Toni Jaeger-Fine, assistant dean of International and Non-J.D. programs, shares predictions for law education and LL.M. programs after coronavirus.
Legal education is in flux, and not just because of the disruption caused by coronavirus, with law school heads predicting big changes in how and what they teach on their flagship LL.M. courses in the future, ranging from the expansion of experiential learning to online and niche degrees in fast-growing areas like intellectual property or business law.
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“Part of the changing landscape is the growth of online graduate law programs,” says Jaeger-Fine. “There are obvious benefits to traditional in-person programs, including eligibility to sit the New York bar exam, but this trend is here to stay.”
In addition, she foresees greater customization of the law school syllabus. Several niche areas of law either emerged or rose to prominence in 2019, such as intellectual property law; amid growing concerns over IP theft in an economy that is rapidly becoming digitized.
Fordham recently introduced an option for LL.M. students to stay on for an additional semester and receive a degree in two areas of concentration, such as international business and trade law.
“Schools are innovating and working harder than ever to meet the needs and expectations of prospective students,” Jaeger-Fine says.