Albany Law School is the latest law school to announce a Flex JD program — a flexible program that is predominantly online. The program, which will start in August 2024, will offer both asynchronous and synchronous courses. It is a part-time program that still allows for students to get their JD in only three and a half years by attending fall, spring, and summer semesters. With only one semester further out than full-time law students, cohorts in this program graduate in December.
“This program exemplifies and advances our commitment to making sure that legal education is accessible,” said Albany Law President Cinnamon Carlarne. “Our new Flex JD program harnesses not only the deep breadth of legal scholarship and knowledge of our faculty but also the critical experiential learning opportunities that we offer all of our students.”
Students in the program will have access to most of the same benefits offered to on-campus students, including specializations and direct interaction with legal professionals in those fields such as business law, and environmental law.
Specializations will also be a part of this flex program. In addition to business and environmental law, Albany Law will also offer specializations in government law, social justice, and public service/interest.
Students will also have access to experiential learning — clinics and externships — provided through Albany Law’s Edward P. Sawyer Justice Center.
Albany Law School is the 18th law school to be given a variance by the American Bar Association to offer a program that includes more online education that the standard. The ABA recently expanded the standard from one-third to 50% of all courses.
Five law schools are approved by the ABA to offer fully online programs —Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Southwestern Law School, St. Mary’s University School of Law, and University of Hawai’i William S. Richardson School of Law.
Southwestern Law School is the only law school to offer a full-time and fully online JD program. Suffolk University Law School is the only other school to offer a full-time, Flex JD program. The other 16 law schools with variances are part-time programs.
