Summary: Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center will be offering the first hybrid JD program in New York.
Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center announced their new program “FlexTime J.D. Program,” which will be the first of its kind in the state of New York. The program was designed to allow students that want a part-time program to pursue a law degree but need even more flexibility due to work and family commitments.
The Central-Islip based Touro Law program is set to start during the fall of 2018, according to a report by the Long Island Business News. The school’s announcement stated that the program involves “uniquely tailored combinations of online and in-person instructional components.”
Dean Harry Ballan added, “This innovative program will provide students with maximum flexibility while maintaining a rigorous course of study that will prepare them for the realities of law practice. The program uses the latest in evidence-based teaching and learning tools and promises to be both robust and rewarding for all involved.”
The application requirements are the same as the school’s part-time program. The program can be completed in just under four years with the fall 2018 class set to sit for the bar exam in July 2022. Tuition is estimated to be around $15,000 for the fall and spring semesters in 2018-2019 and $10,000 for the summer semester.
Touro College & University System President Dr. Alan Kadish said, “We have a long tradition of offering user-friendly educational opportunities that meet the academic and lifestyle needs of our diverse student body. Using the latest technology, this forward-thinking program will help law students pursue high level studies in a flexible way that works for their needs.”
The program is organized so that students take three semesters: fall, spring, and summer in their first two years. They will end up completing 48 credits within two years. During the first two years, the students attend on-campus classes every other Sunday. The students then complete the final 40 credits during the last two years, 15 of which are online electives that can be done during the summers of the third and fourth years for greater flexibility.
Touro Law Director of Digital Learning Professor Jack Graves said in a statement, “The FlexTime J.D. will take advantage of a wide variety of in-person interactions, discussion boards, online peer assessment tools, videoconferencing, and social media platforms to build a vibrant community of teachers and learners, including a rich array of opportunities to interact with and participate in the broader Touro Law Center community. This program provides the perfect opportunity for a diligent, self-motivated student who does not require the structure of daily, in-person class meetings, but does require significant scheduling flexibility to earn his or her law degree – all without in any way compromising the quality of the education. It’s truly exciting and should open doors for many non-traditional law students.”
Do you think students will be able to keep up with a self-motivated program? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about flexible JD programs, read these articles:
- Elon Law’s Shorter Program Length Entices More Students
- William Mitchell College of Law Welcomes First Hybrid Online Law Class
- Hybrid Classes Changing the Traditional Route of Law School
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