The University of Oregon, in the city of Eugene, has a reputation for left-leaning politics and an unconventional establishment-defying culture. This quality extends to Oregon's School of Law as well, which offers a non-traditional program in public interest law. The school stresses basic intellectual and analytical skills for legal practice, a familiarity with the frontier areas of law, a background in legal values, and opportunities to attain real-world legal workplace skills. Oregon Law students also have the opportunity to concentrate in non-traditional fields such as Environmental Law.
Northwestern California University was founded in 1982 and is distinguished by being a correspondence law school. Students engage in distance learning to obtain their degree; there are no on-campus classes to attend. The school seeks to combine the benefits of Internet-based education with standard law school pedagogy, oriented around the requirements of the California Bar. Students are trained to practice in the California State Courts, the United States Federal Courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. B.S. in Law and J.D. degrees are awarded by this institution.
California School of Law is designed for the non-traditional law student and strives to be more accessible and affordable than the traditional law school. It's oriented toward paralegals, parents, law enforcement professionals, or people with not much formal education. Admissions are more flexible, and coursework is conducted online through VOIP technology. The school was founded by a dyslexic man who had to struggle to establish his legal career. Classes are held two days a week and the program takes four years to complete.
Columbia's well-respected law school provides an alternative to the traditional J.D. route with its Social Justice Initiative. According to the school, "public interest experience should be part of the professional life of every Columbia student and graduate." The Social Justice Initiative provides its students with programming and assistance about careers, summer internship opportunities and pro bono law projects. Students are instructed in a comprehensive social justice education based on legal coursework, clinics, internships, pro bono work, and extracurricular activities. Students can participate in the "Externship Program" which places them in a not-for-profit organization or governmental agency.