From Crisis Springs Opportunity: Using Virtual Learning to Develop More Effective Lawyers

The increase in virtual, distance, and remote learning necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges to law school faculty and students. But at the same time, increased virtual interactions provide us with a unique opportunity. In particular, increased virtual interactions allow us to test and stress students’ “virtual intelligence,” a suite of more intangible skills that also promotes lawyer effectiveness. These skills include traditional project management tasks and conventional social engagement, but on a heightened level given the challenges inherent in virtual interactions. Legal employers place these skills at a premium, yet at the same time report that graduating law students traditionally have been ill-equipped in these areas. By heading online, we can break the law school mold and create a more immersive, realistic, and challenging experience for our students—one that will make them more effective lawyers and better equip them for the practice of law