Golden Gate University School of Law Launches JD Flex Program
Blending online coursework and eight on-campus weekend sessions per semester, with summers completely online, this flexible program provides a path to an ABA-approved J.D. degree in less than four years.
GGU Law is thrilled to expand its long-standing mission of inclusion and access to the legal profession with its new JD Flex program. Starting in fall 2021, JD Flex will offer an innovative alternative to GGU Law’s continuing full-time residential program in San Francisco.
“We are proud of our top ranking as one of the most diverse law schools in the country. JD Flex reflects our unwavering belief that a challenging and dynamic legal education should be accessible to all,” says Eric Christiansen, dean for the School of Law.
Blending online coursework and eight on-campus weekend sessions per semester, with summers completely online, this flexible program provides a path to an ABA-approved J.D. degree in less than four years. Students also have the option of customizing their J.D. degree with one of two focused career tracks.
“Our students are caregivers, veterans, working professionals, first-generation college students, and others who have a passion for the law, but their path may have been anything but straightforward,” says Christiansen. “Our world, more than ever, needs their perspectives and leadership. And we are doing our part to make it possible.”
Human Connection and Meaningful Technology
“When we embarked on the challenge of designing JD Flex nearly two years ago, quality and rigor were of paramount importance,” says Reichi Lee, associate dean for Online Education and director of Academic Achievement, who will be overseeing the program’s implementation.
“Taking an online class is one thing, but thriving in it is quite another. Online learning can make legal education morerigorous and relevant by teaching students how to direct their own learning. This prepares them to be not only exceptional lawyers but effective leaders as well,” explains Lee.
JD Flex allows students to learn alongside their professors and peers during the weekend sessions while empowering them with the technological tools to personalize and assess their own learning and progress—an enhancement to classroom-only models.
“At GGU, we believe in the power of human connection and emotional intelligence. The magic that happens when humans connect in a shared physical space is crucial to well-being, joy, and deep learning. Harnessing the best of what humans offer and what technology offers is the future,” says Lee.
Careers for Today’s World
JD Flex students have the option of electing a traditional J.D. path or pursuing one of two focused career tracks—Intellectual Property Law (with a further emphasis in Patent Law or Technology and Data Privacy Law) and Social Justice and Public Interest Law—thereby giving them a competitive edge in some of today’s most in-demand legal and non-legal jobs.
“In addition to our varied clinical and experiential opportunities, JD Flex students will have access to two of our in-house intellectual property and business innovation institutes—the Center for Intellectual Property and Privacy Law and the McCarthy Institute—as well as the opportunity to participate on the GGU Race, Gender, Sexuality and Social Justice Law Journal,” explains Lee.
“There is no better time to become a lawyer, and a program like JD Flex makes a legal education accessible to far more people than ever,” says Christiansen. “We look forward to welcoming our inaugural JD Flex cohort to vibrant San Francisco in less than a year.”
JD Flex is set to begin in fall 2021. Applications are being accepted now. For more information visit: onlinelaw.ggu.edu.
Located in San Francisco, Golden Gate University School of Law provides students with a solid foundation in legal theory and the skills necessary to be a successful practitioner. GGU Law has a special commitment to public interest law. In addition to a strong public interest law curriculum, the school offers financial assistance to students who pursue careers in public interest law, and our in-house clinics provide legal assistance to underrepresented populations. GGU students reflect a wide variety of ages, work experience, and cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. GGU’s 700 law students include working professionals and recent college graduates from more than 100 undergraduate and graduate institutions.
Contact:
Michael Bazeley
Director of Communications, GGU
at mbazeley@ggu.edu
415-442-7853
