Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

In the 1800s, American academic leaders vehemently opposed distance education, which is when the student and teacher are separated by distance, arguing that it eliminated the social aspects of college life and undermined the prestigious status of professors. Fast forward to the present, and a similar debate is raging in legal academia, this time focused on online legal education. Critics contend that online education devalues face-to-face classrooms and undermines the core of effective teaching and learning—in-person interaction. However, a paradigm shift is on the horizon, marked by the American Bar Association's recent proposals to liberalize access to legal education through expanded online options for J.D. students.

This Article explores the historical roots of distance education, specifically learning by mail (also known as correspondence education), to draw parallels between the past and present. It examines key figures and events that shaped correspondence education, revealing valuable lessons for developing online legal education. The Article posits that online legal education, like correspondence education, can 1) provide greater access to legal education to a wider range of people, 2) place the individual student at the heart of the learning process, and 3) help legal educators leverage technology to advance their teaching and enhance student learning.

The Article argues that understanding the origins of distance education can help build robust conceptual frameworks for effective online legal teaching, ultimately fostering a legal profession that is not only modernized but also capable of delivering broader access to justice. Applying insights from correspondence schools to law schools offers the potential to create a more inclusive student body and profession by providing greater access to legal education, embracing technological advances, and maintaining a learner-centered approach.

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