Abraham Lincoln University (ALU) was founded in 1996 by President and CEO, Hyung J. Park. ALU’s mission is to offer an accessible, affordable Juris Doctor distance education law degree program to working adults who may be underserved by traditional law schools. ALU seeks to enroll a highly qualified and diverse student body from different age groups, perspectives, and backgrounds.

Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. Read more about program requirements.

Once you have identified your interest in the Juris Doctor degree program and addressed questions with the ALU Admissions team, you may complete the online application. Additional information is available for those who seek transfer credit and for international students.

For applicants without prior law school academic disqualification, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is not required. ALU has its own assessment test that applicants take as one step of the admissions process. However, applicants seeking admission or readmission following disqualification for academic reasons must take the LSAT, except for those who have taken the test prior to their disqualification.

The review process generally takes up to 10 days, unless there are special circumstances that require follow-up with the applicant. 

The school year consists of 12 months in order for students to meet the requirement that each year of the 4-year program be completed in 48-52 weeks of continuous study.

We are proud to keep our costs low and our programs accessible. ALU’s current law school tuition is $10,100.00 per year, much lower than most ABA approved law schools. Federal financial aid is available for the Juris Doctor Degree program for those who qualify. We strive to make higher education accessible to a diverse and non-traditional student body seeking to pursue postgraduate studies online.

Every ALU law student must comply with school policies (including attendance, academic engagement, and academic integrity requirements) in order to be conferred a Juris Doctor degree from Abraham Lincoln University.

The State Bar of California has a specific list of requirements that those attending law schools in California must complete prior to becoming eligible to practice in the state.

Students in the JD program must register as law students with the State Bar of California within 90 days after beginning the study of law. ALU proactively helps its students to master the skills needed to prepare for the First Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX, commonly referred to as the “Baby Bar”). 

After their first experience with the bar exam process, students are typically better prepared to complete the required California Bar Examination (CBX) and Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). In addition to passing these exams, our Juris Doctor graduates who have received a positive moral character determination and are not in arrears with family support obligations are eligible to become licensees of the State Bar of California and to practice in California.

The School of Law grievance policy addresses issues requiring resolution and promotes honesty and respect inherent to the educational work of students and faculty. This policy is applicable to students, administrators and faculty of ALU.

A grievance may involve a complaint that includes administrative issues, financial issues, technical issues, faculty performance, grading, program content, program effectiveness/expectations, or library services.

ALU will review all grievances in a timely, fair, and equitable manner. If the complaint concerns a faculty member or administrator, ALU will consult with the faculty member regarding the complaint.

ALU notifies students and other interested parties regarding how to make complaints to state agencies and accrediting agencies by providing contact information in the Accreditation and Regulation section of the JD catalog.

Step 1.
If a grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved by informal procedures, the student or interested party may file written grievance with the Dean of School of Law within 60 days of the act or event which is the subject of the grievance, by submitting the Formal Grievance Petition, available on the ALU website. Within five working days of receiving the grievance, the Dean shall conduct any necessary investigation and meet or call with the student or interested party in an effort to resolve the grievance. The Dean shall present all concerned parties with a written answer to the grievance within ten working days after the meeting or calls.

Step 2.
If a grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved at step 1, the student or interested party may file the written grievance with the Academic Standards Committee within ten working days of receiving the answer at step 1. All information presented at step 1 shall be included with the grievance, and the Dean shall submit to the Academic Standards Committee a report describing attempts to resolve the grievance at step 1.

Within ten working days of receiving the grievance, the Academic Standards Committee shall conduct any necessary investigation and meet with the student or interested party in an effort to resolve the grievance. The Academic Standards Committee shall present all concerned parties with a written answer to the grievance within ten working days after the meeting.

Step 3.
If a grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved at step 2, the student may file a written appeal to the President of Abraham Lincoln University within five working days of receiving the answer at step 2. All information presented at steps 1 and 2 shall be included with the appeal, and the Academic Standards Committee shall submit to the President a report describing attempts to resolve the grievance at step 2. Should the Dean (Step 1) and President (Step 3) be the same person, this Step will be reviewed by the same person. Any new information or supporting documentation added to the grievance petition is recommended.

The President shall make a decision within 30 days of the written appeal and shall mail the decision to all concerned parties. The President’s decision shall be final.

Students or members of the public may also file complaints with the following entities:

Distance Education Accrediting Commission
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 808
Washington, DC 20036
202-234-5100

California State Bar
180 Howard St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-538-2000

Abraham Lincoln University’s policy regarding confidentiality and student privacy is in keeping with the U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which affords students certain rights with respect to their education records, a summary of which follows:

• The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day Abraham Lincoln University receives a request for access.
• The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate.
• The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
• One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. School officials are individuals or entities working for or on the behalf of the educational institution. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
• As allowed within FERPA guidelines, Abraham Lincoln University may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
• The right to file a complaint with the U.S Department of Education concerning alleged failure by Abraham Lincoln University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

At its discretion, Abraham Lincoln University may provide directory information in accordance with the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Directory information is defined as that information which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.

To protect student privacy, students’ directory information is released only upon approval of the registrar. Students may withhold directory information by notifying the registrar in writing; please note that such withholding requests are binding for all information to all other parties, including faculty, other than for those exceptions allowed under the Act. Students may access their rights to the Maintenance and Confidentiality of their Student Records as outlined under FERPA in the University catalog.