Demystifying Online Teaching Law Employment: The Definitive Guide

A Brief Overview of Online Teaching Law

The landscape of legal education has transformed dramatically in the past several years, driven largely by advances in technology that have reshaped traditional practices both in the classroom and the court room. Today, many would-be law professors use digital platforms and virtual communications to deliver lectures and course materials, effectively bridging the gap between educators and students from coast to coast. Additionally, legal professionals who are unable or unwilling to dedicate themselves to full-time academia often turn to the web to disseminate their wisdom and share their expertise in the field. In fact, it’s an opportunity that’s quickly gaining ground in popularity, as more lawyers, judges, legislators, and other licensed professionals take to the Internet to instruct others in the ways of the law.
Whether via video lectures, downloadable curricula, or immersive web experiences, the rise of eLearning has allowed law professionals to reach a much broader audience than ever before. From court system employees to seasoned attorneys, professionals in the legal field have found a new outlet for their experience, knowledge, and insight . Those with a passion for teaching – but for myriad reasons can’t, or aren’t interested in pursuing, a full-time, brick-and-mortar academic career – have enjoyed rapid growth in recent years, thanks to the proliferation of online teaching platforms. In fact, the market for online education has grown to $106 billion.
With such a popular and varied market available to those licensed professionals willing to get involved, it’s no wonder that law professors are opting out of the outdated classroom model in favor of newer, more flexible systems. From full-time professors to those interested in merely moonlighting now and then, the opportunities to take to the virtual platform seem endless. One option is to consider teaching LSAT prep courses, suggesting that students prepare by taking practice LSAT exams, studying content, taking timed practice exams, and filling out score sheets to evaluate their progress. Another means of participation is to offer webinars on a specific area of your expertise, including the latest cases and developments in your particular field.

Requirements for Online Teaching Law Positions

Not surprisingly, online teaching jobs for law require the same qualifications and degrees one would expect of a brick-and-mortar context. The primary difference is that an online teaching position typically affords law faculty greater flexibility in terms of teaching from a distance. Hence, the need for a high standard of professionals who are adept at managing distance education classes. In fact, online teaching jobs are much the same as law teaching jobs in a traditional format, except that they are handled through the unique distance learning platform.
As such, the standard law faculty requirements generally apply. A Juris Doctor (JD) is the minimal degree, although a PhD may be offered as an alternative to a JD. Most employers strongly consider teaching experience as well as legal work experience. Comparative education courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate level may be questioned, as well. Additionally, employers value professional experience highly, particularly among seasoned applicants.
Other professionals who teach law online include lawyers, practicing attorneys, judges, seasoned partners and accomplished faculty members. Translators, consultants, attorneys for the defense and entrepreneurs are just a few other backgrounds not atypical to the profession. Given the diverse range of professionals who go on to teach law online, there are often opportunities for teachers with experience across the board.
Since online law classes are run through web platforms, access to Internet, computer hardware and software are prerequisites. Some schools provide the necessary tools and training. Online law teachers must be able to organize course materials, projects and oral presentations. Many times, the instructor plays a large role in helping to layout the course. As such, mainframe access and the ability to run a chat-room are expected. Most schools provide the needed technical training.
Other skills may be necessary, such as proficiency in presentation software or Blackboard, although some respect that the teacher may be unfamiliar with some of the web-based technologies. Computer proficiency is, however, expected. Job seekers are strongly advised to build a solid legal resume, which may accompany the teaching resume. While being an attorney is not always necessary, a good legal resume helps outline applicable experience and knowledge. Some employers conduct background checks and may request volunteer experience and past roles in the community.

Sources for Online Teaching Law Vacancies

Aspiring online law professors often wonder where to locate job openings for law teaching positions offered at online universities and colleges. There are a wide variety of ways in which law professors can discover these online teaching opportunities. For many, the search begins on specific job boards. These are websites that compile listings of available job opportunities. Many teach job searching strategies on their sites as well. Additionally, certain sites such as OPM Online University Faculty Jobs contains detailed listings of online law professor job openings with national universities, technical colleges, and private institutions. Over the years, several online institutes have formed networks, associations, or other affiliations with local colleges and universities. They develop these programs to help their students achieve academic credits towards becoming a law professor. They can put their best candidates into contact with schools they work with. Since networking is a common way to find them, these schools refer to their businesses as "specialized networking". The primary goal is to help people find job leads. They neither hire employees nor charge any fee for their services.

Teaching Style Modifications for Online Platforms

A successful transition to online instruction often hinges on a teacher’s ability to adapt their in-class style to fit the needs of a digital classroom. While some methods may need to be abridged and others need to be translated to better suit a virtual format, it is easy to preserve the basic frame and organization of a traditional teaching method while adding the finishing touches necessary for an online setting.
Utilize Student Interest and Interactivity
In a traditional classroom setting, teachers can often struggle to identify which aspects of their lecture best hold their students’ attention, and which have been met with indifference and confusion. The ability to view student data and analytics are an important feature of online learning. Teachers can usually review student attendance, study habits, and even their biggest academic challenges on a regular basis. This information can be used to better inform teaching style to suit the needs and preferences of each student.
For example, reviewing average completion rates on a quiz can help a teacher determine the parts of the class that their students find most useful, even if they don’t clearly communicate what they are struggling with. Students who score below a specific level on a basic survey can receive additional educational support while those who meet or exceed expectations can be offered more advanced versions of class content. Teachers can also use student data to determine the optimal time to offer additional study tools, such as video lectures or infographics to help students retain and better understand classroom material.
Encourage Interactivity
One of the most commonly cited drawbacks of an online program is the inability to facilitate spontaneous interactivity. In a brick-and-mortar classroom, teachers can make an evaluation of how well a given lesson has been received and be able to adjust their style on the fly. Repetitive questions can be answered by students in real-time. While this is much more difficult in an online classroom, the technology exists for teachers to encourage interactivity through various technologies. Educators can offer live question and answer sessions, schedule internet office hours, or create an online forum dedicated to discussing common concerns.
Teachers can also use digital tools such as digital whiteboard applications and collaborative writing tools to allow students to work on classroom projects at the same time. This allows for greater engagement in the class material and a more in-depth understanding of the most complex topics on the syllabus.
Use digital tools to your advantage
Educators know better than anyone the importance of using organizers and other tools in the classroom, and this is every bit as true in an online classroom setting. Tools to manage classroom materials, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS), can help keep students organized and on top of class content, while study aids such as online calendars, to-do lists and notifications can be essential tools to helping students stay on top of their work and responsibilities.
Digital learning offers many ways for teachers to reinvent their organization, and when teachers use LMS systems to their full potential, they can ensure that none of their students fall behind.

Pros and Cons of Online Teaching Law

Teaching law online has a set of distinct advantages for those pursuing a legal teaching career. First, the majority of law schools globally are on contract-to-contract employment, meaning that they typically hire seasonal faculty that are only needed for a semester at a time. This paradigm, when combined with the high number of applicants each semester, makes tenure-track opportunities particularly sparse. All this means that non-tenure track online law schools offer a more accessible path to teaching positions than trial law schools, particularly for those outside of the U.S. (Where there are already enough law-school professors to scramble for tenure-track opportunities).
Another key advantage of online law schools is how flexible the teaching workload schedule tends to be. Most law schools have defined days and hours in which students attend class, but in an online environment, your students can attend whenever they have a connection. This could give you weeks or longer to grade assignments, depending on the specific semester.
The downsides to online law teaching bear some similarities to the downsides of online teaching in general . One of the primary issues that many professors face when teaching online is a complete lack of work-life balance. For physical schools, there are always set hours for you to make arrangements during emergencies, and you know that your students won’t be handing in assignments and messages in the middle of the night. Online, the opposite is true, with no "school closing" function or timeframe within which it is considered polite to contact professors. With a lack of a physical school, many students will forget about such boundaries altogether, and you may find yourself working round-the-clock just to keep up.
Another potential downside to online law teaching is how the students interact with the law school. The vast majority are posting assignments, grades, or messages online for everyone to see, giving a very similar feel to on-campus universities. However, when school is in session, students may interact with their immediate classmates — and only their immediate classmates. This can result in cliques forming, mean-spirited pranks, or any other social challenge that you would face in a live classroom setting.

Legal Subjects of Interest for Online Courses

As e-learning flourishes, certain legal subjects prove consistently popular among students and institutions. Law schools frequently seek adjuncts to teach in these areas, and students typically have a strong interest in these fields. Which topics dominate the demand?
Intellectual Property: Companies both in the U.S. and abroad require a top-flight faculty for intellectual property programs, since law schools must be aware of both national and international approaches to IP issues. These positions are highly competitive. The good news is that corporations look to hire IP scholars straight from law school, so having a J.D. rather than a Ph.D. isn’t an obstacle.
Employment: Closely related to IP law, employment is another field that has seen significant growth. According to Infonet, IP-related hiring has increased by 34%, while employment searches are now up 29%. Positions in employment law require contract law experience, since employment law generally falls within the area of contracts. Employment law is also notable in that it has the highest rate of law school administrators teaching, perhaps because this field has so many off-campus applications, from the classroom to the boardroom. This may also be due to the fact that law school administrators have often gained extensive experience sitting on internal cases, much like judges.
Immigration: Immigration law covers a wide range of topics, and scholars with experience in financial, tax, criminal, constitutional, and international law plus other areas may be called upon to teach immigration law at various levels and from different perspectives. Institutions may be looking for new immigration law courses as a result of the increased focus on immigration policy; in fact, temporary immigration positions are at an all-time high.
Health Care: Health care law continues to be a subject worth following as people look for ways to better understand complex medical legislation. Since the Affordable Care Act, health care law has been increasingly popular both in legal departments and among adjunct faculty members. With an ever-growing interest in health care policy, as well as fears regarding the effects of the influx of immigrants on the country’s health care system, this field of law is likely to see further growth beyond traditional legal applications.

Preparing for a Career in Online Teaching

Preparing in advance for a career in online teaching is not unlike preparing for a new job in a brick-and-mortar format. You should first and foremost make sure that any necessary licensure is up to date and you have confirmed the qualifications required by the institution you are interviewing for. They may also require a portfolio of your work, for which you will need to track and compile all published works.
For those seeking to become an adjunct Professor at the University level, aside from keeping current with developments in the particular field you teach, members of the associated Bar association should make a point of attending Conference presentations where you can be recognized by members of the community on a professional level.
Continuing Legal Education seminars (CLEs) hosted in virtual formats also offer an interesting alternative to those who are already bar licensed but are looking for ways to complete their CLE requirements in a specific subject area .
Outside of these considerations, there are myriad steps you can take to raise your profile as a scholar and adjunct faculty member. For instance, set up a website showcasing your work, including a blog with articles related to your field of study if possible. If you have access to learning systems, experiment with this technology as a tool to reach your existing student population. Use social media to interact with colleagues and legal scholars in the world of academia. There are many outlets for sharing your writing, such as iTunes and Medium, among others. Finally, if you are ever interested in becoming a full-time educator, contact your Alma Mater for any available information on how to put your foot in the door.
In short, there is no shortage of opportunities for those better-versed in the law to share their knowledge with others. If you’ve ever dreamed of the chance to become a Professor, check out one of the many institutions online today for opportunities to hold an online teaching position.