If you are interested in attending law school, you need to decide if you are going to attend a campus, or try to go through an online program. This is a big decision to make, and you should make sure that you know everything involved before you make your choice.

After all, not all law schools are created equal. Online programs cannot compete with the nation's ABA-accredited law schools.

Although not necessarily an indicator of the quality of the lawyer, a law school's name can go a long way toward opening up career pathways. Having the names Harvard or Yale attached to your name can open doors for you that would not be possible in another school.

As one progresses down the academic hierarchy, students typically receive less prestigious, lower paying jobs upon graduation. Ranking at the bottom of the pyramid, online law schools are generally not respected by potential employers, regardless of the quality of their students or classes.

You are probably wondering, why can't an Internet law program be a viable option for those wishing to become attorneys? Online programs offer cheap, convenient, part-time, and potentially adequate legal training.

For some, taking the LSATs are not a prerequisite to admission. Some admit students who have only obtained Associates Degrees-you can see the quality of applicants in comparison to the stringent admission process at Ivy League institutions.

Although many computer-based schools may receive accreditation from several other sources, none are accredited by the organization that matters most-the American Bar Association. Due to certain rules that the ABA has set forward, there will never be an accredited online university.

While these rules and standards are constantly being reviewed, changes regarding granting accreditation to online programs are not anticipated. Students graduating from non-accredited institutions cannot sit for most bar exams.

Although each state has its own lawyer licensing requirements, students who graduate from accredited schools can generally can take any state's licensing exam. Graduates of colleges and universities without ABA accreditation, whether online or not, are banned from most bar exams outside their school's home state-this is something very serious to consider when making your choice.

Most online programs have one thing in common-the state of California. California allows graduates of distance learning programs to sit for the state bar exam.

Thus, if one wishes to be a lawyer in California, many people find these alternative options possible. However, the California Bar Exam has earned a reputation for being one of the nation's most difficult.

The state does more to monitor the quality of its potential attorney pool, rather than pre-law school, after students have spent huge amounts of money on their education. If the education received is not up to par, graduates of alternative institutions may need significantly more bar prep before taking and passing the bar exam.

This may contradict a primary reason for applying to them, which for most people is the issue of time restraint. They may well serve those with full-time workloads, children to raise, or any number of individualized concerns that they will not get into an accredited, classroom-based school.

This may be the only option for those who are not accepted to accredited institutions. Thus, as a fall-back plan or a more practical substitute, this alternative provides an opportunity to those who otherwise would not have it.

Still, students should be wary when applying to online programs. Some of them are less than legitimate.

You do not want to end up paying for a degree that will not get you anywhere. Distance legal education may be accredited by various, non-ABA organizations for various reasons.

Those seeking online doctorate degrees should do extensive research into their prospective educators, focusing particularly on bar passage rates and bar admission guidelines. Thoroughly research each school you are considering being a part of, and if you can, have a licensed lawyer look at everything with you.

Do whatever you can to find out everyone with whom they are accredited or not accredited. Make sure that you are affiliating yourself with an institution that will help you to be successful, profitable, and give you a good reputation.

You do not want to spend money on something that will leave you unemployed. Look into schools today and find the one that will best suit your needs.