Certification? Of what? Attorneys? There will never be a
national standard. The states like their autonomy, and other
states charge more than others for bar exams and attorney
registrations.
As for whether it matters to the public, I think what you are
saying is hogwash. The average joe probably thinks the
paralegal they are speaking to at a law office is an attorney
(I give people a lot of credit, but law can be confusing, just
ask a Harvard Law student).
Student loans? Just enroll at a school like West Coast, where
you will spend no more than $1500 a year for a grand total of
$6,000 to take the bar exam. Is it Harvard? No. Will people
respect you any less if you own your own one man practice? Not
a bit. Do they care at the DA's office (and yes, there are
hundreds in California who went the correspondence or law
office study route). Get real. No one cares unless you really
care about having the corner office in some schmoozy law firm
where you have 2600 billable hours a year. Wake up and smell
the coffee.
More than ten U.S. presidents, a current Vermont Supreme Court
Justice, and a law professor at UCLA all became lawyers without
setting foot in a classroom. Didn't seem to matter to them. Why
does it matter to you? I would like to hear your answer. Why
does it matter to YOU personally. Not the ABA, but to YOU.
CP
On 10/22/07, D McCaig wrote:
> On 8/14/07, LP wrote:
>> "It seems like this particular night school is
>> new and NOT accredited".
>>
>> "My question is that once you get out into the real world,
>> does that really matter in the eyes of employers or the
>> public"?
>>
>> Yes it does matter, Even simple certification is moving
> towards accreditation by the ABA (American Bar Association)
> or an ABA approved school. If you are only looking for
> accreditation for the school itself, this can make a
> difference in any student loans you may seek. Regardless of
> what you are seeking Accreditation is the credibility of the
> school or institution to teach and administer recognized
> courses and protocols specific for the degree you are
> seeking.