Nation's First Online Law School Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

New York -- This September, Concord University School of Law, the nation's first online law school and a division of Kaplan Educational Centers, celebrates its one year anniversary. In its inaugural year, Concord pioneered the delivery of high quality legal education on the Internet. The school, which serves working professionals, homemakers, family caretakers and others whose circumstances prevent them from pursuing a legal education at a fixed facility law school, observed several milestones, including:

Receipt of thousands of requests for applications.

Enrollment of more than 170 students including alumni of such prestigious universities as Columbia, Princeton, MIT, the University of California Berkeley, Duke and the University of Chicago. More than half of these students already hold advanced degrees.

Creation of a board of advisors from ABA law schools who are national experts in their subjects to guide instruction. The board includes Bruce Bromley Professor of Law Arthur Miller of Harvard Law School; Professor Anthony Cook of the Georgetown University Law Center; Professor Rafael Guzman of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Leflar Law Center, one of the nation's leading lecturers in Criminal Law; Professor Lawrence Levine of the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, a recognized authority on Tort Law; and Professor John Moye, former associate dean of the University of Denver College of Law and a leading lecturer on Contracts.

Presentation to 150 top ABA law school deans and professors at "Deconstructing the Law School Classroom: Distance Learning In Law Schools" sponsored by Chicago Kent College of Law and the Center for Computer Assisted Legal Information (CALI).

Access for Concord students to Westlaw, more than 11,000 online databases of Federal and state court cases and statutes, regulations, public records and other material-

"Our students are a diverse, well educated group, who are taking full advantage of the opportunity to go to law school," said Dean Jack Goetz. "Distance learning has transformed the educational landscape, providing a multitude of new options for individuals who can't attend a fixed facility school. Using cutting edge technology, we can provide a high quality legal education accessible at students' convenience."
Concord students view lectures on the Internet, logging on at their convenience 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lectures are presented using audiovisual streaming technology. Concord's curriculum corresponds to that of most leading American Bar Association law schools. Students use the same casebooks and textbooks as those of their peers at law school campuses nationwide. Students acquire and hone online legal research skills, now a necessity for practicing attorneys.

Students take regular interactive exams on the Internet that test their retention and understanding of material. In addition, they receive instantaneous computer-analyzed feedback on their performance, with directions to study material that will address their individual needs. The exams mirror the content and language on the Bar Examination, preparing students throughout their education for the final hurdle to licensing. Students receive regular feedback on written assignments via e-mail. In addition, professors are available for consultation via online chat rooms and one-on-one meetings that take place on e-mail or by phone.

Applicants are accepted based on criteria including grade point average; Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score or performance on a Concord-designed, online admissions test; a personal statement; and motivation to pursue a legal education through an electronic medium.

Concord has been authorized to award the juris doctorate degree by the Bureau of Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education in California. Concord has complied with the registration requirements of the State Bar of California, which permits its graduates to apply for admission to the California Bar. Upon passing the California Bar Examination, graduates will be qualified to practice in California courts. They may also apply to practice in many of the Federal courts. Graduates who want to practice in other state courts may be eligible under reciprocity rules and should contact the bar in those states for details.

For more information about Concord University School of Law, prospective applicants may visit the web site, www.concordlawschool.com or call 1-888-228-7737.

About Kaplan, Inc.

Kaplan, Inc. (kaplan.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Its divisions include Test Preparation and Admissions (www.kaptest.com); SCORE! Learning Corporation, offering after-school programs for kids and resources for parents and kids through eSCORE.com (www.escore.com); Kaplan Professional educational programs for adults; and KaplanCollege.com, a distance learning division which includes Concord University School of Law. Kaplan is the majority shareholder in BrassRing Inc. (BrassRing.com), which combines recruiting, career development and hiring management services for employers and employees. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.

Press Contact: pubrel@kaplan.com, (212) 492-5965