Abraham Lincoln University

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abraham Lincoln University (ALU) is a private, for-profit online university based in Glendale, California.[1][2][3][4][5]

History[]

ALU was founded by Hyung J. Park, a tax attorney and graduate of Loyola Law School, in 1996. Classes initially were held in a conference room in his office. Park named his school after Abraham Lincoln partly because Lincoln had taught himself law.[6]

Park established ALU with the philosophy of "flexibility and affordability" for working professionals to maintain current employment while studying law at an accredited institution under California law. In addition to its core law school curriculum, ALU programs have expanded to include diplomas and certificates, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in business administration, criminal justice, general studies, law, and legal studies. [7]

Academics[]

Abraham Lincoln University offers online associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, plus diplomas and certificates.[8]

ALU is a 100% online institution, offering alternative venues to engage students via online, live-engagement sessions and recorded lectures. Classes are archived online for review during each class. Students have full-time access to lectures. Students and professors also participate in online discussion boards.[9][10]

Accreditation, Memberships & Registrations[]

ALU School of Law is not accredited by the American Bar Association, and as of 2017, graduates only qualify to sit for the state bar examination in California.[11][12] ALU School of Law is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California in the unaccredited distance learning school category.[13][14]

CHEA

ALU is a recognized Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) member institution. CHEA advocates degree-granting universities and colleges for accreditation, primarily to the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Education.[15]

CBE

The ALU online law degree program is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California as an unaccredited distance learning law school. ALU’s authority to grant a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, required by prospective attorneys to take the California Bar Examination and practice of law in California, is through the CBE.

BPPE

ALU's academic programs, with the exception of the Juris Doctor degree program, have been licensed by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) by institutional license through accreditation. ALU's Juris Doctor distance learning degree is exempt from BPPE oversight and is instead under the authority of the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California (CBE).

Community Involvement[]

Abraham Lincoln University offers free law clinics to women in need of legal advice at the Downtown Women's Center, a homeless shelter in Los Angeles. These include a forthcoming divorce clinic and an ongoing expungement clinic to help reduce recidivism rates.[16] Law students are encouraged to volunteer.[17]

Faculty[]

Abraham Lincoln University faculty includes practicing lawyers and legal professionals.[18]

Bar pass rate[]

Cumulatively, as of July 2015, 386 graduates sat for the general California Bar Examination since 1999 and 166 (43.0%) passed the exam, including repeat test takers.[19]

In 2015, the Los Angeles Times reported that Abraham Lincoln University actively recruits students who score poorly on the LSAT exam, and the university confirmed this.[20] In the same article, a former admissions officer described it as "aiming at the total bottom of the barrel."

References[]

  1. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University". Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. US Department of Education. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  2. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University". College Navigator. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  3. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University". Distance Education Accrediting Commission. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  4. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University". Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  5. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University". The Carnegie Classification of Institutions. Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  6. ^ "Guidelines for Unaccredited Law School Rules" (PDF). The State Bar of California. January 1, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University & Online Law School - Earn Your Degree Online". Abraham Lincoln University & Online Law School and Legal Studies. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  8. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University Online Programs". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28.
  9. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University Online Learning Center". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28.
  10. ^ Kitonyi, Nicholas (September 20, 2020). "Is Strategic Education Undervalued?". GuruFocus. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  11. ^ "ABA Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions 2017" (PDF). American Bar Association. American Bar Association. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University". Abraham Lincoln University. Abraham Lincoln University. Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  13. ^ "Registered Unaccredited Correspondence Law Schools in California". State Bar of California.
  14. ^ "Law Schools". The State Bar of California. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  15. ^ "About CHEA | Council for Higher Education Accreditation". www.chea.org. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
  16. ^ "Downtown Women's Center".
  17. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University Student Life". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28.
  18. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University Faculty and Staff". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28.
  19. ^ "State Bar of California".
  20. ^ Song, Jason; Kim, Victoria; Poindexter, Sandra (June 25, 2015). "Times Investigation: Nearly 9 in 10 students drop out of unaccredited law schools in California". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 10, 2020.

External links[]


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