Online Hybrid JD

With the part-time Online Hybrid JD at Vermont Law and Graduate School you can explore your passion, supercharge your career, and make a difference in your community and the world.

Delivered through a mixture of online classes and three brief, in-person residential sessions, the Online Hybrid JD offers the same rigorous legal education as the school’s residential JD, but with flexibility that allows working professionals to earn a law degree without giving up their ability to earn an income or having to move to Vermont.

The ABA-accredited program builds on the school’s decade-plus track record of delivering successful, impactful online degrees, where you can take advantage of the same engaging curriculum and expert professors as the school’s residential JD program. Additionally, students will be able to concentrate on one of six areas of specialization that VLGS is widely known for – environmental lawfood and agriculture lawgeneral practiceenergy lawanimal law, or restorative justice.

The Online Hybrid JD program may be completed in as little as three years and one semester (a total of 10 semesters). The classes will primarily be in synchronous and asynchronous formats. Synchronous classes will be held virtually in the evenings Monday through Thursday 6:30-9PM eastern. The asynchronous classes enable students to interact with classmates and faculty through discussion, projects, and feedback with no set meeting times. There will be only three short in-person (Thursday through Sunday) residencies held in Vermont, during the first, sixth and final semester. At the end of the program, students will be prepared to take the bar* and practice law.

The Online Hybrid JD program was created for working professionals and people who have other obligations in their lives that may prevent them from doing a full-time residential program. The program’s hybrid (online and in-person), part-time nature allows you to manage your profession, life, and families, all while building a strong connection with fellow students and faculty. And by being able to maintain your career while earning your JD, you’ll be able to enter the field of law while minimizing long-term student debt.

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university prior to matriculating, and the LSAT is required for admission. LSAT and GPA percentages for our last incoming JD class can be found here. Students applying to any JD program are required to submit all application materials via LSAC.org.

Consistently ranked among the nation’s best environmental law schools by U.S. News & World Report, Vermont Law and Graduate School is home to the most comprehensive environmental law program in the country and groundbreaking restorative justice, energy, and food and agricultural law programs. From its founding, Vermont Law and Graduate School has consistently attracted students and faculty with a passion for service, a concern for justice, and an interest in pursuing legal education as a means to make a difference in the world.

*This program does not qualify students to take the New York bar exam.

Fall

All Fall classes have a four-day residency component

Class Credits Delivery
Legislation and Regulation 3 (S)
Civil Procedure 3 (S)
Legal Research and Writing 2 (BS)
Essay Writing for Exams 1 (BA)
Subtotal 9 credits

Spring

Class Credits Delivery
Legal Writing II 3 (S)
Civil Procedure II 2 (S)
Contracts 4 (S)
Subtotal 9 credits

Summer

Summer includes a four-day residency component

Class Credits Delivery
Criminal Law 3 (S)
First Amendment Law 3 (A)
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 3 (BR)
Subtotal 9 credits

Key:

(S):   Synchronous
(A):   Asynchronous
(BA): Blended delivery. Generally asynchronous, with a synchronous component.
(BS): Blended delivery. Generally synchronous, with an asynchronous component.
(BR): Blended delivery. Blended delivery begins with a residency component and transitions to an asynchronous component.

Fall

Class Credits Delivery
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 2 (A)
Constitutional Law 4 (S)
Professional Responsibility 3 (A)
Subtotal 9 credits

Spring

Class Credits Delivery
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 3 (A)
Property 4 (S)
MPRE Preparation 1 (BA)
Subtotal 8 credits

Summer

Class Credits Delivery
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 3 (A)
Torts 4 4 (S)
Subtotal 7 credits

Key:

(S):   Synchronous
(A):   Asynchronous
(BA): Blended delivery. Generally asynchronous, with a synchronous component.
(BS): Blended delivery. Generally synchronous, with an asynchronous component.
(BR): Blended delivery. Blended delivery begins with a residency component and transitions to an asynchronous component.

Fall

Class Credits Delivery
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective (AWR) 3 (A)
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 3 (A)
Constitutional Criminal Procedure 3 (S)
Experiential (Simulation) BLOCK I 1 (BS)
Subtotal 10 credits

Spring

Class Credits Delivery
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 3 (A)
Evidence 4 (A)
Experiential (Simulation) BLOCK II 2 (BS)
Subtotal 9 credits

Summer

Class Credits Delivery
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 3 (A)
Advanced Writing Seminar (AWR) 3 (A)
Experiential (Simulation) BLOCK III 3 (BS)
Subtotal 9 credits

Key:

(S):   Synchronous
(A):   Asynchronous
(BA): Blended delivery. Generally asynchronous, with a synchronous component.
(BS): Blended delivery. Generally synchronous, with an asynchronous component.
(BR): Blended delivery. Blended delivery begins with a residency component and transitions to an asynchronous component.

Fall

All Fall classes have a four-day residency component

Class Credits Delivery
Bar Exam Skills and Tactics (BEST) 3 (A)
Appellate Advocacy 3 (BR)
Environmental Law/Energy Law/Food and Agriculture Law/Animal Law/ Restorative Justice Elective 2 (A)
Subtotal 8 credits

Post Graduation December Through February Bar Exam

Class Credits Delivery
February Bar Prep – Dec. to Feb.
Online Hybrid JD Curriculum includes a Barbri Bar Review Course at no additional cost to the student
(BS)

Key:

(S):   Synchronous
(A):   Asynchronous
(BA): Blended delivery. Generally asynchronous, with a synchronous component.
(BS): Blended delivery. Generally synchronous, with an asynchronous component.
(BR): Blended delivery. Blended delivery begins with a residency component and transitions to an asynchronous component.

* The curriculum posted here provides a general overview of the Online Hybrid JD program and is subject to modification.