Has anyone heard of Miles Law School?
Because I work almost exclusively with students seeking admission to ABA-accredited schools, I'd never heard of this school. My suggestion, if you're looking to get some impressions of how the school is viewed both from an "insider's" and an "outsider's" perspective, would be to contact a few current students and ask them about their experience, contact a few alums and ask them how they felt their Miles education has served them, and contact a few law firms (particularly some in Birmingham, where you plan on practicing) and ask some of the managing partners how they feel about students that have graduated from Miles. That last one is probably the most important, since what you really want to make sure of is that you'll be able to get a law job after attending law school.
The only problem is that they are not accredited and I don't know how I feel about that, anyone have any suggestions about law schools not being accredited?
There are many advantages to attending an ABA-accredited school, not least of which is that you can sit for any state bar and practice anywhere in the United States. In the case of Miles Law, since they're unaccredited, the only state you'll be able to sit for the Bar for is Alabama (this may change, however, since states have different takes on who can take their state Bar--I would advise that, if you're looking to practice outside of Alabama, that you contact the State Bar Association in the states you're interested in practicing in and ask). The main problem for graduates of non-accredited schools is that their physical practice area is severely limited--they are restricted to the state in which the school is located. If you know you'll only ever want to practice law in Alabama, then this wouldn't be a problem for you--however, in this economy it doesn't really make sense to limit your options so severely.
I plan on practicing in Birmingham , and in Alabama I know you can still take the Bar even if you didn't graduate from an accredited school.
You'll be able to take the Bar in Alabama, that's correct; but you likely won't be able to sit for the Bar in many other jurisdictions.
My personal opinion? Although the thought of graduating from law school without any debt is very tempting, you have to temper that thought with another: Attending a non-accredited school really hamstrings the physical areas you'll be able to practice in, and maybe even some of the firms you can work for. There may be some firms that will not hire you because they know you aren't really "relocatable" and have to stay within the state. On the other hand, the roster of successful alums from Miles is considerable, particularly those that have gone on to administrative positions with regional law organizations, and those that have chosen local politics. I would always be a little hesitant to attend non-accredited, just because I don't like limiting my options, but the schedule and cost considerations might be what holds most weight for you. It's really a very personal choice.
Best of luck!
Author
