Monday, Jan. 12, 2015 marks the first day of class for 85 students from across the country who enrolled in the nation’s first hybrid on-campus/online program at an ABA-approved law school.
The aspiring lawyers are medical doctors, college professors, bankers, baggage handlers, mothers, and fathers, from 31 states and two countries. They range in age from 22 to 67. At least 35 have advanced degrees – including 14 MBA degrees, five medical doctors, and three Ph.D. degrees. Forty-five percent of the students are women and 19 percent are people of color.
The new enrollment option builds on the law school’s tradition of innovation by combining the best of face-to-face instruction with the best of digital learning. Students are able to attend courses from anywhere in the world.
“The innovative program enables people to attend law school who cannot be on campus to participate in a traditional full-time or part-time schedule,” says President and Dean Eric Janus.
Brooke Baker, a student from New Mexico shares, “I appreciate this opportunity to pursue a J.D. from a well-respected law school without having to uproot my family or disrupt my career. I am excited to be part of this innovative and historically important milestone in legal education.”
William Mitchell is the first law school to ask for and receive ABA approval for a hybrid enrollment option. The part-time, four-year, hybrid program is offered alongside the traditional full-time and part-time J.D. programs.
“We’ve learned that when implemented thoughtfully, courses blending face-to-face and online instruction offer students the best of both worlds,” Janus said. “By embracing e-learning technologies, professors expand their teaching repertoire, fostering greater creativity, engagement and flexibility in learning, while also preparing students to use technology they will encounter in practice.”
The hybrid program has a clear and carefully designed curricular focus. Students visit campus nine times during the four years. The first and third semester start with an on-campus preparatory week where students work alongside faculty and each semester concludes with an on-campus Capstone week. Students in this unique program also have the opportunity to complete externships in their communities under the supervision of practicing attorneys.
More information about William Mitchell College of Law and the new hybrid enrollment option can be found at www.wmitchell.edu/hybridoption.
About William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell
College of Law was founded in 1900 to provide an accessible, practical
legal education rooted in the real-world needs of lawyers, the legal
profession, and the community. Today, it is home to the top-ranked
clinical program in the region; robust externship and mentoring
programs; faculty who are teachers, scholars, and practitioners; and a
large, proud, and supportive alumni base. Accredited in 1943, Mitchell
is the only ABA-approved law school to offer three distinct enrollment
options: full time, part time, and a new on-campus/online hybrid option.
For more information, visit www.wmitchell.edu.
