The Juris Doctor, or J.D., degree is the first degree aspiring lawyers are required to earn to enter the profession. The completion of a J.D. allows them to take the examination to become licensed to practice law (the bar exam). Schools that offer external programs to earn a J.D. may be exclusively online schools or they may have a brick-and-mortar program, in which students can complete classes through a combination of online learning or physically being at the school.
Law degrees completed through an external, or partly external, programs are not a special subset of the J.D. degree. A degree completed externally entitles the bearer to the same rights and professional titles as someone who completed all their coursework in residence. This is true as long as the external program that award you the J.D. is properly accredited for the state in which you wish to practice law.
Both external and traditional programs that award degrees can be accredited by a number of different organizations. The largest accrediting body for law schools in the United States is the American Bar Association (ABA). Most states in the nation require you to have a degree from a program accredited by the ABA in order to take that state's bar exam. Some states, like California, have their own accrediting organizations. However, getting your degree from a school accredited by the ABA gives you the greatest range of professional opportunities.
A Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) is an advanced law degree for lawyers who have already earned their J.D. degree. These degrees allow lawyers the chance to gain a deeper understanding of a specific legal area. Because the ABA does not accredit LL.M. programs and only examines them for the purpose of ensuring that the program does not affect its ability to maintain its J.D. accreditation, different schools are able to offer specialized LL.M. programs. Many schools offer these degrees through external programs, as they are frequently aimed at working legal professionals.