It is our committment to provide as much information as possible to prospective students to help them make a sound and informed decision before enrolling in our JD program. We hope you find the following information helpful.
Admission Requirements
Seeking admissions into AHU School of Law is a simple process. We welcome diverse students from different backgrounds and experiences that can and will continue to contribute to our environment of educational excellence. The following are the minimum entrance requirements: (Must possess or complete one of the following):
The Associates Degree or great must be from an accredited US college or equivalent.
An official copy of all transcripts or evaluations must be received by Law School within 45 days from the start of class. Students must complete the admissions application, enrollment agreement, and sign any relevant disclosure statements. Students must also submit a resume and personal statement.
A combined total of 60 qualifying semester or 90 qualifying quarter units/credits or greater: Units/credits must be from an accredited US college or equivalent.
An official copy of all transcripts or evaluations must be received by Law School within 45 days from the start of class. Students must complete the admissions application, enrollment agreement, and sign any relevant disclosure statements. Students must also submit a resume and personal statement.
Must pass the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) requirements with a 50 or greater (satisfactory completion of exams): this solution is for all students who do not possess sufficient units.
Distance Education
Since all courses are taken online, it is important to have the right computer equipment to ensure the best
possible learning experience.
Electronic communication is the preferred method of communication for students, faculty and staff. To
take advantage of this technology, it is required that students, instructional and administrative staff acquire
and maintain email access with the capability to send/receive attached files. Because all courses are
primarily taught online, it is absolutely necessary that you have the right computer equipment.
Computer Hardware
- A processor of 1.6 GHz or faster
- 256 MB RAM or greater
- 20 GB hard drive or larger
- High-speed Internet connection (3MBPS or higher recommended)
- Monitor and video card with 1024x768 ppi or greater resolution
- Sound card with speakers
- HD Webcam
- Headset
Operating System
A computer running minimum of Windows 8 or 10.
Software
- Adobe® Reader ® 7.0 or later
- Microsoft® Office 2007+
- Browsers plug-ins for eLecta Live
If you're considering enrolling in our Online Juris Doctor (JD) program (or you’re already enrolled in a program) the tips and advice below can help you address the challenges to get the most value out of your online program.
- Treat an online course like a “real” course:
When it comes to online classes, you need to have the discipline to sit down and say, "I am going to work on this," as well as the dedication to actually follow through. Though you can be flexible as to when you choose to complete your work during the week, you can’t put it off indefinitely.
- Hold yourself accountable:
Set goals at the beginning of the semester, and check in with yourself weekly. In a traditional classroom setting, you’ll often receive verbal or visual reminders of an assignment’s upcoming due date. But without a professor actively reminding you, it’s up to you to make sure you’ve allotted enough time to complete the work so you’re not starting an assignment the day before it’s due.
- Practice time management:
The flexibility to create your own schedule is often one of the biggest appeals of taking online classes. But that freedom can also be detrimental if you do not have solid time management skills. Without them, you might easily to find yourself cramming before classes or handing in subpar assignments.
- Create a regular study space and stay organized:
Set up a dedicated learning environment for studying. By completing your work there repeatedly, you’ll begin to establish a routine. Whether your workspace is your kitchen table, a library, or the corner booth in a local coffee shop, it’s important to determine what type of environment will work best for you. Experiment to discover which type of setting boosts your productivity. Wherever you choose, make sure there’s high-speed internet access so you’re not trying to take an online course over a lagging connection.
- Eliminate distractions:
From Netflix to social media to dishes piling up in the skink, you’ll be faced with many distractions that can easily derail your studies. The best online students know how to lessen these distractions and set aside time to focus.
- Figure Out How You Learn Best:
Once you’ve established where you’ll learn, think about when and how you accomplish your best work. If you’re a morning person, make time to study first thing. More of a night owl? Set aside an hour or two after dinner to cozy up to your computer. If the kids require your morning and evening attention, try to carve out a study session mid-day while they’re at school. Brew your usual cup of coffee, put on your go-to playlist, and do whatever you need to get into the zone and down to business.
Not everyone learns the same way, so think about what types of information help you best grasp new concepts and employ relevant study strategies. If you’re a visual learner, for example, print out transcripts of the video lectures to review. Learn best by listening? Make sure to build time into your schedule to play and replay all audio- and video-based course content.
- Actively participate:
Participate in the course’s online forum to help you better understand course materials and engage with fellow classmates. This might involve commenting on a classmate’s paper on a discussion board or posting a question about a project you’re working on. Read what other students and your professor are saying, and if you have a question, ask for clarification.
- Leverage your network:
Online classes may sometimes make you feel like you are learning on your own, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Most online courses are built around the concept of collaboration, with professors and instructors actively encouraging that students work together to complete assignments and discuss lessons.
Build relationships with other students by introducing yourself and engaging in online discussion boards. Your peers can be a valuable resource when preparing for exams or asking for feedback on assignments. Don’t be afraid to turn to them to create a virtual study group. Chances are good that they will appreciate it just as much as you will.
Important Disclosures
Any law school that is not approved by the American Bar Association shall publicly disclose the following information: Admissions data, Tuition, fees, and financial aid, Conditional scholarships, Enrollment data, Number of full-time and part-time faculty, technically trained librarians, and administrators, Average class size of each required course and the number of clinical offerings, Employment outcomes for graduates, and Bar passage data.
All of this information can be found in this comprehensive report
For AHUSOL's complete disclosures, please visit
our disclosures page.
Law students completing their first year of law study in a juris doctor degree program at a State Bar-unaccredited registered law school, through the Law Office Study Program and those without two years of college work attending a Committee of Bar Examiners- or an American Bar Association-accredited law school must take the First-Year Law Students' Examination after completing their first year of law study. Law students who have been advanced to their second year of law study at an ABA or California-accredited law school and completed a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of undergraduate work are generally exempt from the examination.
Students can register by visiting the CalBar's website.
First Year Examination
Law students completing their first year of law study in a juris doctor degree program at a State Bar-unaccredited registered law school, through the Law Office Study Program and those without two years of college work attending a Committee of Bar Examiners- or an American Bar Association-accredited law school must take the First-Year Law Students' Examination after completing their first year of law study. Law students who have been advanced to their second year of law study at an ABA or California-accredited law school and completed a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units of undergraduate work are generally exempt from the examination.
Students can register at https://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/.
The examination includes both essay and multiple-choice questions and is administered in one day. Four hours is allocated for completing the four-essay question portion of the examination and three hours for one hundred multiple-choice questions.
The subjects covered in this examination are: Contracts, Criminal Law and Torts. An answer based upon legal theories and principles of general applicability is sufficient; detailed knowledge of California law is not required.
Professional Responsibility Examination
To practice law in California, applicants must not only pass the California Bar Examination, they must also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).
Developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), the MPRE is a 60-item (50 scored questions and 10 nonscored pretest questions), two-hour multiple-choice examination administered three times each year at established test centers across the country. (Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 5 of the Rules of the State Bar of California)
More information regarding the examination, including states for administration and applying to take the examination, is on the
NCBE's website.
After registering, applicants may take the MPRE anytime after completing their first year of law school. Applicants can register with the State Bar.
There are no time limits for taking the MPRE in connection with an applicant's qualification for admission to practice law in California, although the requirement must be satisfied before a motion is made to the Supreme Court of California to see certification of eligibility to practice law in California. Applicants must achieve a minimum scaled score of 86 to be considered as having passed the MPRE.
It is necessary for applicants to request that their scores be reported or transferred to California. Simply being a California applicant or resident will not cause this to occur. To avoid delays in applying to practice law if applicants are successful on the California Bar Examination, they must make sure they do the following:
- Register before taking the MPRE
- Check to see that the correct registration number is included on the MPRE application form
- Request that the score be reported to California. This can be done in one of three ways:
- If the exam was taken in 1999 or after, make a request to the NCBE that scores be transferred to California.
- If the exam was taken before 1999, provide verification from the jurisdiction in which the applicant was admitted that they received an MPRE scaled score of 86 or better.
- If the exam was taken before 1999, provide a copy of the MPRE score that confirms a score of 86 or better along with a signed statement verifying under penalty of perjury that the applicant's report is accurate.
- Achieve a minimum scaled score at least three months prior to the release of results from the California Bar Examination
- All questions concerning application materials, the administration, processing and/or grading of this examination should be directed to the NCBE.
American Heritage University School of Law offers Law 404: Professional Responsibility to help prepare students for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.
Professional Responsibility is a survey of attorneys’ legal and ethical obligations, and the standards that are attendant to the practice of law and the legal profession. Students will study California and model statutory codes and decisional law that define an attorney’s legal and ethical obligations to clients, the courts, opposing counsel and the profession. They will study various legal conflicts that may arise during client representation while fulfilling the varying roles of advocate, officer of the court, public icon and working practitioner. Students will study the business and economic aspects of the practice of law, restraints on practice, the role of the judiciary and the state bar in enforcing attorney rules of professional conduct, and sanctions for violating the rules.
General Bar Examination
The California Bar Examination is given twice each year in February and July. The exam will be given over two days and consist of the following parts:
- Five one-hour essay questions
- One 90-minute Performance Test
- 200 multiple-choice questions (Multistate Bar Examination (MBE)
The written portion of the examination (essay questions and Performance Test) is administered on the first day, with three essay questions given in the morning session and two essay questions plus the Performance Test given in the afternoon session. The MBE is administered on the second day, with 100 questions given in the morning and 100 questions given in the afternoon.
The examination covers 13 subjects, including Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Community Property, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Real Property, Remedies, Torts, Trusts and Wills and Succession.
Preparing for the exam may take months. Help yourself by looking at what the test covers and how it is graded.
AHUSOL Alumni
As an Alumni of AHUSOL, you get to keep your WestLaw access card for as long as you sign into the LMS at least once every six months and you also have access to archived lectures. Learn more.
- Request Unofficial Transcripts: Your Populiweb login is required. Click here to place your request. Once logged in, click on the "Student" tab and select "Export Transcript" on the left. Unofficial transcripts are free of charge and are available instantly.
- Request Printed Official Transcripts: The request for your printed Official Transcripts must be done using the Transcript Request Form. Once completed and signed, email it to the Registrar: registrar@ahulaw.com. If you prefer. you can mail the completed form to Registrar's Office, 9227 Haven Ave, STE 210, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. Printed Transcript requests orders can take anywhere from 7 - 10 business days to process. There is a $25 processing fee.
- Request Electronic Official Transcripts: The request for your electronic Official Transcripts can be made using the Online Transcript Request System. Once completed the Registrar will release the transcripts securely to the information provided on your request. There is a $25 processing fee.
Please Note: Your transcripts may not be released if you have any holds on your account. This includes financial such as unpaid tuition or fees, administrative such as missing documents and academic such as an incomplete class.
