Incorporated in 1994, the Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy aims to prepare students in facing challenges in areas of law and government policy and maintaining the views of truth, justice and righteousness. Being a Christian school, Oak Brook College sets students to learn the legal skills necessary to excel in their specific field and at the same time add a Godly wisdom to serve clients.
Oak Brook College uses pioneering distance-learning methods to teach its students with the help of the Bible in determining solutions to conflicts and at the same time instilling professionalism to prepare them for their future practices. Alumnae of Oak Brook are successful and respected in the own fields with 29% practicing Estate Planning while 19% chose Lawsuits and Disputes.
Online Law Degree Programs
Currently, Oak Brook offers 3 online programs, the; Juris Doctor Program, Paralegal Program and Legal Studies Program.
Juris Doctor Program
Overview
The Juris Doctor Program has a 4-year curriculum of legal study. Freshmen start in August and after they have completed the first year an exam called First-Year Law Students’ Examination must be taken and passed given by the State Bar of California. Oak Brook has a passing rate of 59.8% for first time takers of FYLS and 56.9% for bar exams.
It is mandatory for First Year Students to attend a one-week long orientation and Introduction to law course. During the orientation, lectures are given on criminal law, torts, legal research and contracts and others to help students decide which practice they would pursue. Pointers and materials are given out to supplement their studies. Credit hours for the 1st Year is 20 semester credit hours, for the 2nd Year its 22 hours, the 3rd Year is 23-25, and for the 4th Year it’ll be 19-23 hours.
Of all the three programs of Oak Brook College only the Juris Doctor Program requires some travel.
Paralegal Program
Overview
Paralegals are quite in demand today whether within or outside the legal profession. Oak Brook’s approach on training paralegal students includes Biblical perspective to better understand clients and be able give out a sound advice.
The program provides and teaches the American legal system including research and writing, and training on the fundamentals of some areas of law.
Accepted students are given access to the website’s database to listen to lectures and read syllabi.
Legal Studies Program
Overview
The Legal Studies Program is a one-year certificate program. Anyone can enroll to take advantage of understanding the basics of the law, the legal systems and documents. There are 4 Track courses; the Legal Philosophy and Reasoning, Civil and Criminal Litigation, Business Law, and Family Law and Conciliation. All of these courses require no prerequisites aside from the Business Law which requires the 3rd Quarter course of Civil and Criminal Litigation.
Application Application & Admission
Admittedly, the Oak Brook College’s admission process is fairly extensive. This is to ensure students that the profession their trying to get to is their calling. Application forms are downloadable thru http://obcl.edu. The list of requirements is also included in the application form.
For the Juris Doctor and Paralegal/Legal Studies program there are three factors the admission department are inclined to consider; (1) The academic qualification of the applying student, (2) knowledge and familiarity of the Bible, and (3) commitment to Oak Brook’s mission.
With regards to the Juris Doctor Program’s academic qualification, as long as a student has completed at least two (2) years of college or has completed the College Equivalency Pre-Legal Qualification (see website), this factor can be achievable. For Paralegal/Legal Studies, the admissions department will scrutinize the applicant’s academic records, test scores, work history (law-related jobs can be helpful but not required) and three references. For the second factor, Oak Brook College has a Basic Life Principle Seminar that is prerequisite for admission. Applicants can chose to take a DVD seminar. The third one can be satisfied by writing a type-written paper that is 5-7 pages long describing the applicant’s understanding in Oak Brook’s mission.
From the very first orientation was held in 1995 in Dallas, Texas over 200 students have graduated from Oak Brook College of Law. Since then, Oak Brook has never stopped teaching students the value of God’s principles and adapting them in a profession that was once established with heavenly virtue.
