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School History
1998
Vision and perseverance lead to the launch of Concord University School of Law. Founding Dean Jack R. Goetz sees in the Internet an opportunity to create broader access to the study of law. Kaplan, Inc. COO Andrew S. Rosen, himself a lawyer, supports the initiative and champions funding for the effort. eStream.com, led by two young technologists, Craig Gold and Grant Moncur, develops the school’s learning platform. Robert Hull and Greg Brandes are Concord's first professors. In October 1998, 33 students (collectively known as CU1) begin the program.
1999
In dedicating a new law school building, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg mentions the Concord program. Her skepticism along with other media interest raises the school’s profile. That fall, the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) conducts a site visit. Incorporated into the DETC's accrediting process is the concept that educational programs delivered at a distance should be comparable (in curriculum and outcomes) to those offered by accredited traditional residential universities. By the end of the year, the Concord student census is 180.
2000
Concord gains initial accreditation from the DETC. The William Mitchell Law Review publishes a faculty article by Robert E. Oliphant entitled, “Will Internet Driven Concord University Law School Revolutionize Traditional Law School Teaching?” Andrew Rosen testifies before the Web-based Education Commission, a Congressional panel mandated to study policy and other issues facing distance education. A note about Concord’s program is made in the final report issued by the Commission. The student population grows to more than 500.
2001
Concord First, a supplemental program of exam writing and review is introduced to assist students in their preparation for the First Year Law Students Exam. A nationwide externship program, the Legal Education Experience Program -- better known as LEEP, led by Professor William Weston, is launched. An elective in the fourth year, LEEP provides the opportunity to gain practical legal experience under the supervision of an attorney. A series of health law electives are developed. The DETC accreditation process is completed and Concord becomes approved for military benefit programs.
2002
Concord partners with William Mitchell College of Law and Professor John Sonsteng to develop an online advocacy course. “Advocacy - Theories, Tactics & Techniques” teaches basic trial advocacy skills through online demonstrations. Students submit videotapes of their own performances for critique. In October, Concord celebrates its first graduating class with a ceremony at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Barry Diller, CEO of InterActive Corp. and a board member of The Washington Post Co., is the keynote speaker. Ten students receive the Juris Doctor degree; four students are awarded the first Executive Juris DoctorSM degrees.
2003
Concord’s first graduates sit for the California Bar Exam in February. They achieve a 60 percent pass rate (six of 10), besting the overall first-time percentage of 50.1. Their achievement is featured in the national press. Concord Law School Honor Society is established by the deans to recognize outstanding academic achievement by students and alumni and to promote academic excellence and service. The first fully online Student Bar Association (SBA) is formed by Concord students. Elections are held and Duane Hurt, an oral surgeon from Mississippi, becomes the first SBA president.
2004
The SBA begins producing a quarterly publication, The Concord Advocate, devoted to the law school community. In addition to the official student organizations, the first Advocate lists over a dozen “off-site” groups run by and for Concord students. Dean Barry A. Currier takes over the reins from Jack Goetz, the founding dean. Dean Currier joins Concord from the ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, where he was the senior deputy director. In June, the SBA sponsors its first school-wide event featuring a guest speaker. Over 400 students gather online to hear Justice Antonin Scalia.
2005
With growing numbers of graduates, Concord begins the tradition of two graduation ceremonies per year in Los Angeles. Dates are set for the Saturday following the February and July California Bar Exams. Gerald M. Rosberg, vice president of The Washington Post Company, speaks at the February ceremony. In addition to practicing law, Mr. Rosberg was previously on the faculty of the University of Michigan Law School. Caroline H. Little, a graduate of NYU Law School, who is Chief Executive Officer and Publisher of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, addresses the graduates in July.
In April, Concord students participate in the “Law School Survey of Student Engagement” (LSSSE), conducted by the Indiana University at Bloomington’s Center for Postsecondary Research. Survey results indicate Concord students report being more challenged, more likely to prepare for class, and more engaged in their studies each year of the law studies than the group of 30,000 students from 72 law schools who participated in the survey. Moreover, Concord students are more likely to stay engaged, prepare for class, and continue to be challenged by the program throughout their program, counter to the results of the overall survey. Additionally, Concord students report a substantially lower level of law school debt than survey respondents generally.
2006
As of the July 2006 bar exam, the number of Concord graduates who have passed the California Bar Exam tops 100. Concord's 29 total passers on the February 2006 California exam was the largest number of passers from any non-ABA law school since July 1997. Concord graduates are putting their legal education to work in a wide variety of settings. Alumni in California have started their own solo practices, gone to work in firms, and have expanded their previous employment to include legal services. In other areas of the country, graduates are practicing patent law, working in a social security disability law firm, and producing shows for CourtTV. Many graduates continue in their respective careers finding their law degree fuels growth of responsibilities and authority as well as a promotion or increased earnings.
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