Kaplan Launches Online Law School, Making 24 Hour Legal Education Possible for Working Students and Professionals.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 1998--Kaplan Educational Centers, one of the nation's premier education companies, has announced the launch of Concord University School of Law, the first major institution offering a juris doctorate degree earned wholly online via state-of-the-art technology. Concord will serve working students, professionals, family caretakers, students in rural communities and other individuals whose circumstances prevent them from pursuing a legal education at a fixed facility. The school, which offers a four year program, is currently accepting applications. Admissions will be conducted on a rolling basis, and students can begin their course of study at any time beginning October 6, 1998.

"Concord represents a significant step in Kaplan's evolution as an education company. The school furthers our mission to help students of all ages and backgrounds to reach their educational and career goals," said Jonathan Grayer, Kaplan's president and CEO. "Concord makes a high quality legal education accessible and affordable to students whose work and home obligations prevent them from earning a degree at a traditional law school."

"Concord is unique in using the latest Internet technology to provide students with rigorous, dynamic instruction at their convenience," said Jack Goetz, Dean of Concord University School of Law. "And we are able to provide this education at a fraction of the cost of traditional private law schools."

The instruction will be guided by a board of professors from ABA law schools who are national experts in their subjects. The board includes Professor Anthony Cook of the Georgetown University Law Center; Professor Rafael Guzman of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Leflar Law Center, one of the nation's leading scholars in Criminal Law; Professor Lawrence Levine of the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law, a recognized authority on Tort Law; and Professor John Moye, former associate dean of the University of Denver College of Law and a leading lecturer on Contracts.

Students will view lectures on the Internet, logging on at their convenience 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The lectures are presented using audiovisual streaming technology. Concord's curriculum corresponds to that of most leading American Bar Association law schools. Students will use the same casebooks and textbooks as those of their peers at law school campuses nationwide. Concord's comprehensive law library includes links to all research materials students will need to complete their assignments and fulfill the curriculum requirements, including cases, legal arguments and statutory codes. Students will acquire and hone online legal research skills, now a necessity for practicing attorneys.

Students will take regular interactive exams on the Internet that test their retention and understanding of material. In addition, they will receive instantaneous computer-analyzed feedback on their performance, with directions to study material that will address their individual needs. The exams mirror the content and language on the Bar Examination, preparing students throughout their education for the final hurdle to licensing. Students will receive regular feedback on written assignments via e-mail. In addition, professors will be available for consultation via online chat rooms and one-on-one meetings that take place on e-mail or by phone.

Applicants will be accepted based on criteria including grade point average; Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score or performance on a Concord-designed, online admissions test; a personal statement; and motivation to pursue a legal education through an electronic medium.

Concord has been authorized to award the juris doctorate degree by the Bureau of Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education in California. Concord has filed for registration with The Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California. Graduates will have the academic qualifications to sit for the California Bar Examination, and upon passing, will be qualified to practice in California courts. They may also apply to practice in Federal courts. Graduates who want to practice in other state courts may be eligible under reciprocity rules and should contact the bar in those states for details.

For more information about Concord University School of Law, prospective applicants may visit the web site, www.concord.kaplan.edu, or call 1-888-228-7737.

Through Concord, Kaplan is building upon its years of expertise as the nation's leading provider of LSAT preparation, helping students succeed in law school.

With 1,200 locations in the U.S. and abroad, Kaplan is one of the nation's premier education companies, providing individuals with a full range of resources to achieve their educational and career goals. Over the past 60 years Kaplan has served 3 million students in its test prep courses. The company also offers K-12 after-school programs at its SCORE! Educational Centers; customized education services for schools and universities; books, software and online services (www.kaplan.com); and professional services that include test preparation, training, career fairs and recruitment products. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.

Editors note: Kaplan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

CONTACT: Melissa Mack, 212-492-5849

Andrea Wilson, 212-492-5890