One of the instructors at Patino was a graduate, and a practicing lawyer. If I had to choose between an overworked public defender or him for a trial, I'd pick him. My other instructor was an overworked public defender.
She graduated from nearby McGeorge School of Law, and had plenty of debt to pay off. She taught at Patino, she said, because the students were truly dedicated to their education, fitting it in around jobs and family in the evenings. She sure wasn't there for the money! The "campus" is literally a storefront. It was a stimulating learning environment, and I'd love to be able to get my JD there, but I don't have the time even for that.
The only people who are better off as their own attorney are actors in movies. Even having law or paralegal students who can help you wade through the forms and filings and procedures is a valuable asset. And many of those who go on to practice law may never get near a courtroom.
I would have no problem with a Lincoln-trained lawyer as my attorney, provided I wasn't his first case ever! A lot of ABA accreditation is about the furnishings. Patino and even Lincoln don't have expansive libraries, but when you're a five minute drive from the County Law Library, in the State Capitol, the books you need aren't far. Patino is 2 blocks from that library, the Capitol building, and the courthouse. Would I prefer a Harvard Magna Cum Laude to keep me out of the gas chamber? Sure--wouldn't we all? But I'll also be happy to be represented by someone who doesn't know me as a case number in a manila file.
