Johnnie Cochran could be among the professors who teach classes for MSU-Detroit College of Law, depending on what the American Bar Association decides.
Distance education laboratories, which bring two locations together through television cameras, have become a hot topic in the world of law education as the association looks into modifying its guidelines this summer.
The association, which accredits law schools, has guidelines placed on classes that use the technology, such as limiting the number of credit hours that can be taken.
The association has proposals for changes to its guidelines on its Web site.
John Sebert, the consultant on legal education to the association, said he will not predict what the summer meetings will bring. He said feedback the association has received suggests the proposals are too lenient, while others say they are too rigid.
He said the association wants to give schools sufficient leeway to experiment with what they might likely do, while maintaining high quality education.
One of the concerns some have toward distance education is whether students will have enough access to the instructors outside class time.
Sarah Abraham, a first-year DCL student, said she can see this type of education becoming common in the future.
“I could see it happening more and more,” she said. “Whether it’s a good thing, I don’t know. You still want that personal relationship with your professor.”
However, she does like the potential it offers to students.
“There are so many big names out there,” she said. “If they could teach us and be accessible outside of the class, they should do it.”
MaryAnn Pierce, DCL’s director of clinical programs, understands the caution the association has toward the technology.
“I can speak on behalf of the law school that a lot of time, energy, money and effort are spent on the design of a new program before it will ever be offered to a student,” she said.
Pierce said she used a similar distance education program training trial judges in Canada and the students were really pleased with it.
“As long as we’re not compromising the standards of teaching, the sky’s the limit,” she said.
The association has not yet approved any law schools that provide a juris doctor degree completely by correspondence study.
Already, one law school in the United States, Concord Law School, offers its courses exclusively online. The school is not accredited by the association.
Jack Goetz, Concord’s president and dean, said he feels the guidelines will change based on the success he sees at the school.
“I think the ABA has already altered some of its guidelines from some of its 1997 stance,” he said. “They have a very complicated position on it.”
Joan Predko, director for outreach & special programs, said MSU has between 12 and 15 of these labs on campus.
“I think we are going to see more use of technology enriching teaching and learning,” she said. “Faculty are wanting to use combinations of those - it’s more convenient.”
