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ERIC Number: ED633247
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 93
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3794-0395-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Expanding Access to Legal Education & Representation through Distance Learning
Kukas, Kandace J.
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northeastern University
Law schools have long been resistant to change. The pedagogical approach in law schools, the Socratic method, has been the overarching format to teach law since the 1800's. The legal community in the 21st Century continues to resist educational diversity by insisting that law school be taught in one fashion. Innovators in law saw that alternative formats of teaching; flipped classroom, method based, formative assessment and other advancements could enhance legal education. However, online education was broadly unaccepted by the legal community until being forced to teach online due to the COVID 19 Pandemic shut down. The purpose of this Action Research study was to show the legal community that law school could be taught effectively and efficiently in an online platform and be used to increase access. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of interviews with educators who taught online before the pandemic as well as those who were teaching online for the first time during the pandemic. The information gathered showed that those once resistant to teaching in this format were beginning to embrace it. They sought to use this form of teaching in a deliberate and decisive teaching model that required additional forethought. Action steps including interviews and observations were designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2 to educate those in the accrediting and licensing authorities that law schools were utilizing online platforms even after the pandemic shutdown to enhance their student population. Findings included an overall lack of awareness of advantages of online education, that online legal education could increase access to law school to those previously thought to be unable to attend law school and that licensing/accrediting authorities are starting to accept online legal education. The study concluded that this form of education may enhance legal programming and has implications for a more diverse study body. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A