Earning college credits over the next 2 years.

[spaceycowboy]

I'm currently enrolled at a law school that grants a Bachelors in Legal Studies after you complete year 2 assuming you have completed a minimum of 60 or more acceptable college semester units or 90 quarter units, or the equivalent, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 at an accredited or state approved school, to be eligible for admission.

Can I take a bunch of CLEPs and have those converted to college credit and then obtain a transcript from one of the Big 3 which I give to my school to obtain my Bachelors?

Can this be done?

Thanks
Dave

[Vaeal]

You dont need to convert cleps. Just list your law school as the destination school and when you take the CLEP they will send the transcript to your school. As far as getting a 120 credit degree for 60 credits, that depends on your school and their own policies (including how many credits can be transfered in). I done think any of the big 3 will provide you any advantage.

Then again, im still learning this process. Maybe one of the veterens knows something I have yet to discover!

[hightecrebel]

If I'm interpreting what I'm reading correctly, the school you are attending has a two year legal course and you need 60+ credits from RA school to begin, correct? If that is so, then a general studies AA from TESC should work. I'd confirm it with an advisor/registrar at your school first, though. If a 2.0 GPA is required, you might need to complete a course as well to have a GPA

[swalke321]

You'll want to check with your school. Each school handles transfer credits differently. It looks like it might depend on how the school transfers credits in (as a block of credits or individual courses) and whether they consider CLEPs to be acceptable credits.

[GoodYellowDogs]

Which one are you going to?

I'm currently enrolled at a law school that grants a Bachelors in Legal Studies after you complete year 2 assuming you have completed a minimum of 60 or more acceptable college semester units or 90 quarter units, or the equivalent, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 at an accredited or state approved school, to be eligible for admission.

Can I take a bunch of CLEPs and have those converted to college credit and then obtain a transcript from one of the Big 3 which I give to my school to obtain my Bachelors?

Can this be done?

Thanks
Dave

[spaceycowboy]

I'm currently enrolled at Northwestern California University School of Law which abides by the CA Bar rules allowing students to enroll in law school after completing only a few CLEP credits - you can view the Cal Bar Pre-Legal requirements for the CLEP here:

Pre-Legal Education

NWCULaw does not accept CLEP credit for the Bachelors therefore I must turn CLEPS into credit at another school (Big 3 likely) and then transfer the credits into the school to be awarded the BS in Legal Studies after 2 year of the 4 year legal process. If you finish year 4 you graduate with a BSL and JD and can sit for the California Bar Exam.

[GMT]

I've been researching this path to a JD myself and have been seriously looking at California Southern University.

Couple of questions:

1. Why Northwestern over the other Cali law schools? ... should I be looking into this option further?

2. Have you taken the "Baby Bar"? ... how was it? ... did Northwestern give suitable support to help you pass?

3. What reason have Northwestern given for not accepting CLEPs directly for the BSL? ... they accept them for the JD
Admission Requirements | Northwestern California University School of Law

Nice to see someone else on here going down an alternative track to becoming a lawyer

[cookderosa]

I'm currently enrolled at Northwestern California University School of Law which abides by the CA Bar rules allowing students to enroll in law school after completing only a few CLEP credits - you can view the Cal Bar Pre-Legal requirements for the CLEP here:

Pre-Legal Education

NWCULaw does not accept CLEP credit for the Bachelors therefore I must turn CLEPS into credit at another school (Big 3 likely) and then transfer the credits into the school to be awarded the BS in Legal Studies after 2 year of the 4 year legal process. If you finish year 4 you graduate with a BSL and JD and can sit for the California Bar Exam.

Nope. CLEPs on any transcript are third party credits.

[spaceycowboy]

GMT

To answer your questions:

1. I chose Northwestern because I like the cost, the schools longevity and I was able to locate numerous graduates who have passed the bar after attending this school.

2. I'm in my first year and will start studying for the Baby Bar in January.

3. Northwestern doesn't have any equivalent courses and therefore they do not accept the CLEPS as they have no comparable undergraduate classes. The acceptance of the CLEP for the JD is not the schools policy rather its the States policy as the CLEPS required are in place to ensure that the prospective law student has the basic knowledge to begin his/her legal studies.

Note * California is an odd state in that you can become an attorney without a Bachelors degree or even an AA degree. CA is the only state in the nation that operates like this.

[dfrecore]

Yes, CA allows you to become a lawyer if you can pass the bar, no degree required. I heard of a girl doing this a few years ago, but then had an extremely difficult time getting a job. Apparently, law firms don't like people who can pass the bar without spending $100k to go to the schools and take 3 years of classes.

So, I imagine she went and hung out a shingle herself. Nothing says you have to do things the way everyone else does them!