The Online J.D. can be completed part-time in as little as 3 years and 3 months (10 semesters).

Cleveland State University intakes its Online J.D. students each year in the Fall.

This program requires 90 credit hours of online coursework (synchronous and asynchronous) as well as practical, experiential learning hours to graduate.

The coursework is delivered 100% online, both synchronously and asynchronously. You are also required to complete practical, experiential learning hours via externships, clinics and on-campus residencies to practice what you learn in theory in the virtual classroom.

All attorneys are lawyers, but not all lawyers are attorneys. Attorneys who have passed the bar exam can act as legal representatives for their clients in a court of law. Lawyers have been educated in the law but have not taken the bar exam. They can provide legal advice and consult on the law, but they cannot represent clients in court.

Yes. Our faculty come from distinguished academic and professional backgrounds. As scholars, they represent many points of view, publish widely and are held in esteem nationally and internationally for the quality of their scholarship and as expert commentators. We have faculty at the forefront of emerging and rapidly growing legal disciplines and in areas of practical scholarship that continually advance the legal profession.

Students from a number of states are welcome to apply to CSU College of Law’s Online J.D. program. Please see our State Authorization page for more detailed information.