With the expansion of online learning across the world, law schools are finally catching up with developing online programs. Just recently the council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar approved proposed revisions aimed at increasing the number of distance education credits offered by law schools. These revisions are expected to be presented to the House of Delegates for review in August before any formal changes are made.
If these changes are made, this will be big news for law schools and for law students who want to learn online.
Bethany Carr, Sarah Covington and Jessica Carmichael have had many positive experiences through their enrollment in the University of Dayton School of Law’s Hybrid JD program. The three first-generation law students are working together to publish “Digitally Remastered: Modern Law School.” The book focuses on academic success in online law school programs.
“Our program is doing something so unique,” Carr said. “We are prepared to practice law remotely. Really, we’re prepared to live in an online world, one we saw with the real world as COVID hit and sent everybody online.”
The three believe that aside from flexibility, online legal education can bring a lot more positives to the table; Including the ability to set your resume and experience apart from other students.
For Covington, she became a competitive candidate with her online status when applying for an internship.
“I was a really competitive candidate when applying because I have such a flexible school schedule, so that was a differentiator,” Covington said. “Also, I’m in an environment where the closest law school is 6 hours away. There aren’t law students here in the fall and spring semesters. There’s really only law students that would even be available to travel to this area in the summer.”
Covington believes that her comfort in an online setting helped her when balancing her workload while doing a judicial externship and an internship with a legal tech startup company.
“I think actually being an online student has been huge for me,” Covington said. “I would not have had all of these opportunities otherwise.”
The three authors hope their book will help other students understand how to be successful in an online setting. They also want to raise awareness of the struggles and successes that come with this setting.
“There are some connotations out there that online school is not as rigorous as residential programs,” Carr said. “The reality is this is law school and it is a lot of work and so don’t plan on joining in and saying I’ll do it in my free time. Don’t expect it to be easy, just because it’s online.”
The book covers recommended habits to start in you’re starting an online program, the different types of learning settings, time management and other tips for law students.
“This book is so vital for online students because our professors didn’t go to law school online,” Covington said. “They are doing a great job acclimating to this world of Zoom and teaching us remotely, but they went through residential traditional learning pathways. And I think having an opportunity to hear and learn from someone that has been in your shoes is a really valuable tool. It’s not something that we can get from our professors because they haven’t lived it.”
The book is now available.
