Online Purdue Global Law School To Add Full-Time JD Program

ABA Journal, Purdue Global Will Add Full-Time JD Program, While 2 Small California Law Schools Will Close:

The State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners approved several policy changes regarding its state-accredited and unaccredited law schools, along with unveiling a new report detailing their outcomes at its June 21 meeting.

Purdue Global Law School, described as the oldest wholly online law school, received approval from the California regulators to add a full-time online JD program in January 2025 to its part-time program. Purdue Global is accredited by the State Bar of California. While the ABA does not accredit fully online law schools, the council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions is examining what standards would be necessary to do so. ...

[T]he committee approved two schools’ plans to close and others were cited with areas of noncompliance.

Family-owned Glendale University College of Law, a California-accredited law school, was granted permission to voluntarily close its doors September 1.

In addition, Irvine College of Law, a registered, unaccredited distance-learning law school, is moving forward with its decision to close voluntarily July 31. ...

This follows the May 31 closure of Peoples College of Law, an unaccredited law school. After 15 years of noncompliance issues, the committee in December announced its withdrawal of the Los Angeles-based school’s registration and termination of its degree-granting authority.

Meanwhile, two unaccredited law schools—Lincoln Law School of San Jose and the Pacific Coast University School of Law—were found to be out of compliance in more than a dozen areas each, and concerns regarding financial instability were mentioned in a report for each school. Both had their registrations renewed.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Concord Law School Dean Seeks Greater Credibility After Acquisition By Purdue University (Apr. 26, 2018)
• Purdue, Two Other Online Law Schools Receive California Accreditation (Aug. 26, 2020)
• Concord To Change Name To Purdue Global Law School; With $12,420 Tuition, Dean Will Not Seek To Become A Top 100 School Or ‘Horn In Indiana University’s Action’ (Aug. 11, 2023)
• ABA Proposes To Allow Accreditation Of Fully Online Law Schools Like Purdue (Nov. 18, 2023)
• ABA Proposal To Allow Accreditation Of Fully Online Law Schools Draws Overwhelming Support (Jan. 5, 2024)
• ABA Takes Another Step Toward Fully Online Law Schools (May 21, 2024)

Editor's Note:  If you would like to receive a daily email with links to legal education posts on TaxProf Blog, email me here.