In some cases, studying at a non-accredited law school may make sense for prospective J.D.’s.
[See why law schools say students need to job hunt more actively.]
There are, however, what English refers to as "incredible success stories," such as Fresno District Attorney Elizabeth Egan, who is a San Joaquin graduate, and other very successful lawyers—including a partner at her firm—who attended San Joaquin.
Jeffrey Bramer, an attorney in Birmingham, Ala., has similarly run a successful practice after graduating from a non-ABA school, the Birmingham School of Law. "I have worked hard as a solo for 23 years, and not a single client has asked where I went to law school," he says.
Bramer worked full time as a law student, which ABA-approved schools don't allow during students' first year. "That allows rich kids to go to law school or poor students who had someone else pay their way," he says. "I know plenty of people who went to [an] ABA approved school and are waiting tables with debt they may never be able to repay. I graduated with zero debt."
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