An Evaluation of a First-of-Its-Kind Hybrid Law Program

• In Event: Education and Professional Doctorates: Impacts and Innovation

Abstract

The hybrid Juris Doctorate (J.D.) program evaluated in this study is the first ABA-accredited law degree program with a large online component. This study takes a mixed methods approach to evaluate student outcomes and whether the hybrid program expands access to legal education. We used a quasi-experimental design to compare student outcomes in the hybrid program with full-time and part-time in-person programs at the same institution. After three terms of data collection, findings indicate that student outcomes are comparable in the hybrid format when controlling for student backgrounds. Further, students report that they would not have attended law school without the hybrid option.

Authors

• Rebecca Griffiths, SRI International

• Claire Christensen, SRI Internatinal

• Shuai Wang, SRI International