Mitchell Hamline Law pioneered Blended Learning in legal education, offering a program that perfectly integrates the advantages of online studies with the invaluable experience of on-campus learning. Designed for driven individuals, our blended learning approach allows you to pursue your Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree without sacrificing your personal and professional commitments.
Recognizing the core benefit of online education—flexibility—Mitchell Hamline empowers you to manage your legal studies on your own schedule. Our program is structured to respect your time, allowing you to determine how best to balance coursework with your life’s demands while meeting clear deadlines and academic requirements.
Apply for First-Year Enrollment Now
Mitchell Hamline made history in January 2015 as the first law school approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) to offer a blended online and on-campus J.D. program, initially known as the Hybrid J.D. program. By 2018, our first graduates were already demonstrating the program’s success. Since then, hundreds of alumni from our blended learning program have successfully passed the bar exam and are now practicing law across the United States.
Our first-mover advantage has given Mitchell Hamline the unique opportunity to refine our technological infrastructure and continuously enhance our teaching methodologies. We expanded our blended learning model to include Executive and Weekend formats, featuring popular case-study workshops that offer students direct insights from legal professionals and real case scenarios.
Today, our blended learning program has evolved into a comprehensive single enrollment option, incorporating the best aspects of our Hybrid, Executive, and Weekend programs. This four-year program, which can be completed in three, features significant on-campus engagement through intensive week-long sessions. Its flexible framework allows students to tailor their schedules and curriculum, while its asynchronous structure provides complete control over when students engage with the online components of their studies.
The Customizable and Flexible Blended Learning Experience
In the initial two years of the program, your courses will follow a blended format, combining approximately one-third online learning with two-thirds in-person instruction. As you progress into your final two years, you’ll gain the flexibility to select from a diverse array of courses offered in blended, fully on-campus, and fully online formats. Summer courses become available after your first year, and J-term courses starting in your second year, further enhancing your ability to customize your legal education journey.
Course materials are conveniently accessible through Canvas, our learning management system, ensuring a seamless and organized learning experience.
Learn on Your Schedule: No Mandatory Live Online Classes
A key feature of our blended learning program is the autonomy it provides over your study schedule. The online segments of your courses are designed to fit into your life, not the other way around. Unlike programs that require you to attend live online lectures at set times, Mitchell Hamline’s blended learning offers weekly deadlines, allowing you to decide when you engage with the material to meet those targets.
Extensive Access to Programs, Resources, and Opportunities
As a blended learning student at Mitchell Hamline, you are fully integrated into our academic community. You will have the same access to clinics and externships, specialized academic certificates, seminars, law journals, moot court competitions, and a wide variety of student groups and activities as our fully on-campus students. Importantly, you will learn from the same distinguished full-time, tenured professors who teach in our traditional on-campus program, ensuring a high-quality and consistent educational experience.
Students and alumni of the Blended Learning program actively participate in all aspects of Mitchell Hamline’s vibrant academic life.
Bar Eligibility Across All 50 States
Our comprehensive blended learning program is meticulously designed to meet the requirements for bar admission in all 50 states, including New York. You can tailor your course selection to ensure you meet the specific criteria of your desired jurisdiction, providing you with the broadest possible career options upon graduation.
The On-Campus Component: Enhancing Your Blended Learning Journey
To enrich your learning experience, the first two years of the blended learning program include on-campus instruction. Students attend campus twice each semester: initially for intensive prep sessions at the start of the semester and later for capstone weeks that deepen learning and build community.
Explore more about the Fall Capstone Week experience with our blended learning students.
Mitchell Hamline: A Leader in Blended Legal Education
Proven Leadership and Innovation
Since launching our pioneering blended learning platform in 2015 with the Hybrid J.D. program, Mitchell Hamline has remained at the forefront of innovation in legal education. Our dedicated team of instructional designers continually works to enhance the functionality, reach, and application of our program. We are committed to expanding access to diverse courses, creating opportunities for students to promote access to justice within their communities, and fostering strong connections and support networks among our students. Our mature program boasts a strong track record of successful graduates, demonstrating our commitment to providing the most flexible and effective path to a law degree for highly motivated students nationwide.
Choose the Original: Expertise Matters
While our success has inspired other institutions to develop similar programs, none can replicate Mitchell Hamline’s depth of experience and adaptability in blended legal education. When it comes to your legal education, choosing a proven leader ensures you receive the highest quality and most effective blended learning experience.
Academic Affairs: Your Support System
Academic Affairs at Mitchell Hamline is dedicated to providing comprehensive advising and academic support to all students, whether they are in the blended learning or on-campus programs. Our team of dedicated professionals is here to guide you through your academic journey, offering direction and assistance with degree planning.
Understanding the Blended Learning Schedule
Your First Four Semesters
During the first four semesters, your courses are intentionally designed in a blended format, dividing the learning experience into approximately one-third online and two-thirds in-person. You will attend campus twice per semester for immersive sessions focused on practical skills training and real-world case studies. During the off-campus periods, you will have the flexibility to complete your coursework online according to your own schedule, while adhering to weekly deadlines.
Semesters Five Through Eight
Starting in your fifth semester, you will have access to an expanded range of course formats, including fully on-campus and fully online options, in addition to the blended format that characterizes the initial semesters. For any blended courses you choose in semesters 5-8, you will attend a Capstone Week on campus, providing continued opportunities for in-person engagement and deeper learning.
Educational Technology and Instructional Design Excellence
Mitchell Hamline’s blended learning programs are supported by a dedicated team of instructional designers who are experts in transforming traditional face-to-face instruction into engaging and rigorous online formats. Their focus is on maintaining not only the academic rigor but also the interactive nature of legal education in the online environment.
Canvas Learning Management System (LMS)
To deliver the premier blended legal education experience, Mitchell Hamline utilizes Canvas, a leading learning management system. Recognizing the growing integration of technology in education, our faculty extensively evaluated and selected Canvas to enhance both our blended and traditional programs. Video and multimedia content are seamlessly integrated into Canvas classrooms through Panopto, a top-rated video content management system recognized by Gartner.
Experience a Sample Blended Learning Class
We invite you to explore a sample class within our learning management system to preview the instructional resources and educational opportunities Mitchell Hamline offers. This sample class showcases examples from various online and blended courses, giving you a taste of our innovative approach to legal education.
