Authors: Tiffane Cochran and Sherrie Godette, Ph.D.
in a Pandemic Ungrouped: How Online J.D. Experiences Varied Across Students
Law School
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, law schools and students resiliently forged ahead, endeavoring — many for the first time — to pursue their J.D. programs online. AccessLex Institute ® and Gallup partnered to survey law students about their experiences with online J.D. courses during this time, releasing two Law School in a Pandemic reports in 2021 and 2022 to discuss each year’s findings. This third and final report in the series examines the extent to which student perceptions of their J.D. programs during the pandemic differed by various characteristics — namely race/ethnicity, age, enrollment status, caregiver status, and law school tier.
Generally, we find that part-time students, caregivers, students ages 30 and older, and those attending tier-four (T4) ranked law schools were most receptive to online J.D. courses and reported more favorable experiences compared to their counterparts. And while there were few differences by race/ethnicity, we find that underrepresented students of color were more likely than White and Asian students to perceive that online courses allow more time to gain legal work experience and work to earn money. However, underrepresented students were less likely to report easy access to career services and to agree their J.D. program is worth the cost. These findings suggest that the appeal of online J.D. courses varies across student demographics . Law schools seeking to broaden distance learning opportunities can leverage these results to design equitable, quality online experiences for their students.
1
Satisfaction with Online J.D. Courses, 2022
Students attending tier-four (T4) law schools and students ages 35 and older were more likely to promote online J.D. courses. In 2021, part-time students were 2.6 times more likely to promote online J.D. courses compared to full-time students.
Caregivers, students ages 30 and older, and students attending T4 law schools may have more of a preference for online J.D. courses compared to their counterparts.
61% 49% 63% 69% 66% 52% 41% 68% 61% 57% 51% 23% 27% 22% 21% 22% 29% 20% 20% 25% 26% 21% 16% 24% 15% 11% 12% 20% 39% 13% 14% 17% 27% % Detractors ("0" to "6") % Passives ("7" or "8") % Promoters ("9" or "10") All students Caregiver Non-caregiver 24 or younger 25-29 30-34 35 or older Tier-one Tier-two Tier-three Tier-four 67% 61% 70% 57% 69% 73% 54% 69% 66% 72% 59% 7% 7% 6% 7% 11% 7% 9% 5% 26% 32% 24% 40% 24% 22% 36% 24% 25% 24% 35% Prefer in - person | No preference | Prefer online All students Underrepresented Represented Caregiver Non-caregiver Under age 30 30 or older Tier-one Tier-two Tier-three Tier-four 3% 5% 4% EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Perceived Value of J.D. Programs During the Pandemic, 2022
A slightly smaller proportion of underrepresented students and students attending T4 schools agreed or strongly agreed their J.D. program was worth the cost compared to their counterparts, irrespective of instructional mode.
All Instructional Modes At Least One Online Course Tier-four Tier-three Tier-two Tier-one 30 or older Under age 30 Represented Underrepresented All Students 46% 52% 48% 50% 50% 49% 51% 44% 50% 44% 52% 47% 55% 53% 50% 53% 41% 50% 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Accessibility of Resources
Among students who had at least one online course in 2021-2022, underrepresented students of color were less likely to report it was “easy” or “somewhat easy” to access career advising resources compared to students of other racial/ethnic backgrounds.
All students
Underrepresented
Represented
Under age 30
30 or older
Tier-three Tier-two Tier-one
Time Gains Associated with Online Instruction
85 %
66 % of underrepresented students of color compared to 58% of White and Asian students reported online courses afford time to work to earn money.
of caregivers compared to 72% of non-caregivers reported online courses afford more time to care for family members.
69% 69% 61% 75% 67% 71% 69% 55% 68%
Tier-four
4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Differences in Participation and Fatigue by Mode of Instruction
A slightly lower proportion of underrepresented students, caregivers, students ages 30 and older, and students attending T4 law schools agreed they felt emotionally drained after attending online classes compared to their subgroup counterparts.
While most students reported feeling more comfortable sharing their true feelings in-person compared to online courses, the opposite was true for caregivers, students ages 30 or older, and students attending T4 law schools.
56% 62% 64% 65% 51% 68% 65% 48% 65% 57% 63% Tier-four Tier-three Tier-two Tier-one 30 or older Under age 30 Non-caregiver Caregiver Represented Underrepresented All Students Online 74% 57% 55% 52% 67% 54% 56% 65% 56% 61% 57% In-Person 63% 59% 65% 66% 65% 64% 64% 59% 64% 64% 64% Tier-four Tier-three Tier-two Tier-one 30 or older Under age 30 Non-caregiver Caregiver Represented Underrepresented All Students EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
AccessLex Institute ®, in partnership with its nearly 200 nonprofit and state-affiliated ABA-approved member law schools, has been committed to improving access to legal education and to maximizing the affordability and value of a law degree since 1983. The AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence ® advocates for policies that make legal education work better for students and society alike, and conducts research on the most critical issues facing legal education today. The AccessLex Center for Education and Financial Capability ® offers on-campus and online financial education programming and resources to help students confidently manage their finances on their way to achieving personal and professional success. AccessLex Institute is headquartered in West Chester, PA.
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