Today we are joined by Ann Gemmell, the Vice President for Enrollment at Mitchell Hamlin School of Law, who talks about the unique opportunities for enrollment at the school. We talk about the blended program, which is a mostly online program that allows students to learn both online and in-person. Ann describes the program's structure and how it works, as well as the various types of students that can benefit from this program, such as those with work or family obligations, those who live far away from a law school, and those who want to have a more flexible schedule. We hope that this video provides valuable information for anyone considering enrolling in law school and wanting to explore their options.

Episode Highlights

Mitchell Hamline School of Law Blended Program

• Mitchell Hamline offers a unique blended program that is mostly online but involves in-person attendance during the first two years.

  • Students attend campus for the first week of the fall semester, a long weekend at the beginning of the spring semester, and a week near the end of each of their semesters for the first two years.

  • The program is online asynchronous, meaning students can do their work on their own time, but they have deliverables every week.

• After the first two years, students have more flexibility and only need to attend campus one time per semester, and they have the option to take classes in other formats if they want.

• The application process for the blended program is the same as for the full-time or part-time program.

  • The same committee reviews all applications, and students can move between enrollment options.

• The admissions team is interested in students' backgrounds and looks for evidence of initiative and self-starters in the applications.

Who The Blended Program is For

• The blended program was created to increase access to legal education for individuals who are unable to take classes during the day due to work or family obligations.

• The blended program was also designed to offer options for people who do not live near any other law school and do not want to move, as well as for students in rural areas or on reservations that are underserved by the profession, and military personnel or spouses who move frequently.

  • The blended program offers the North Star scholarship for those who live in rural areas or on reservations

Advantages of the Blended Program

• The online, asynchronous format of the blended program provides a lot of flexibility for students who have different schedules, time zones, or jobs.

• The blended program offers an interesting and vibrant community where students can interact with people from different industries, ages and backgrounds which provides a better way to think about the law when students are in class.

Switching between Blended, Part-Time & Full-Time

• Students are not required to stay in the program they initially applied to.

• Students can initiate the process by talking to their academic advisor.

  • Academic advisors are assigned to students before they start and can help with the process of changing programs.

• Hamline allows students to take classes in different formats and graduate earlier than four years as long as they plan their schedule carefully.

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