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

History

ALU was founded in 1996 by Hyung J. Park, a tax attorney and graduate of Loyola Law School.[6] 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.[7]

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 and undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in business administration, criminal justice, general studies, law, and legal studies.[8][6]

Academics

Abraham Lincoln University offers online associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, plus diplomas and certificates.[9]

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.[10][11]

Accreditation, memberships, and registrations

Abraham Lincoln University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).[12] Its School of Law is registered with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California in the unaccredited distance learning school category, but is not accredited by the American Bar Association. As such, its graduates only qualify to sit for the California bar examination.[13][14][15][16]

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.

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.[17] Law students are encouraged to volunteer.[18]

Bar pass rate

The most recent data from the California Bar Examination show that no ALU students attempted to pass the bar for the first time in July 2022. Of the 38 examinees who attempted the bar for at least the second time, 3 (8%) passed.[19]

In 2015, the Los Angeles Times reported that Abraham Lincoln University actively recruits students without the LSAT exam.[20] The university has confirmed this.[21]

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. ^ a b "History of Abraham Lincoln University". Abraham Lincoln University. May 14, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  7. ^ "Guidelines for Unaccredited Law School Rules" (PDF). The State Bar of California. January 1, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University & Online Law School - Earn Your Degree Online". Abraham Lincoln University & Online Law School and Legal Studies. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  9. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University Online Programs". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28.
  10. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University Online Learning Center". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28.
  11. ^ Kitonyi, Nicholas (September 20, 2020). "Is Strategic Education Undervalued?". GuruFocus. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  12. ^ "The official website of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) | Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)". www.deac.org.
  13. ^ "ABA Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions 2017" (PDF). American Bar Association. American Bar Association. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University". Abraham Lincoln University. Abraham Lincoln University. Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  15. ^ "Registered Unaccredited Correspondence Law Schools in California". State Bar of California.
  16. ^ "Law Schools". The State Bar of California. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  17. ^ "Downtown Women's Center". Archived from the original on 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2016-12-28.
  18. ^ "Abraham Lincoln University Student Life". Archived from the original on 2016-12-28.
  19. ^ "General Statistics Report July 2022 California Bar Examination" (PDF). The State Bar of California. December 1, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  20. ^ "Times Investigation: Nearly 9 in 10 students drop out of unaccredited law schools in California". Los Angeles Times. 25 July 2015.
  21. ^ "Consumer Information & Disclosures | ALU Online School".

External links

Non-ABA law schools accredited by the California Committee of Bar Examiners
Colleges and universities in Los Angeles County, California
Authority control databases
Categories