Student Application
Application Process
Students from participating schools will be selected through a centralized application process based on a personal statement addressing why they want to participate, their resume, and a virtual interview. Please refer to the rest of this website for additional information.
Participating Schools and Lead Faculty
University of Miami School of Law, Michele DeStefano, mdestefano@law.miami.edu
Fordham Law School, Bruce Green, bgreen@law.fordham.edu
Harvard Law School, David Wilkins, dwilkins@law.harvard.edu
IE Business School, Moray McLaren, moray.mclaren@iberianlegalgroup.com
Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Joe Hoffmann, hoffma@indiana.edu
New York Law School, Elizabeth Chambliss, echambliss@nyls.edu
Peking University School of Transnational Law, Ray Campbell, raycam@gmail.com
Stanford Law School, Deborah Rhode, rhode@stanford.edu
Universidad de Los Andes Facultad de Derecho, Juan Francisco Ortega Díaz, jf.ortega43@uniandes.edu.co
University College London Faculty of Laws, Jacqui Kinghan, j.kinghan@ucl.ac.uk
University of St. Gallen Executive School of Management, Technology and Law, Leo Staub, leo.staub@unisg.ch
University of Sydney Law School, Rita Schackel, rita.shackel@sydney.edu.au
Ideal Candidate
The student that will thrive within and gain the most from the LawWithoutWalls experience will possess: a creative and entrepreneurial spirit; the maturity to embrace the challenges of collaboration and cross-cultural teamwork; a willingness to boldly engage in the public sharing and community brainstorming required by this innovative venture; the ability to solve problems and think outside of the box; and demonstrated leadership qualities.
Credits and Registration
LawWithoutWalls is a new and innovative educational model that is offered across the globe at many different types of educational institutions. Therefore, decisions about the registration process, the number of credits, and other requirements vary by school. Some schools offer LawWithoutWalls as an independent study. Others offer it as a course for 3 credits. Still others offer it as a seminar in fulfillment of a writing requirement. Please email your school's Lead Faculty (see above) to find out how LawWithoutWalls is offered at your school.
Steps
By 7 October, 2011 (31 October, 2011 for Indiana University Maurer School of Law; Sydney Law School; and University of St. Gallen Executive School of Management, Technology and Law), please email (using "LawWithoutWalls Application" in the subject line): 1) A Statement of Interest (2 pages or less), and 2) Your Resume to following people:
a) Lead Faculty at your school (see above); and
b) Michele DeStefano, founder and co-creator of LawWithoutWalls and Michael Bossone, co-creator and founding member of LawWithoutWalls at lawwithoutwalls@law.miami.edu.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and all applicants will be contacted via email by the end of October. Each finalist will participate in a virtual interview and selected students will be notified by the first week of November.
Overview
LawWithoutWalls is a part-virtual, collaborative academic model spearheaded by Miami Law Professor Michele DeStefano and Michael Bossone, Special Advisor to the Dean at Miami Law, that brings together students, faculty, practitioners, and entrepreneurs from around the world to innovate legal education and practice. Students from Miami Law, Fordham Law, Harvard Law, IE Business School, Indiana Law, New York Law School, Peking University School of Transnational Law, Stanford Law School, Universidad de Los Andes Facultad de Derecho, University College London Laws, University of St. Gallen Law School, and Sydney Law School are teamed up to research controversial topics, identify real problems, and create actionable solutions. They meet virtually with Academic and Practitioner Mentors, have access to Subject Experts and an Entrepreneur Board, and participate weekly in real-time, virtual Thought Leader Sessions. LawWithoutWalls is a unique opportunity for students to collaborate across institutions and countries, strengthen professionalism, presentation, team building, idea generation, research, interviewing, and financial skills, and gain invaluable insight into the world of law and business.
Teams
The foundation of the LawWithoutWalls experience is its Teams. Prior to the LawWithoutWalls KickOff, the co-creators will group individuals together to create balanced and complimentary Teams based on a geographic and cultural diversity, experience, skill sets, and expressed legal interests.
Each of the Teams consists of:
Students
Each team is assigned two to four students. The majority of students are pursuing a graduate degree in law (J.D. or LL.M.) or are in their final or penultimate year of an undergraduate degree program in law (LL.B.), while others are pursuing a graduate degree in business (M.B.A.).
Academic Mentor
Each Team is assigned a law professor (not necessarily from your law school) to help guide their topic research and development of their Project of Worth. Additionally they provide critical feedback and commentary on students' work and mentor them on professionalism, communication, and presentation skills. Each team meets virtually with their Academic Mentor for one hour every other week.
Practitioner Mentor
Each Team is assigned a practicing attorney to help guide their topic research and development of their Project of Worth. Additionally they provide critical feedback and commentary on students' work and mentor them on professionalism, communication, and presentation skills. Each team meets virtually with their Practitioner Mentor for one hour every other week.
Alumni Advisor
Each Team is assigned a former LawWithoutWalls student who shares experiences and advice on how to best navigate the LawWithoutWalls universe. Students are encouraged to reach out to their Alumni Advisor with any questions big or small, practical, or substantive.
Subject Expert Advisor
Each Team is assigned at least one Subject Expert Advisor who has significant knowledge and experience related to the Team's assigned topic. Each Team connects with their Subject Expert Advisor at least once a month over the course of the semester.
Entrepreneur Advisor
Each Team is assigned a lawyer entrepreneur to help them address critical questions about their Project of Worth including viability and positioning. Additionally, the entrepreneur coaches the team on the creativity and courage needed to develop an innovative idea. Each Team connects with their Entrepreneur Advisor at least once a month over the course of the semester.
As an additional resource, each LawWithoutWalls team has access to our Venture Capitalist Board. Once a Team has clear vision for its Project of Worth, it may reach out to these venture capitalists to get feedback on the Project of Worth's marketability, positioning, and viability.
Topics
Each Team is assigned a controversial or unsettled topic in legal education or practice. The Teams' ultimate goal is to develop a Project of Worth within this topic that they will present at the end of the semester at the ConPosium. The topics for LawWithoutWalls this year are:
- Global Legal Service Firms: Is It Possible to Marry Cultures and Legal Systems?
- The Disaggregation of Legal Services: A Service or Disservice to Clients?
- Trickle Down Justice? Evolution in Access to Justice for Low-Income and Vulnerable Client Populations
- Publicly Held Law Firms in the UK and Australia: The Big Bang or the Big Bust?
- Transparency in International Arbitration: What's Under the Invisibility Cloak?
- Ever-Increasing Law School Debt: Students Beware or Law Schools Take Action
- Lawyers Acting as Non-Lawyers and Non-Lawyers Acting as Lawyers: What is and What Should be Considered the Unauthorized Practice of Law?
- Virtual Legal Education: Can Law Schools Span the Distance?
- Law School Career Services: The Next Generation
- Women in the Law: Is the Glass Ceiling Cracked, Smashed, or Unbreakable?
- Marketing Law Schools and Law Firms: Truth in Advertising or Bait and Switch?
- Alternative Courts on the Brain: Psychologically Based, But are they Sound?
- Lawyers and Law Students: Managing Time and Stress in a 24/7/365 World
Collaboration
LawWithoutWalls has been designed from the outset to be very different from other law school classes. The traditional hierarchy, lecturing, and Socratic instruction are replaced by an interactive semester-long conversation where different players at different points in their professional careers equally contribute in mutual brainstorming, learning, presenting, and developing.
LawWithoutWalls is so much more than a course... it's a community. And that community has its own culture and spirit that invites collaboration. Not only will students share ideas with colleagues from around the world, they will also share their cultures, styles, values, and worldviews. Working so intimately with people from other countries and cultures requires great maturity, honesty, patience, and empathy, and everyone will engage in open dialogue to maximize the opportunities offered by this global and inter-personal approach to learning. Students will need to work together with others who have very different ways of doing things, and over the course of the semester will likely learn more life lessons than legal lessons.
Communication is a foundational element of the LawWithoutWalls collaborative experience, and we will focus on the art and subtlety of excellent oral, written, and non-verbal (in-person and virtual) communication. Teams will build trust and mutual respect as they attempt to actualize better versions of themselves and the legal world.
Expectations
Mandatory Participation
Given that LawWithoutWalls occurs over a very condensed time period, participation in every part of the syllabus is mandatory. That means that in addition to working collaboratively on their Projects of Worth, students must attend the training sessions, KickOff, ConPosium, Virtual Thought Leader Sessions, and virtual meetings with their Mentors and Advisors.
Work Load
This course is an intense experience in teamwork and communication. Because students work within culturally and professionally diverse teams and are challenged to create a Project of Worth (likely a foreign concept), the work load can be great at times. Moreover, the type of work is different than that assigned in traditional law classes. Although students do some writing, this is not a course in which students "just" write a paper or take a final exam. Instead, students do active investigative research, participate in brainstorming and idea generation, work virtually and collaboratively to develop those ideas, and utilize cloud-based software and communication tools like chat, Skype, and Twitter. They write summaries of their research and a semester-end self assessment and they present their ideas and Projects of Worth both virtually and in-person. Most importantly, students create action plans to address a real world problem in legal practice or education. Thus, the ideal LawWithoutWalls student is one that appreciates challenges, embraces hard work, and isn't afraid of a learning curve.
Privacy
Participating in LawWithoutWalls involves sharing one's audio and video during virtual classes. When students register for the course, they will be required to sign a likeness release form authorizing Miami Law (the sponsor of LawWithoutWalls) to use their likeness to promote LawWithoutWalls and to further its educational mission.
Costs
The majority of costs associated with LawWithoutWalls are covered either by the student's school or by Miami Law (the sponsor of LawWithoutWalls) but there are some out of pocket costs for each student. Student travel and lodging costs for the KickOff (in St. Gallen, Switzerland) and ConPosium (in Miami, Florida) are paid (in-full or in-part) by each student's school, but students are responsible for additional travel costs and expenses (transporation from the airport, transportation around town, etc). Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments will be provided during the KickOff and ConPosium, but students are responsible for dinner and additional dining/entertainment. Regarding technology, Miami Law will provide a loaner MacBook to any student who does not already own one, and students will be required to secure a strong and reliable internet connection (either through their school or at home).
Syllabus
LawWithoutWalls runs from December 2011 to April 2012 and is divided into 4 segments:
1) Preparation Period
In early December, students will begin researching their assigned topics, attend technology training sessions, and meet virtually with their Teams to begin to get to know one another. By 10 January 2012, students will be fully prepped and ready for the KickOff and to begin collaborating on their Projects of Worth.
2) KickOff
The KickOff will be held at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland on 14-15 January 2012. During this two day in-person event, LawWithoutWalls Teams get to know each other, participate in team building and idea generation exercises, sharpen presentation skills, and unpack the concept of a Project of Worth.
3) Virtual Thought Leader Sessions and Collaboration on Projects of Worth
From 18/19 January until 11 April, students work collaboratively on their Projects of Worth, meet weekly with Mentors, and attend Virtual Thought Leaders sessions every Wednesday for 110 minutes.
For those of us who embrace the true global nature of our working world and who strive to connect to all corners of it, convenience and ease for everyone involved is an impossibility. So that no school's students and no city's mentors are disadvantaged every week, the times of our Virtual Thought Leader Sessions change during the semester. We have accounted for the time changes due to Daylight Savings Time and produced 4 schedules.
Schedule A: 18 January to 8 March
Stanford: Wednesday from 14:00 to 15:50
Los Andes: Wednesday from 17:00 to 18:50
Fordham: Wednesday from 17:00 to 18:50
Harvard: Wednesday from 17:00 to 18:50
Indiana: Wednesday from 17:00 to 18:50
Miami: Wednesday from 17:00 to 18:50
NYLS: Wednesday from 17:00 to 18:50
UCL: Wednesday from 22:00 to 23:50
IE: From Wednesday 23:00 to Thursday 00:50
St. Gallen: From Wednesday 23:00 to Thursday 00:50
STL: Thursday from 6:00 to 7:50
Sydney: Thursday from 9:00 to 10:50
Schedule B: 14 March to 22 March
Stanford: Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:50
Los Andes: Wednesday from 8:00 to 9:50
Fordham: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Harvard: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Indiana: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Miami: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
NYLS: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
UCL: Wednesday from 13:00 to 14:50
IE: Wednesday from 14:00 to 15:50
St. Gallen: Wednesday from 14:00 to 15:50
STL: Wednesday from 21:00 to 22:50
Sydney: Thursday from 0:00 to 1:50
Schedule C: 28/29 March
Stanford: Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:50
Los Andes: Wednesday from 8:00 to 9:50
Fordham: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Harvard: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Indiana: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Miami: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
NYLS: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
UCL: Wednesday from 14:00 to 15:50
IE: Wednesday from 15:00 to 16:50
St. Gallen: Wednesday from 15:00 to 16:50
STL: Wednesday from 21:00 to 22:50
Sydney: Wednesday from 0:00 to 1:50
Schedule D: 4 April to 11 April
Stanford: Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:50
Los Andes: Wednesday from 8:00 to 9:50
Fordham: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Harvard: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Indiana: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
Miami: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
NYLS: Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:50
UCL: Wednesday from 14:00 to 15:50
IE: Wednesday from 15:00 to 16:50
St. Gallen: Wednesday from 15:00 to 16:50
STL: Wednesday from 21:00 to 22:50
Sydney: From Wednesday 23:00 to Thursday 0:50
4) ConPosium
The ConPosium will be held on 14-15 April 2012 at Miami Law in Miami, Florida. During this two-day in person event, students present their Projects of Worth alongside Thought Leaders. The ConPosium is a highly interactive, energetic event that brings together the LWOW community to celebrate our shared experience.
Technology
LawWithoutWalls embraces technology. Though tech expertise isn't required to apply, a willingness to learn new technologies and utilize them in new and exciting ways is. Students : 1) will be required to use a MacBook (if you do not have a MacBook you will receive a loaner MacBook from MiamiLaw that you can use throughout the semester) and 2) must have access to a strong and reliable high-speed internet connection during all virtual team meetings and Virtual Thought Leader Sessions (which sometimes occur during the early morning or late evening). Video teleconferencing is a major component of the experience, both in the weekly Virtual Thought Leader Sessions and in meetings with your teammates, and all students will be trained in Adobe Connect and Skype before the semester begins. We will also utilize an assortment of web-based apps like Zoho, Google Docs, Google Wave, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook, and students will be challenged to learn how they work and how they can best be used to enhance the collaborative educational process.
Assessment
Unlike traditional law school courses where students are graded on one law school exam by one law professor, assessment in LawWithoutWalls is an integrated, collaborative process. Students get and give continual feedback to and from the other members on their team. Additionally, students evaluate LawWithoutWalls, their team, and themselves at the end of the semester. This evaluation will include both survey and written responses and will be available on-line at the start of the semester. Areas of self-assessment include legal, research, business, presentation, teamwork, communication, and technology skills along with creativity/innovation, and network building.
Testimonials From Last Year's LawWithoutWalls Students
"LawWithoutWalls is unlike any other experience you will have during law school. Its unique format and content will give you the opportunity to interact with students from across the world while exploring cutting-edge topics in the legal profession."
- Mike Rozensher, Harvard Law School
"LawWithoutWalls is a wonderful experience, it helped me overcome some weaknesses in my personality and think independently; in addition, it helped me learn how to become a succesful team player. The most precious thing that I got from LawWithoutWalls is a life-long friendship with my teammate."
- Wu Dan, Peking University School of Transnational Law
"LWOW enabled my group to explore an area of the law that we had not previously encountered in law school. The experience of engaging in discourse across the globe with our phenomenal international partners and mentors was a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching experience (not to mention a great exercise in schedule coordination). In addition, the weekly virtual class discussions were excellent: topical and engaging, every class discussion was an opportunity for us to hear from and speak with leaders in both the legal sphere and the wider professional world. I would absolutely choose to participate in LawWithoutWalls again."
- Kyle Marshall, University of Miami School of Law
“LWOW is a unique and invaluable opportunity to create an international network of peers, mentors, and friends at the beginning of your career. This one-of-a-kind programme enables you to develop insight and opinion on a wide range of topics relevant to legal practice and education whilst developing key research and presentation skills that are fundamental to any future career. LWOW provides a rare opportunity to collaborate with experts and colleagues from around the world and I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a career in law.”
- Anna Pope, University College London Faculty of Laws
"I loved that LWOW paired us with amazing students, world famous professors, and provided access to some of the best contacts in the legal profession to help shape our project. I made many close friends throughout the course but also connected with people who continue to serve as mentors. Post-course I met with LWOW practitioners to discuss my project, career path, and life in general. Working with a group who was excited about the things that interested me provided such a dynamic platform for problem solving. Additionally, LWOW helped to sharpen the following skills: working as an integral part of a team, communication across a diverse range of professions, countries and media, and research/interviewing skills."
- Christy Garg, New York Law School
"LawWithoutWalls was the most innovative learning experience I had in law school. It provided a unique opportunity to think creatively about law and the legal profession and to apply the legal analysis skills we learn in law school to a real world problem--something we are expected to do in our profession but for which legal education rarely prepares us. LWOW also compelled me to take interest in and ownership of the legal profession in a new and more meaningful way; it opened my eyes to the challenges that we face as law students and lawyers in a dynamic, globalizing world."
- Mari Byrne, Fordham Law School
