A recent Indiana Supreme Court ruling allows Purdue Global Law School graduates to be eligible for the state bar exam.
The amendment to Admission & Discipline Rule 13 allows law school graduates who didn’t attend American Bar Association-approved schools to apply for admission to the Indiana bar. Previously, the ABA required a physical campus for accreditation. Purdue Global Law School is fully online.
“We’re excited that there’s now a path for our students to become licensed lawyers in Indiana,” said Martin Pritikin, dean and vice president of Purdue Global Law School, in a press release.
Indiana and California are the two states in which Purdue Global students will be eligible, after a waiver application, for the bar exam upon graduating.
“This is a big step for us and for others,” Pritikin said. “For example, this would allow lawyers who completed their law studies internationally to apply for the bar exam waiver. Indiana is facing a lawyer shortage, particularly in rural areas, and this new rule can help address that.”
The February 2025 bar exam is the first time applicants will be eligible to petition for a waiver. The ABA is considering eliminating the requirement of a physical campus for accreditation. Online law schools, like Purdue Global, could then apply for ABA approval.
“It is clear that the pandemic was a watershed moment in the recognition of the power of online learning,” Pritikin said. “When done right, online law school can be just as good as — or better than — an in-person program in many respects.”
The Purdue Global Law School was launched in 1998. It is part of Purdue Global, a nonprofit online school backed by Purdue University. Currently, 24 Indiana residents are enrolled, and 20 graduates live in the state.
