With legal education at the crossroads, most law schools are struggling to adapt quickly to radical changes in the traditional educational and economic models of legal education. There is no area where this change is more dramatic than in post-graduate degree programs. Many schools are demanding that their post-graduate programs make up for lost J.D. revenues. With the legal market in decline, there is pressure to develop new programs aimed at non-lawyer professionals. The traditional brick and mortar educational model is under attack from a variety of new technologies, including online courses, blended instructional models, and MOOCs. And, some of these innovations are being driven by new players, who are not traditional educational institutions. The more relaxed accreditation rules make post-graduate programs an excellent place for law schools to experiment with novel educational methods that may not be permitted in J.D. programs.
This session will explore the recent explosion of alternative types of degree programs and new technology-based course delivery options. The speakers will discuss the threats and opportunities posed by alternative and online degree options and the ways in which these innovative programs can address the economic pressures facing legal education.
Business meeting at program conclusion.