ABA Approves Nation’s First Fully Online J.D. Program

Southwestern Law School is launching the nation’s first fully online, full-time J.D. program accredited by the American Bar Association.

The Los Angeles law school received ABA approval in August and will begin accepting applications this month for Fall 2024. Classes will be fully online and asynchronous, which allows students to access course materials, participate in discussions, and complete assignments whenever is convenient for them.

While the program is fully online, President and Dean Darby Dickerson says the online J.D. program is not “Zoom U.”

“It is a carefully considered, thoughtfully designed program that will allow students to interact with faculty and other students meaningfully while providing scheduling and geographic flexibility,” Dickerson says. “The program retains those elements that will train students to become effective, ethical lawyers but leverages technology and instructional design to meet the evolving needs and complex lives of today’s students.”

PROGRAM DESIGN

Full-time students can complete the online program in three years and part-time students in four years. The program is designed to allow online students the same opportunities residential students. For example, online students have access to Southwestern’s extensive externship program, clinics, four concentration programs, honors programs (including academic journals), and advocacy teams and student clubs.

Additionally, online students can access the same support services available to residential students, including career counseling, academic success and bar preparation, accessibility services, mental-health counseling, financial-aid counseling, library services, and more.

“We’re removing obstacles and opening our exceptional learning environment to a wider audience, molding the future of legal education to meet the evolving necessities of the next generation of legal professionals,” Amy McLellan, associate dean of Online Education, says.

Southwestern expects to enroll approximately 70 to 80 students next year. The online program will maintain the same cost structure as Southwestern’s residential program, with annual fees of $58,392 for full-time students and $38,944 for part-time students.

Sources: Reuters, Above The Law, National Jurist

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