Since we are young, we can constantly hear about how important having a certain degree is and how valuable education is. Now, also, when we are young, we probably have other ideas on our minds, and education is not the first thing we think about, but as we grow, we get more aware of the importance of firstly having applicable knowledge and then a degree so that we could get a better job or at least a better-paid one. Today, listening to courses and getting various degrees online is nothing unusual, but a great thing about the Internet is that we can also get a degree in almost any field. Now, the biggest problem here is finding a legitimate and trustworthy school, as there are plenty of options, which is why we will today try to help you make the right decision on how to check if an online law school is legit.
Do your homework
Okay, this is the first and most important thing here, as regardless of the importance of the information you seek, if you want to find the correct and trustworthy one, it’s essential to do at least the basic research. Of course, the more complex the subject, the more research is needed, and we can say the same for all the things where money is involved. As for why it’s crucial to do homework when searching for an online law school well, there are several ways to look at it, so let’s go through the most important ones.
Just because something exists online doesn’t make it true
The first one is the basic one, and it’s about the Internet and how literally anyone can write and post something for everyone to see. In essence, it means that just because something exists online doesn’t mean that it’s true, far from it because, as recent studies have shown, a vast percentage of information, and especially news, is fake and created more as a clickbait than anything else. All of this gets even more emphasized when we talk about social media, as that percentage almost goes up to 50 of untrue, misguided, and false info, which is why social media platforms are at the bottom of the list regarding which sources people trust the most.
Checking the basic info
The second reason why doing research is a must here is due to circumstances, meaning that checking credentials of the school and school employees should be displayed on the school’s website and easily checkable through the right sources. If something doesn’t work, and if there is any problem verifying the claims of the school through these sources, then it’s highly likely that it is a scam or that the school is not accredited. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you will not get educated, but you will not have a piece of paper as proof that you have some law degree.
Get what you paid for
The third reason is the money-related one, and since you plan to pay for law education, the first goal is to learn something, and the second goal is to get accredited once you pass all the exams. Overall, this might sound like an obvious thing to do, but in reality, the majority of people go with the first result that pops up as an online search result and does not perform even the basic check.
Check the price
Paying for education is probably the smartest investment there is, as nothing material can be compared to knowledge, while on the other hand, knowledge can bring you material things. Yes, we have to pay for certain courses and even go to school even though it’s our basic right to get educated and to learn, but that’s a topic for some other time. Now, no one likes to overpay for things, even when it’s about education, which is why this tip is on our list. Namely, the goal here is to be warned that both too low and too high fees are a sign that something is fishy. Yes, the more renowned the school, the higher the price we will have to pay to attend it, but there is some limit even here. On the other hand, if the yearly cost of some online law schools is way too low, it is also a sign that their either lack proven and experienced professionals as teachers or that they are not accredited.
Check for copy-paste content
Your first thought now is probably about copying the books and other educating material, but we are more focused on copy-paste accreditations and using the false name. Of course, using the name of some renowned law school will make their website among the first ones as a search result (yet another way clicking on the first things that show up can do you wrong), but it’s illegal. Besides that, most so-called law schools that use the name of other more famous schools are a scam and just a way to take money from people. So, to avoid getting scammed, make sure to double-check the departments of those renowned schools and whether they actually have an online class or an option of attending online, and even if they have, whether it’s the website you have come across or not.
Check reviews
This part might undergo with doing research, but checking reviews and going through testimonials of previous students is a much more efficient and faster way to get the right info about online law schools. Understandably, it’s not like we are the only ones aware of this, meaning that there are many scams and websites with positive reviews and exemplary testimonials from previous students, but there is one problem, it’s all made up, and those images you probably can see are just some random people whose photos they used. So, it’s not just about going through reviews, as you also want to get the right and truthful testimonials, as it is the only way to actually get the right info on which you can then form your opinion and decision. The best advice here is to be thorough and really dig deep, meaning that you should go as far in the past as these reviews go, and if some school is existing for 20 years now and have only reviews in the last couple of months, it is an alarm sign that something is wrong.
Go with a well-known school
Yes, this one is more of advice on which school to pick rather than a tip on how to check whether some school is legit or not, but it is also the best way to be sure that some school or even university is legitimate. We are not saying that even some renowned educational institutions ask for way too much money just because of the name and brand, but even overpaying in some situations is a much better option than paying for something uncertain. Of course, the goal here is to find a legit law school where you will not have to pay as much yet still get an outstanding education and a degree which will help you get a job faster. Now, the best way to get all this is to go with a bit less known law schools but highly admired and recognized worldwide, as it is the only way to get both, a high level of education and not have to overpay to get the degree, and for more info on that visit this website.
Check teacher portfolios
As you can probably guess by now, determining whether some law school is legit or not can take some time, but the more you know about the school, the better the decision you will make. Checking portfolios and the previous experience and expertise of the teachers is a great way to find out how much you will learn. On the other hand, it is also an excellent way to see and check whether the school is proud to present their staff or not, and what’s probably even more important, since most websites use names and images of the teachers, you can use that and check their previous work and how greatly admired or not they are in the academic world. Having all this info will provide a much better insight into whether the school is legit and if it is what you can expect from applying and getting their degree.
Double check when the offer sounds too good
Well, this one is yet another way to get scammed, and even if we leave aside law education for a second, another crucial fact about the Internet is that if some offer sounds too good to be true, it’s highly likely that it is some kind of a hoax or a fraud. Keep in mind that tracking certain websites, who owns them and under which jurisdiction they fall is extremely difficult to prove, which is even more important when some websites state how you have to pay in advance. Overall, paying tuition without having any proof of where that money actually goes and not having any direct contact or communication with the school representatives is a great way to spend money for literally nothing, so make sure not to make this kind of mistake.
