Hybrid Juris Doctor
A Different Kind of J.D.
The Colleges of Law created the Hybrid J.D. program to address long-standing critiques of legal education at large, providing a more efficient, accessible, and affordable way to earn your law degree. Our curriculum was purpose-built from the ground up for the hybrid online environment. Unlike other “hybrid” degrees that offer little more than recorded lectures, our program includes rigorous online coursework, weekly feedback directly from faculty, and personalized face-to-face mentorship for a truly bespoke educational experience.
THE FIRST HYBRID J.D. PROGRAM APPROVED BY THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA
Hybrid J.D. Program Overview
FORMAT
70% ONLINE
30% ON-SITE
CREDITS
84
MONTHS*
40
A Flexible Format With Uncompromising Standards
The Hybrid online part-time J.D. is built from the ground up as a true hybrid program. Each course is intentionally crafted for online delivery, taught by experienced faculty trained to teach in a virtual format. Asynchronous courses give you the flexibility to study on your own schedule while still meeting weekly deadlines that keep you focused and accountable. The part-time hybrid law program is designed for working professionals who need flexibility and night classes to pursue their law degree.
Distance learning doesn’t mean learning alone. Faculty are actively engaged throughout the week, offering feedback, mentorship, and guidance to help you master complex legal concepts and prepare for the California Bar Exam.
Hands-On Learning in Pasadena, California
Virtual lessons come to life during the program’s on-site residencies held once per month in Pasadena. These immersive experiences are your opportunity to receive hands-on training, personalized mentorship, and face-to-face engagement with peers and faculty.
Each semester includes four weekend intensives:
- Two weekends with professors: Get direct feedback and guidance directly from faculty in your core courses.
- One lawyering skills weekend: Hone your litigation, transactional, and professional development skills.
- One final exam weekend: Apply what you’ve learned in a final formal assessment.
Residencies focus on the practical skills you need to enter the field of law upon graduation. Faculty members curate each weekend, offering immediate feedback to help you build confidence and refine your lawyering skills. This unique integration of virtual coursework and in-person training equips you for success in the classroom, on the bar exam, and throughout your legal career.
The residency experience is beloved by Hybrid J.D. students and graduates for fostering a vibrant community of scholars and meaningful connections that extend well beyond the classroom.
Which J.D. Program Is Right for You?
| Hybrid J.D. Program | J.D. Program | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 70% online, 30% on-site | 100% on-site |
| In-Person Aspects | One weekend residency per month in Pasadena | Three evening courses per week |
| Flexibility | Flexible asynchronous coursework with weekly deadlines | Fixed synchronous on-site class schedule |
| Duration | 40 months | 40-48 months |
| Ideal Student | Prefers finishing coursework on their time in a mostly online environment | Prefers more face-to-face interaction with no online elements |
Mentorship Every Step of the Way
You have direct access to accomplished academics and local legal professionals, including lawyers, judges, and elected officials, at The Colleges of Law. Weekly feedback comes directly from your professors—never delegated to teaching assistants—ensuring instruction is consistently rigorous, personalized, and grounded in professional expertise. You will also benefit from more focused attention and guidance at every stage of your education thanks to our low student-to-faculty ratio.
A structured mentorship program connects first-, second-, and third-year students with faculty advisors, providing crucial academic and professional support during your introduction to law school and beyond.
This sustained, high-touch style of mentorship from your first day to the final exam creates a foundation of confidence, competence, and readiness for legal practice.
Extensive Bar Support From the Beginning
Bar preparation is an integral part of the Hybrid J.D. curriculum, never an afterthought. You will start preparing for the California Bar Exam from the very beginning of your first doctrinal courses, ensuring that the foundational knowledge and skills required for success are obtained early and reinforced often.
Comprehensive support includes targeted Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) and essay exam workshops to help you develop mastery in both multiple-choice and written exam formats; simulated practice exams with professional graders to replicate the testing environment; access to BARBRI’s extensive legal training tools; and individualized faculty guidance.
Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or be licensed to practice law in jurisdictions other than California. A student who intends to seek licensure to practice law outside of California at any time during their career should contact the admitting authority for information regarding its education and licensure requirements prior to enrolling at this law school.
Affordable Legal Education Starts Here
Accessibility and affordability are at the heart of our mission. We are committed to making a high-quality legal education attainable for all aspiring legal professionals by offering a range of institutional scholarships and financial support programs.
We are proud to provide opportunities that reduce financial barriers, recognize academic excellence, and support you in gaining the skills and experiences necessary to succeed in law school, on the bar exam, and beyond.
Explore opportunities to finance your education with additional support through these scholarships, including scholarship opportunities designed specifically for J.D. students.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
California Juris Doctorate applicants are considered for admission in one of three categories defined by the State Bar of California—regular and transfer. Requirements and application materials vary slightly depending on which admissions category applies.
REQUIREMENTS AT A GLANCE
Regular Hybrid J.D. Students
- A prospective student who will be considered for admission as a “regular student” includes those who have earned one of the following from an accredited college or university:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Associate’s degree with an academic major (applied associate’s degrees are not acceptable)
- 60-semester units of academic college credits
- Official transcript(s) from an accredited college or university where college credits were earned or a degree was awarded
- Transcripts can be provided electronically or mailed to the Santa Barbara Campus: 20 E. Victoria Ave Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Work history
- Personal statement
- Letter of recommendation
- Moral statement (if required)
- ID verification
Transfer Hybrid J.D. Students
Applicants with prior law school attendance, must submit the required materials for “Regular Hybrid J.D. Students”, plus the following additional items:
- Official transcripts from all law schools previously attended
- Letter of academic standing from each prior law school
HYBRID J.D. APPLICATION CHECKLIST
- Online Application + $50 Application Fee
- Work History: for 10 years, or as far back as possible. Please include:
- Names of business/Organization you worked for
- Dates of employment
- 3-4 Bullets of position responsibility
- Personal Statement: Send to the Admissions Counselor
- The personal statement will be used to assess the applicant’s writing ability. It is also an opportunity for the applicant to inform the Admissions Committee about their motivation, experiences, and aptitude to pursue a law degree.
- Prompts for the personal statement can be found here.
- Typed in Word, PDF format, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, a font no larger than 12 points, and should not exceed 1,000 words in total.
- Be sure to include your name and date on the statement.
- Letter of Recommendation: We require—and will accept—only one letter of recommendation. This letter should provide a detailed, thoughtful assessment of your academic ability, work ethic, and potential for success in law school.
- The letter of recommendation should be sent directly from the writer to the Admissions Counselor or can be attached to the automated link that is sent once the applicant adds the individual email address into the application portal.
- Select someone who knows your abilities well and can speak to your analytical skills, reading and writing ability, judgment, and perseverance. Appropriate recommenders include professors, supervisors, or professional mentors — not family members or friends.
- Guidelines for recommender can be found here.
- All Official Transcripts from any conferred A.A., A.S., B.A., or B.S. degree and higher earned degrees. All official transcripts from any school attended where College credits were earned. Send all official transcripts to the COL Admissions Counselor.
- If no degree is earned, the applicant must obtain a pre-legal education review from the State Bar of California.
- Previous law school students must have a Letter of Standing and Official Transcripts sent directly from the school’s Registrar’s office to the Admissions Counselor’s email.
- Moral questions answered in “yes” on the application require a separate PDF statement. Send your statement directly to the Admissions Counselor.
- Q1 or 2: Academic probation/dismissal or discipline (if identified on transcript): Write 3-4 paragraphs of detailed explanation, and taking accountability, describing the specific probation period, the issues you faced, and how they were resolved during that period or following.
- Q3: Employer discipline: Write 2-3 paragraphs of detailed explanation describing the specific discipline by the employer, the issues you faced, and the outcome.
- Q4: Arrests/Charges/Convictions (other than minor traffic violations): Requires completion of a moral character questionnaire along with a written statement of 2-4 paragraphs. Include detailed facts (date, location, charge, and conviction), outcome, resolution, and current status.
- Q5: Bar admissions: If any issues might negatively affect your eligibility to be admitted to the Bar, please write a statement explaining the circumstance.
FINANCIAL AID CHECKLIST:
Complete once your application documents have been completed.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Colleges of Law’s school code is 042501. Email the Financial Aid Office at [email protected] for any questions.
- If needed, provide documents requested by the Federal Student Aid Dept. Once they receive your FAFSA data and you have been admitted by the school, they will notify you of any documents needed before processing your award letter.
- Review and return the Estimated Award Letter to the Financial Aid Dept.
- Complete and e-sign Stafford Master Promissory Note at studentloans.gov.
- Complete Entrance Counseling at studentloans.gov.
- You will receive a completion e-mail from your financial aid advisor. Financial Aid will be posted to your account after the Add/Drop period of each semester.
*Once FAFSA has been updated with the COL school code, it takes 3-4 business days for financial aid to have access to your file. For more information, please contact Fin Aid at (888) 308-0446.
TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS
All Juris Doctor degree program applicants must submit certified transcripts in a sealed envelope from the school(s) where coursework was attempted. Transcript requirements depend on where, and to what level, degrees have been taken:
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree: Submit a certified transcript from the school awarding the degree OR a current CAS report.
Applicants without a bachelor’s degree: Submit a certified transcript from each college or university attended.
Applicants educated outside the United States: Submit an evaluation from a Credential Evaluation Service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. This must be a detailed report providing a categorized listing of courses with individual grade equivalents and overall grade point averages.
Send ALL transcripts electronically if possible, and if not, all mailed transcripts should be mailed to the Santa Barbara Campus 20 E. Victoria Ave Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Unofficial transcripts can be used to make a preliminary evaluation of your qualifications until certified transcripts are submitted. If you have completed our education prerequisites, but need more time to obtain certified transcripts, contact the Admissions Office.
TEST SCORE REQUIREMENTS
Some applicants are required to submit scores from standardized tests during the admission process:
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Applicants for whom English is not the first language may be required to submit TOEFL scores if proficiency is not otherwise demonstrated. For further information, contact the Admissions Office.
LSAT (Law School Admission Test): An LSAT score is not currently required for admission for most J.D. program applicants. In some instances, an applicant may be asked to submit an LSAT score before the Admission Committee will give further consideration to an application. We do not require LSAT scores for special students or AA/AS/60-semester-unit applicants. Regardless of requirements, all applicants still may wish to take the LSAT, as strong test scores can enhance an application.
CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) Tests: Applicants who have not completed enough undergraduate academic units to otherwise qualify for admission will be required to take CLEP Tests. Further information is available at the Admissions Office.
If you have taken a test but need additional time to obtain your score, contact the Admissions Office.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR SPECIAL STUDENTS
CLEP Test Requirements
Special students must take the following CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) tests:
The College Composition test or the College Composition and Modular test, plus one of the following options:
Two additional tests, each designed to correspond to full-year courses (six semester hours each), or
Four additional tests, each designed to correspond to semester courses (three semester hours each), selected from at least two of the following subjects:
- Composition and Literature (Humanities Examination only)
- Science & Mathematics
- Business
- History & Social Sciences
- Foreign Language
First-Year Law Students’ Examination
After completing the first-year curriculum, special students are required to take the state bar’s First-Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX). Under state bar rules, a special student who does not pass the examination may continue law studies if otherwise in good academic standing, but failure to pass by the third consecutive administration of the test after becoming eligible will result in loss of academic credit and dismissal from law studies.
Additional information about attending law school as a special student is available from the state bar.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS
Transfer Student Criteria
To be considered as a transfer student, no more than two years will have elapsed since the applicant was enrolled at the prior school. If more than two years have elapsed, you may apply for admission as a beginning student without transfer credit.
Transfer Credit
An applicant from an accredited law school may be admitted with transfer credit for courses completed at the prior law school, up to a maximum of 30-semester units. An applicant from an unaccredited law school or correspondence law school may be admitted with transfer credit only if the applicant received a score of 580 or higher on the state bar’s First-Year Law Students’ Examination (FYLSX) and for courses tested on the FYLSX (Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law).
Enrollment Periods
Due to the cyclical nature of course offerings at The Colleges of Law, a transfer student admitted with advanced standing will be allowed to enroll only during a summer session or fall semester.
Admission After Prior Law School Disqualification
An applicant previously disqualified from, or without good standing at, a prior law school will rarely be admitted. However, the Academic Standards and Admissions Committee will consider such applicant’s admission on essentially the same basis applied to former students of The Colleges of Law who apply for readmission after academic exclusion, as follows:
An application for immediate readmission (when less than two years have elapsed since academic disqualification) will be considered only if the applicant can substantiate that the exclusion was caused by exigent circumstances of an extreme, unavoidable, immediate, and personal nature.
An application for delayed readmission (when more than two years have elapsed since academic exclusion) must document that, during the period since exclusion, the applicant has engaged in work, study, or other activity that provides a compelling reason to conclude that there now exists a materially greater potential for success in a Juris Doctor degree program.
Academic Calendar
All Hybrid online Juris Doctor degree programs start in the fall, each trimester is 15 weeks long.
| FALL | SPRING | SUMMER |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid J.D. students admitted | ||
| 15 weeks | 15 weeks | 15 weeks |
Students will travel to Pasadena, California one weekend every month during the semester.
All sessions are 15 weeks in length.
A Curriculum Designed for the Demands of Law
The Hybrid J.D. curriculum will challenge and prepare you for the realities of modern legal practice. From your very first year, you will master foundational courses while developing the essential skills of research, writing, and analysis. As you advance, you will dive into complex areas of law—including constitutional law, civil procedure, and evidence—while applying your knowledge through hands-on lawyering skills workshops, supervised internships, and pro bono service. The program culminates in a semester-long capstone course where you will learn how to seamlessly transition into professional practice.
Required Courses
Comprehensive California Bar Preparation
Bar preparation is built into the Hybrid J.D. from day one, with early reinforcement in doctrinal courses and ongoing training through workshops, simulated exams, and personalized feedback from professors. Our seasoned practitioner faculty will provide continuous guidance, ensuring you master both knowledge and test-taking strategies. With bar prep fully integrated into the curriculum, you will gain the skills, confidence, and practical readiness needed to sit for the California Bar Exam.
What Legal Careers Can Hybrid J.D. Graduates Pursue?
Graduates of our Hybrid Online Juris Doctor degree program can choose various legal career paths, including but not limited to becoming lawyers, legislators, judicial law clerks, paralegals or legal assistants, regulatory affairs managers or specialists, or compliance managers or officers.
Our hybrid online Juris Doctor graduates can become several types of lawyers, including any of the five highest-paid lawyers. These include:
- Patent Attorneys: Protect intellectual property rights of inventions.
- Intellectual Property (IP) Attorneys: Protect rights to artistic and inventive creations.
- Trial Lawyers: Protect and defend using courtroom strategies, research, arguments, and advocacy.
- Tax Attorneys: Providing advice on complex tax laws and disputes and offering tax strategies for improved efficiency.
- Corporate Lawyers: working with businesses and organizations with mergers, corporate governance, legal advice, data security, and combining law and business.
Emerging legal specializations for lawyers revolve around technology, business, employment law, and corporate law with business-to-business operations such as acquisitions and mergers. Within these legal trends are specific law subfields such as contract law, commercial litigation, employment discrimination, labor relations, corporate finance, and securities law.
How to Become a Lawyer in California
The career pathway to becoming a lawyer varies by state. Here are the steps to become a lawyer in California:
- Obtain an undergraduate degree
- Prepare and take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
- Apply to and enroll in law school*
- Graduate from law school
- Pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam
- Pass the California Bar Exam
- Maintain licensure
Once you achieve these seven steps, you must apply to law firms. To help our graduates succeed, we have outlined a few tips on how to apply to entry-level positions for lawyers in law firms.
* The Colleges of Law does not require LSAT scores as part of their application process
The Colleges of Law prepares you to make an impact in a variety of high-demand legal careers. Below, you will find possible career options and salaries associated with the Hybrid Online J.D. degree.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics annual data update
This legal career data is pulled by a third-party tool called Lightcast, which includes data from sources including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, and other government databases. The information below represents a regional and national career outlook related to the hybrid online law program**. The Colleges of Law is dedicated to assisting you in achieving your career goals. Our Juris Doctor programs help to prepare students for a career in law, and most graduates pursue a career as a lawyer.
**Many degree programs are intended to fulfill licensure requirements in specific states. The Hybrid Online J.D. program fulfills the requirements for students to sit for the California Bar Exam. The data shown here may not represent the state where you currently reside. For more information on how this program is applicable to the requirements of your state, please speak with your admissions counselor.
Hybrid J.D. Degree FAQs
What are the Hybrid Juris Doctor career outcomes?
With many different types of law to pursue once you’ve passed the bar exam, it’s important to explore all options. The top five highest-paid lawyers in the US are patent attorneys, intellectual property attorneys, trial lawyers, tax attorneys, and corporate lawyers. Do some more research into the different types of law to see which field you’d be most interested in pursuing as a career.
Is the Hybrid J.D. program 100% online?
No. The Hybrid Online Juris Doctor program is available only in a hybrid capacity. Throughout the duration of the degree, students are required to complete parts of the course in person at our Los Angeles residency site. This part-time J.D. program redefines the traditional approach to law school by combining online learning with intensive residencies and prepares students to respond to an ever-evolving job market for law professionals.
How long does it take to complete the Hybrid J.D. degree?
The Hybrid part-time J.D. is structured to be completed in 40 months, offering one of the most affordable and flexible J.D. programs in terms of time and resources.
How much of the Hybrid J.D. program is online vs. on site?
Hybrid Juris Doctor students complete approximately 70% of their coursework online and 30% of their coursework on-site at The Colleges of Law’s Pasadena residency site at 45 W Eureka St, Pasadena, CA 91103.
Is the Hybrid J.D. degree an accredited law program?
The Colleges of Law is institutionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Our part-time J.D. program and our Hybrid online J.D. program are accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California as a single institution with two campuses, one in Santa Barbara and one in Ventura.
Are ABA and Cal Bar law schools the same thing?
No. ABA-accredited law schools have to attain higher bar pass rate requirements and typically do not offer online Juris Doctorate degree programs. Cal Bar schools enforce curriculum rigor to the same extent as ABA schools but encourage students to go at their own pace. The Colleges of Law is a Cal Bar school, a non-ABA program; our students typically work or take care of their families while earning their Hybrid Online J.D. degree. Both the ABA and Cal Bar law schools provide an up-to-date legal education to prepare students to pass the state bar exam.
Is the Hybrid Online Juris Doctor degree the same as the on-campus J.D. program?
Yes. The Hybrid J.D. program and the on-campus J.D. program educate students with the same curriculum, testing, and study materials. The key difference is the time at which students attend the online law school courses. The Hybrid Juris Doctor program is online to allow students to prioritize their work or families while obtaining their part-time law degree.