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28 Clinical L. Rev. 85 (2021-2022)
Reflections on Legal Education in the Aftermath of a Pandemic

handle is hein.journals/clinic28 and id is 89 raw text is: REFLECTIONS ON LEGAL EDUCATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF A PANDEMIC TIMOTHY CASEY* This essay considers two significant changes to legal education in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, on-line programs will expand, based on the largely successful experiment in delivering legal education on-line during the pandemic. But this expansion must be thoughtful and deliberate. The legal education curriculum could include more on-line courses, but only if the learning outcomes and the pedagogy are aligned with on-line education. Experiential courses may not be the best fit for on-line given the specific learning outcomes and the benefits of in-person instruction in those courses. Second, student well-being will receive more attention in legal education. Our experi- ence with the pandemic reinforced the critical importance of well-being, not only for our students, but also for our profession. Student well- being should be integrated into the legal education curriculum. INTRODUCTION In March of 2020, the world faced a challenge unseen in over one hundred years. A global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus led to quarantines and shelter-in-place orders across the globe. In the United States, the effects of the pandemic were felt in all aspects of life.1 The experience of COVID-19 taught us much about our resili- ence and our adaptability. Our collective perseverance led us through the myriad challenges of the pandemic. These challenges, both per- sonal and professional, ranged from physical health to financial strain to technological competence to mental health and well-being. This essay explores two central challenges in legal education as a result of the pandemic. The first challenge involves changing the deliv- ery of legal education from in-person to on-line. The second challenge involves the more difficult problem of caring for students' well-being. Both of these challenges existed before the pandemic, but the pan- * Professor in Residence and Director, STEPPS Program, California Western School of Law. 1 By March 20, 2020, almost every state had in effect a shelter-in-place order, which closed all non-essential businesses. Paris Martineau, What's a Shelter in Place Order and Who's Affected?, WIRED, March 20, 2020. Four states had no restrictions: Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Six additional states had restrictions in some areas: Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, Wyoming and Alaska. Id. 85

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