At this time the primary sources of legal education by distance are non-ABA accredited schools.

The following info comes directly from the ABA web site at:
http://www.abanet.org/legaled/publications/compguide2000/cgchart4.html

If applicant, a graduate of a non-ABA-approved school, passes a bar examination in another state, is the applicant eligible to take your examination without additional legal education?

Alaska   After five years’ active practice in another jurisdiction in which applicant has been admitted.

Arizona    After five years’ active practice out of seven preceding application in Arizona.

California Yes, if admitted in another state. In California fully 25% of all practicing attorneys have graduated from non-ABA- approved schools. If you earn a degree from a non-ABA- approved school that is California State Bar approved (cf our list of such schools below), you are automatically allowed to take the Bar in this state.

Colorado    Graduates of state-accredited schools who have practiced five of the preceding seven years in a jurisdiction where admitted may sit for the bar examination.

Florida    After ten years’ active practice in another jurisdiction in which applicant has been duly admitted, the applicant may file a representative compilation of work product for evaluation by the Board.

Hawaii    Yes, if applicant has actively practiced law for five of the six years immediately prior to application.

Kentucky   Applicant must apply for education evaluation and be approved by the Board.

Maine After three years’ active practice one or more jurisdictions within the United States.

Missouri    After five years’ practice, applicant may apply to take the bar examination at the discretion of the Board.

New York    After five years of practice.

New Mexico    After four years’ practice in another jurisdiction.

Oregon    If applicant has been admitted to practice before the highest tribunal in another state, the District of Columbia, federal territory, has graduated from a law school equivalent to a law school approved by the American Bar Association, and where requirements for admission are substantially equivalent to those of Oregon, and if applicant has been actively, substantially and continually engaged in the practice of law for at least three of the five years immediately preceding the taking of exam.

Pennsylvania    If applicant graduated from a non-ABA approved law school, the applicant must be admitted in and in good standing in a reciprocal jurisdiction and have been engaged in the practice of law in a reciprocal jurisdiction for 5 out of the last 7 years immediately preceding the date of filing of the application.

Texas    If licensed by another U.S. jurisdiction, a graduate of a non-ABA-approved school (not a correspondence school) may take the 2½-day Texas Bar Examination if (s)he has 3 out of last 5 years of lawful practice, or may take the 1-day Short Form Examination if (s)he has 5 out of last 7 years of lawful practice, provided (s)he has not failed the last TBE taken nor the last exam taken in another state.

Vermont    If admitted in another jurisdiction.

Washington   Admission to the practice of law by examination, together with current good standing, in any state or territory of the

U.S. or District of Columbia or any jurisdiction where the common law of England is the basis of its jurisprudence, and active legal experience for at least 3 of 5 years immediately proceeding filing of application.

West Virginia    If admitted in another jurisdiction.

The five most common paths to a law degree are:

1. The most common requires law students to attend an ABA accredited Law School and satisfactorily pass the Bar exam within each state the student plans to practice law.

2. In Alaska, California, Maine, New York, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming students are allowed take the state bar based on apprenticeship study alone, without ever having earned a law degree traditionally.

3. In California one may attend an unaccredited campus-based law school. Most of these schools have four year night school programs. After the first year is completed they are required to take an all day test called the "Baby Bar." If successful here, they are allowed to continue the final three years, after which time they are allowed to take the Bar exam with those students who graduated from accredited law schools.

4. In California alone, students may earn a law degree completely by correspondence. None of these schools is "accredited," but they are "approved" by the California State Bar. Each student is required to take and pass the "Baby Bar" after the first year before being allowed to continue in school. Once the four year course is successfully completed they can take the Bar just like any student from a fully accredited school.

Students studying law by correspondence in California have to meet stringent time requirements and cannot finish outside of a very strict 4 year program schedule. Please note that the pass rate on the Bar exam is much lower for correspondence students.

WARNING: If you intend to practice law in our state, we suggest you check first with the State Bar association in your state to be sure this approach will work for you.

CORRESPONDENCE LAW SCHOOLS

The following schools(*) are approved by the State Bar of California to teach law by correspondence and to prepare the student for the first year exam (Baby Bar). The rest offer non-Bar qualifying degrees.

For further information on which schools are state or state bar approved contact:
State Bar of California
P.O. Box 7908
San Francisco, CA 94129
(415) 561-8200
www.calbar.org/shared/2admsch.htm#l5