ASU Law to offer its JD part time and online, addressing critical legal shortages and public service
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The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, ranked 15th among the nation’s top public law schools, announced today a new part-time and fully online option for its juris doctor degree. This makes ASU Law the highest-ranked law school to offer its JD part time and fully online.
The American Bar Association, as the law school’s accrediting body, posted approval on March 3. Designed to address critical legal shortages in underserved and rural communities and promote careers in public service, the program will begin accepting applications in June and will welcome its first cohort in January 2026.
ASU’s recent Gold rating in the inaugural Times Higher Education Online Learning Ranking 2024 — one of only 11 universities globally to receive this highest distinction — underscores its leadership in digital education and innovation. ASU Law’s fully online JD will mirror the academic rigor and engaging experience with the same faculty as the on-campus JD.
“We’re taking what we’ve mastered the last 15 years at ASU as a university, and that is finding a way to project the highest levels of teaching and learning,” Arizona State University President Michael Crow said. “We have online electrical engineering degrees, online biochemistry degrees, online philosophy degrees and online astronomy degrees. This is just a furtherance of that at the highest level by leveraging our law school and faculty.
“ASU is committed to the success of our communities — their social success, their economic success, their health and well-being. We need to further prepare individuals to help enable communities to achieve that success. Legal progress, legal protections, legal advancement and legal understanding is all a part of that.”
According to the ABA, 1,300 counties in the United States are legal deserts, meaning they have less than one attorney per 1,000 residents or no attorneys. In Arizona, 92% of lawyers are concentrated in urban areas, leaving the remaining 8% to serve vast rural regions. This online JD model is designed to directly address that disparity by intentionally recruiting individuals deeply embedded in and committed to their communities.
“Our goal is to equip these community members with the tools and knowledge to provide essential legal services where they are needed most,” said Stacy Leeds, the Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents and Foundation Professor of Law. “By empowering these individuals to serve their neighbors and advocate for justice within their own communities, we aim to create a sustainable solution to the shortage of legal support in rural communities nationwide, ensuring that access to justice is no longer determined by geography.”
Alum Christina Howden (‘20 JD), the founding attorney at Evergreen Law LLC and president of the Yavapai County Bar Association, exemplifies the transformative power of legal education. As a nontraditional student commuting from Yavapai County to downtown Phoenix, balancing law school with her roles as a mother and business owner, Howden’s journey was marked by resilience and determination.
“When I went to ASU Law, I was a full-time student and was commuting from Yavapai County, and I loved ASU. It’s a strong school. I had an amazing education there,” she said. “But as a nontraditional student … it was a lot to commute down and have to commit full time to classes, along with managing our kids, business and all of the things.”
In her role as bar president, Howden sees firsthand the growing challenge of attorney shortages in rural areas.
“In Yavapai County, the legal landscape is challenging in that we have a shortage of attorneys. … It causes delays in people getting access to legal services,” Howden said.
“There are people out there that want to go to law school. This is exciting that they could go part time and don’t have to drive 100 miles each way to go to school. It would be amazing to see these graduates stay and make such an impact on their community.”
Optional in-person opportunities for short courses and externships in locations such as Phoenix, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., will further enhance the online experience.
For those like Vance Bryce, executive director of the Graham County Chamber of Commerce and a prospective student, this offering is revolutionary.
“Graham County (in Arizona) is a legal desert,” Bryce said. “Having a JD in my profession would mean advocating for our small businesses more effectively. To be from a small place and have a high-level education, like an ASU law degree, would help me fit right in.”
For prospective students
ASU Law will host a series of webinars for those interested in the online JD program, with the first on March 18. Prospective students are encouraged to submit a request for information to receive the latest information on the degree and application deadlines.
For more information, visit law.asu.edu/part-time-online-jd.
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