Online Legal Courses: A Game Changer for Aspiring Lawyers
The legal industry starting from law school, the courts, and law offices, is almost always the last to adopt technology and the changes it brings about.
Online courses are not new in many industries, but it is only recently that online legal courses have seen a significant increase, mostly resulting from the need to adopt them during the COVID-19 pandemic, where in-person learning was a challenge.
While learning institutions are now open for in-person learning, online learning will be around for a while. This guide delves into online legal courses as a game-changer for aspiring lawyers, so keep reading if you are thinking about pursuing a career in law or have already started but planning to advance.
Benefits to Aspiring Lawyers
Affordability
Legal studies are quite expensive and among the most significant hindrance to pursuing a career in law for most aspiring lawyers. With online legal courses, learners have several opportunities to save money.
First, online tuition fees are significantly lower than in-person tuition fees. Moreover, you do not have to commute or seek new accommodation for the duration of your course since you will be learning remotely, which can translate into significant savings.
Flexibility and Convenience
Many aspiring lawyers hold back their dreams of becoming lawyers due to the prohibitive costs. But a good number do not give up on their dreams altogether. Some venture into other careers, hoping to get back into law when they can afford it. Traditionally, getting legal training called for dedicating all your time to your studies, meaning putting your life on hold, which isn't feasible for everyone.
With the availability of online courses, aspiring lawyers can learn at their own pace and convenience. For example, an aspiring lawyer may not need to leave their job to take a course. They only need to adjust their schedule to accommodate both.
Access to Faculty and Resources
Legal studies involve lots of research, creating a need for access to a huge swath of resources. Traditionally online studies have lacked quality faculty or sufficient resources to ensure learners are equipped like they would when accessing resources offered at a physical institution.
Today everything available on campus is digitized and accessible from anywhere as long as a learner has an internet connection. Even learners in a physical institution rely more on online portals than physical library resources.
Also, platforms offering legal courses partner with a wide range of legal experts, from lawyers to judges and prosecutors, who bring their real-life experiences to create an extensive repository of legal resources ensuring aspiring lawyers have all resources needed to succeed as a lawyer.
Increased Employability
You do not always have to be a lawyer to take a legal course. The nature of some professions means that you have basic legal knowledge of some subjects. Most people will be content with training in their area of expertise.
So having additional legal training makes you stand out and increases your employment opportunities. The same applies to practicing lawyers; staying updated on emerging practices puts you at the top of the pack and increases your employability.
Securing Your Online Courses
If you offer online courses, you know the efforts involved in creating an online course, and you do not want someone else profiting off your efforts without paying the cost. So it would be best if you tried to secure your work as intellectual property.
Protectable IPs for your online courses can include trademarks for your platform names, logos, slogans, audio, etc., and copyrights for your course material and texts. You can get more comprehensive Legal advice from IP attorneys on Heer Law for intellectual property protection in Canada and beyond.
Final Words
Online legal courses are an excellent alternative if you have ever wanted to get or add a legal course to your academic achievements but have been held back by the expenses and inflexibility of traditional legal courses. As highlighted above, they are a game changer in the industry, offering new hope for aspiring lawyers.