Since Wisey has resurrected this year old post, let me offer some comments (I am a Lawyer, I practice in CT, and I teach at Law School (as an adjunct in Juvenile and Family Law).
Not all Law Schools are the same, and if you are not looking to join a major downtown firm and work 2000 plus hours the first few years, it doesn’t make much difference where you go tgo Law School. Only that you pass the Bar Exam and probably use connections to get interviews and a starter job.
There has been much false information posted above. Some professors teaching certain courses do give homework in Law School. A Law student should figure to spend 3 hours in outside study or work for every class hour. Thus a fifteen credit semester means 15 hours per week in class and 45 hours additional preparation.
It is also false that there are NO tests except for semester finals. I attended an Ivy League Law School and Property, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law and Ethics all had weekly tests as well as finals. Except for senior level courses all my law classes had midterm exams.
The classes I teach have midterm, final and 3 major research projects each semester.
Back to the BTL or Conventional degree question. If you are taking the Bar Exam in NY or Maryland, the BTL is not so unusual.
REMEMBER: When making application to take the Bar Exam the candidate must supply his/her College Transcripts as well as Law School Transcript. Out of town a BTL may not be recognized as a legitimate degree. Last year the Bar Committee contacted me to find out what it was. In the specific applicant’s case it really wasn’t equivalent to a 4 year BS or BA and he was not permitted to take the Bar Exam…and lost his $750 application fee.
Before taking any of these comments seriously, make some calls to the Law Schools you’d like to attend and the Bar Examining Committee in the State in which you’d like to practice. Then make your decision.