. But other states, like Minnesota, do not allow graduates to sit for the bar exam.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court made a step in the right direction to insure fairness for graduates of reputable online schools like Concord Law School.

Maybe the ABA will follow suit.

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The Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego has trekked into the wilderness of ABA-approved online law degrees. It has created the first online law degree to be offered by an ABA-approved school – ever.

As online schools change the landscape of college options, the American Bar Association (ABA) has watched from the sidelines, carefully considering whether any online law program is worthy of its approval. Until recently, none has met the ABA’s tough standards. This has concerned those who feel that student entry into law school has become elitist, with a lack of adequate representation of women and minorities.

But now, the Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) offers an online degree — the LL.M., or Master of Laws degree. The focus of this advanced law degree is on international tax and financial services, with a line-up of distinguished law professors and an interactive format designed to intertwine the latest educational technology with top legal talent.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law seeks to be a pioneer in utilizing faculty excellence and a well-engineered multimedia program to bring the training of lawyers into the technology forefront, introducing the opening up of new options for those who wish to make a difference by extending justice and legal expertise where it is needed.

Although TJSL’s online degree is pricey at roughly $1,000 a unit, the school has constructed a successful model for future online law degree programs.

This taming of the online law school wilderness by TJSL and others will hopefully lead to an opening up of online legal education to those who are qualified and motivated to make a positive difference in their communities and the world.

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