Professional Licensure by Program
The degree program listed in the chart below may lead to a professional license. Professional licensure requirements vary from state to state, which may affect a student’s ability to apply for a professional license after completing the program. U.S. Department of Education regulation 34 CFR 668.43(a)(5)(v) requires an institution to disclose whether each degree program will fulfill educational requirements for licensure in each state. The table below lists all U.S. states and jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories, and is current as of June 2024.
As an ABA-accredited school, Southwestern Law School prepares students who earn a J.D. to take the bar examination in any U.S. jurisdiction. For states listed as “meets requirements” in the table below, a J.D. from Southwestern Law School entitles graduates to apply to sit for the bar examination, subject to individual state requirements for character and fitness, state-specific requirements, and distance-education limitations. In jurisdictions listed as “does not meet requirements,” the jurisdiction may permit a student or graduate to petition to waive certain requirements.
In addition to a bar examination, each jurisdiction requires applicants to complete a character-and-fitness process and meet other qualifications. Before beginning a J.D. program, we recommend that students and prospective students contact the appropriate bar admission agency in the jurisdiction where they plan to sit for the bar examination or intend to work to seek the most up-to-date information about state licensure and certification requirements. The National Conference of Bar Examiners, in collaboration with the American Bar Association, annually publishes a Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements that provide information, including a directory of state bar admissions agencies, about bar admission requirements in all U.S. jurisdictions.
| Degree Program | Meets requirements | Does not meet requirements | A determination has not been made |
|---|---|---|---|
| J.D. (Full-time day and PLEAS/Part-time day) | AL,1 AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY2, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, DC | Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau | |
| J.D. (Part-time evening) | AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, DC | AL,1 NY2 | Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau |
| SCALE | AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI3, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY2, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, DC | AL,4 New Hampshire5 | Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau |
| Online J.D. (Full-time and part-time) | AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, DC | AL,1 NY2 | Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau |
| LL.M. | Not designed to meet licensure requirements |
1As of June 2024, Rule IV.B(2)(a) of the Rules Governing Admission to the Alabama State Bar requires an applicant to have completed a course of legal studies as a “resident student.” The Alabama State Bar Admissions Director has informed Southwestern that “resident student” means a student who has attended law school completely in person, versus all or part of it online.
2As of June 2024, students should be aware that if they take “distance education courses” before completing 28 credit hours in the J.D. program, they may be ineligible to sit for the New York bar examination. Rules of the New York Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law, Section 520.3(c). In addition, the New York Bar has a cap for distance education credit hours. Id.
3As of June 2024, although Michigan’s rules (Rule 2) say that it “requires for graduation 3 school years of study for full-time students,” the Michigan Board of Law Examiners office, in September 2023, informed Southwestern that as long as the school/program is ABA accredited, as Southwestern and SCALE are, then the “3 school years of study for full-time students” requirement is satisfied.
4As of June 2024, Alabama requires that an applicant must have “completed . . . a course of law studies that extended for at least 3 academic years of at least 30 weeks each[.]” Rule IV.B(2)(a) .
5As of June 2024, New Hampshire requires that a “full-time law school” have a “three year course[.]” Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of New Hampshire, Rule 42.V.b.