The Rise of Online Law Programs and Their Impact on Legal Education Accessibility – EDTECH 4 BEGINNERS
For many decades, committing to a law program often entailed spending a fortune and even uprooting your life. Today, the rise of online law programs has changed who can pursue legal degrees and where they can earn them. Gone are the days of giving up on your dream of becoming a lawyer because of limitations.
Sure, online law programs still require a big commitment regarding your time and commitment. However, it’s a more attainable dream than moving across the country or even the world to earn a law degree. Follow along as we explore how the rise of law programs has impacted legal education accessibility.
They Offer Affordability
It’s no secret that pursuing a legal degree can be expensive. Granted, the overall cost depends on the school and living expenses if you must relocate. This has sadly put many aspiring lawyers in a challenging situation where they can’t afford law school.
That’s especially true for people in struggling communities who have been at an economic disadvantage since childhood. The rise of online law programs has opened the door for more people of all backgrounds to pursue legal degrees. Some online law programs are much cheaper than traditional ones, while others cost roughly the same.
However, you don’t have to worry about expensive boarding costs and living expenses even if the program costs the same. It’s easier than ever to find affordable online law programs. Online law programs help students with economic difficulties, which also affect academic leaders, pursue law degrees.
Improved Inclusivity
Brick-and-mortar law schools pose challenges to people who struggle with disabilities, ailments, severe anxiety, and other mental illnesses. Sadly, that is enough to hold some people back from applying to in-person law schools. The inclusivity that online law programs offer is unparalleled.
Keep in mind that some online law schools still mandate in-person visits every once in a while. That is still much less of an undertaking than attending daily classes for people who face daily challenges and health issues. It’s much easier to justify occasional meetings than daily classes if you have a physical disability or mental health condition.
Online law programs open the door for people to pursue legal degrees who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. That is invaluable in a world that has finally adapted to inclusivity.
Expanded Reach
The United States is home to many talented lawyers from all over the world. That’s because many aspiring lawyers moved to the U.S. with a dream of becoming a lawyer. However, moving to another country to become a lawyer requires big personal and financial sacrifices.
That’s true even for people from the U.S. who live nowhere near reputable law schools. Remote law programs let aspiring lawyers earn law degrees without uprooting their lives.
We need lawyers from all over the country and world as everyone can bring their unique perspectives and talents. That’s finally more possible than ever because of online law programs.
Invaluable Resources
The sky is the limit as far as what resources are available to online law students. That’s because online law students can access massive digital libraries containing a wide variety of legal textbooks and documents. You can also download programs and simulators to prepare you for your eventual legal career.
Some people understandably worry that they’ll feel isolated in an online law program. However, modern technology makes remote collaboration easier than ever. Online law students can access so many amazing collaborative programs and work together.
Video chat programs are also widely available, easy to use, and quite useful for remote law students. That doesn’t mean that online law programs are easy, but they’re at least much easier to justify.
Online Law Programs Have Changed the Legal World
Ten years from now, we will look back on the shift to online law programs fondly. We will have a diverse group of talented lawyers from all walks of life and corners of the country. The world can only benefit from a world where the pool of lawyers doesn’t exclusively consist of privileged people with more accessibility than most.
People who need lawyers must be able to choose between a wide array of lawyers of diverse backgrounds. This includes lawyers of different cultural backgrounds, races, and even mental and physical conditions. Online law programs continue to improve and become more and more accessible, and we can all benefit from that.
