Blended Learning at Mitchell Hamline
09/04/2019
In January 2015, Mitchell Hamline became the first ABA-approved law school in the nation to offer students the chance to earn a law degree through a blend of online and on-campus instruction. The program was called the Hybrid J.D.
By January 2018, the earliest graduates were finishing the program. Since then, dozens more have graduated, and blended-learning alums from Mitchell Hamline have passed the bar and are working as licensed attorneys around the country.
Because we were the first, Mitchell Hamline has had the time to build on our technological platform and continuously improve our instructional techniques. We extended the Hybrid J.D. program format to an Executive and a Weekend option, including a popular case-study workshop component in which students learn firsthand from lawyers and participants in actual cases.
The newest evolution of blended learning launches in fall 2020.
The newest evolution of blended learning is a single enrollment option that includes the best elements of the Hybrid, Executive, and Weekend offerings.
It is a four-year program that can be finished in three years. It has substantial on-campus time that includes the case-study workshop; a flexible design that allows students to customize their schedules and curriculum; and an “asynchronous” structure that allows students to complete the online portion of their studies entirely on their own schedule.
The leader in blended legal education
Proven leadership
Since Mitchell Hamline launched its innovative blended-learning platform in January 2015 with the Hybrid J.D. program, a team of instructional designers has continued to improve its functionality, extend its reach, and broaden its application. It is a mature program with a track record of successful graduates. We offer the most flexibility to highly motivated students from around the country who want to earn a law degree in a way that fits their lives.
You want to go with the pioneer
Our success has led other institutions to launch similar programs, but none can match our expertise and adaptability.
As one of our first Hybrid J.D. program graduates advised anyone deciding between Mitchell Hamline and other programs: “You want to go with the pioneer.”
How does the schedule work?
For the first four semesters
Courses are offered in a blended format—2/3 in person and 1/3 online. Students come to campus twice a semester and spend the rest of each semester off campus, completing coursework online. The on-campus portions are intensive sessions filled with skills training and real-world case study. During the off-campus time, students have weekly deadlines but complete the work on their own schedule.
Starting in semester 5
Students have access to a range of courses in a variety of formats, including on-campus and fully online in addition to the blended format that makes up the first four semesters. For any courses they take in semesters 5-8 in the blended format, students come to campus for a Capstone Week.