The resilient adaptations to the COVID-19 pandemic have paved the way for new norms in many areas, including education. The legal education sphere has seen significant changes, such as the potential of studying law fully online. What used to be a field strictly dependent on in-person learning, could soon be accessible anywhere with a stable internet connection.
According to a report by Reuters, the American Bar Association’s legal education arm is contemplating expanding its accreditation to fully online law school programs.
If embraced, this modification could profoundly alter the traditional law school rankings, as it brings about substantial differences in the cost of obtaining a legal education, potentially making it more affordable.
The exceptionality of the online legal education system is not lost on Purdue Law Dean Martin Pritikin, who expressed his relief at finally witnessing the American Bar Association’s exploring to adapt to these changes. Pritikin noted how other areas of higher education had more swiftly adopted online learning strategies.
The financial differences are stark when comparing online programs to their conventional counterparts. An illustration of this is Purdue Global Law School’s program, one of the oldest online law schools (originally founded in 1998 as the Concord Law School). Their part-time online J.D. program charges about $13,500 annually, contrasting sharply with the $38,944 fee at ABA-accredited Southwestern Law School’s new fully online J.D. program, equivalent to its traditional program’s cost.
In summary, the impending decision by the American Bar Association to extend accreditation may lead to significant advancements and cost reductions in legal education, opening up opportunities for more individuals to pursue a career in law.