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Degrees & program types

Law schools offer one professional degree, the J.D., in several formats, and a number of other degrees and programs around it. This page explains what each one is. It is separate from areas of law, which describe what the study is about.

What ABA approval covers

The Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar approves law schools and the J.D. programs they offer. Graduating from an approved J.D. program is what makes a graduate eligible to sit for the bar examination in every U.S. jurisdiction.

The Council does not approve or accredit other degrees, such as the LL.M. or a master’s degree in legal studies. Before a school offers one, it must obtain the Council’s acquiescence, which means only that the Council found the program would not detract from the school’s J.D. program. A non-J.D. program is therefore not “ABA-accredited” just because the school that offers it is ABA-approved.

Certificates, concentrations, clinics, centers and journals are offerings within or alongside the J.D. The Council does not review them one by one.

J.D. formats

The Juris Doctor is the professional degree that qualifies graduates to sit for the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Schools offer it in different schedules and modes of delivery.

Of 198 schools on the ABA Council’s list, 91 are on its part-time list and 23 on its distance-education J.D. list.

Full-time J.D.
The J.D. studied full time, usually over three academic years.
The ABA Council approves law schools and the J.D. programs they offer. This is the approval that matters for bar eligibility.
Part-time J.D.
The J.D. on a reduced course load, usually over four years. Schools with a part-time division report its students separately to the ABA.
The ABA Council approves law schools and the J.D. programs they offer. This is the approval that matters for bar eligibility.
Schools on the ABA part-time list
Evening or weekend J.D.
A part-time J.D. scheduled outside weekday working hours.
The ABA Council approves law schools and the J.D. programs they offer. This is the approval that matters for bar eligibility.
Hybrid J.D.
A J.D. that combines periods on campus with online instruction.
A J.D. program delivered substantially by distance education requires the ABA Council's approval of that change. PreLaw Advisor takes distance-education status from the Council's published list.
Schools on the ABA distance-education J.D. list
Online J.D.
A J.D. delivered fully or almost fully online.
A J.D. program delivered substantially by distance education requires the ABA Council's approval of that change. PreLaw Advisor takes distance-education status from the Council's published list.
Schools on the ABA distance-education J.D. list
Accelerated J.D.Verified at 8 schools
A J.D. completed in less than three years, or begun during the final undergraduate year (often called 3+3).
The ABA Council approves law schools and the J.D. programs they offer. This is the approval that matters for bar eligibility.

Joint and dual degrees

A J.D. earned together with a second degree, usually in less time than the two would take separately. Each pairing is specific to the school that offers it.

Joint degreeVerified at 72 schools
A J.D. pursued together with another degree, such as a J.D./M.B.A.
The J.D. portion is part of the school's approved J.D. program. The partner degree is governed by the institution that awards it and its own accreditor.
Verified pairings

A pairing is listed for a school only when that school’s own site names it. Pairings common elsewhere are never assumed.

Advanced law degrees

Degrees for people who already hold a first degree in law, in the United States or abroad.

LL.M.Verified at 101 schools
Master of Laws: usually one year of advanced or specialized study for people who already hold a law degree.
S.J.D. / J.S.D.Verified at 29 schools
Doctor of Juridical Science: a research doctorate in law, generally for people preparing for academic careers.

Master's degrees for non-lawyers

Graduate degrees in legal studies for professionals who work with the law but do not intend to practise. They do not qualify graduates to sit for the bar.

Master's in legal studiesVerified at 57 schools
A master's degree in law for non-lawyers, offered under names such as M.L.S., M.S.L., J.M. and M.J.

Certificates

Credentials a school awards for completing a defined set of courses, either alongside the J.D. or as a stand-alone program.

CertificateVerified at 60 schools
A credential awarded for completing a defined set of courses in a field.

Concentrations and courses of study

Defined paths through the J.D. curriculum and study at partner institutions.

ConcentrationVerified at 31 schools
A defined course of study within the J.D., also called a specialization, track, pathway or area of focus.
Study abroadVerified at 31 schools
Study for credit at a partner institution outside the United States.

Clinics and field placements

Supervised legal work with real clients or in real legal settings, for credit.

ClinicVerified at 145 schools
Students represent real clients or work on real matters under faculty supervision, for credit.
ExternshipVerified at 48 schools
Students work for credit in a court, agency, nonprofit or law office outside the school.

Centers and institutes

Research and program centers that organize a school's teaching, scholarship and events in a field.

Center or instituteVerified at 117 schools
A research or program center that organizes teaching, scholarship and events in a field.

Journals and advocacy programs

Student-edited publications and competitive advocacy programs.

JournalVerified at 81 schools
A legal publication edited by students.
Moot court and trial advocacyVerified at 34 schools
Programs in which students compete in simulated appellate argument or trials.

Where this comes from

Sources

  1. 1.American Bar Association. Council-approved law schools (opens in a new tab) Approval status, part-time programs and distance-education J.D. programs.
  2. 2.American Bar Association. Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (opens in a new tab) Standards and rules, including the Council’s acquiescence in non-J.D. programs.
  3. 3.Individual law schools. Official program pages Every program listed on a school profile links to the school page it was read from.

School counts are programs that have been read from a school’s site and reviewed. They are a record of what has been verified so far, not a complete census.