Athens, Ga. - The deans at six law schools across the nation have forged a unique partnership to launch an innovative digital discussion series which uses a virtual platform to engage prospective students and encourage a robust conversation about legal education.
The six-session project - "Open Access: Inside Legal Education with Law School Deans" - begins in August and will feature up to 75-minute informative panels of deans and admissions leaders from the University of Georgia School of Law, Columbia Law School, the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, the University of Colorado Law School, the University of Oregon Law School and Albany Law School.
The panels encompass a wide range of topics, from navigating the application process to diversity in the legal profession. Amid the temporary pause of in-person law school fairs due to the ongoing pandemic, these interactive virtual events are designed to allow prospective students to get their questions answered, make important contacts and get a better sense of the intricacies of the study of law, as well as the benefits of a legal education.
"Being one of the best returns on investment in legal education for tomorrow's leaders who will serve state and society is central to our mission," School of Law Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge said. "The University of Georgia School of Law is honored to join this national coalition, to harness the power of technology to reach a diverse array of students and to engage in a meaningful dialogue on the importance of a legal education."
The concept behind these informational panels resulted from discussions between Rutledge and the respective deans, who have maintained long-time professional relationships.
The first panel is scheduled Aug. 27, with subsequent panels scheduled every month through January 2021. All panels will be conducted via Zoom and will be archived.
Panels, topics and dates include:
- Aug. 27 at 5 p.m. ET - The Discovery Phase: Why law school, and why now?
- Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. ET - Summary Judgment: The application process demystified
- Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. ET -Extracting Evidence: Explaining the practice of law
- Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. ET - Electronic Discovery: A look at the classroom experience
- Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. ET - Diversifying the legal profession
- Jan. 14 at 5 p.m. ET - Cross-Examination: I'm a Dean at a Law School - Ask Me Anything (AMA)
To register for one or more of the panels, visit https://bit.ly/openaccesslaw. For more information about the discussion series, contact the participating law schools below.
About the Participating Law Schools
- University of Georgia School of Law: law.uga.edu
- Albany Law School: https://www.albanylaw.edu/
- Columbia Law School: law.columbia.edu/admissions/jd
- University of Colorado Law School: https://www.colorado.edu/law/
- University of Oregon School of Law: https://law.uoregon.edu/
- University of Southern California Gould School of Law: https://gould.usc.edu/academics/degrees/jd/
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UGA School of Law
Recognized as the best value in legal education in back-to-back years, the School of Law is also consistently regarded as one of the top law schools in the nation. Since 1859, the school has been preparing the next generation of legal leaders. It currently offers three degrees - the Juris Doctor, the Master of Laws and the Master in the Study of Law. The school's accomplished faculty includes nationally and internationally renowned scholars, and its more than 11,000 living graduates are leading figures in law, business and public service throughout the world. Connecting students to these thought leaders and opportunities to serve state and society is central to the school's mission. For more information, see www.law.uga.edu.