Southern University Law Center (SULC) is an institution of access and opportunity, offering a high-quality legal education to one of the nation’s most racially diverse populations. It is led by Chancellor John Pierre who, even before the global pandemic struck, viewed technology as the great equalizer in today’s world. He is preparing SULC students for the 21st century through a variety of innovative strategies and partnerships. I had a chance to talk with Chancellor Pierre to learn what he is doing to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and create equity in law school.
While tuition is lower at SULC than at other law schools, there are still various financial demands on students. As a result, many students were waiting until week four or five of a sixteen-week semester to purchase their textbooks. Starting the semester a month behind in reading, made it very difficult to catch up, leading to an increase in drop-out rates. Chancellor Pierre noticed this trend and wanted to ensure all students had access to learning materials on or before the first day of class. He met with each of the publishers to discuss a different business model where the school purchased ebooks and learning technologies on behalf of the students in advance of the semester at a discount. In addition, he negotiated with Apple to provide an iPad for every 1L student. This combined approach — hardware, software, content — served multiple purposes. First, students had the latest technology prior to the first day of class. Everything they needed was digitally loaded on their iPad. They also had the option to include print products. So, no matter where students were located or how they preferred to engage with their content, they had it all at their fingertips. In addition to increasing access, this also helped to lower the cost of learning materials for students. Whether the law school paid for the course materials (like most MBA programs) or passed the fee along to students, students benefited from lower prices. This creates equity in law school; no student is at a disadvantage. Since launching this initiative in 2019, SULC has seen a decline in attrition with fewer students dropping out due to academic probation. As a result, the program has expanded to include the entire student population (not just 1Ls).
Another way technology is leveling the playing field is through the law school library. SULC has adopted subscriptions to the best-selling study aids on behalf of all students. Students can access their favorite study aid and discover new ones with their unlimited access to the library. They can access their notes, supplements, and additional explanations at any time day or night, digitally through their library portal. This was especially helpful during the global pandemic when students were not on campus.
In addition to hardware, software, and digital content, Students at SULC also have the benefit of getting exposed to the latest technologies. SULC has modified its curriculum to include law and technology courses since law firms prefer students with these skills. It’s another way SULC students, many of whom are first generation college students, gain a competitive edge. This includes Procertas certification (benchmarking in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF), ediscovery, and efiling tools. Even though the school is in a rural community, Chancellor Pierre has developed deep connections with Silicon Valley fueling a speaker series in the Law Office Practice class. Guest speakers bring real world experience to students from companies like Elevate, NetApp, and Cisco.
Today’s law firms need to deliver services more efficiently and inexpensively, especially in transactional law. Students who have experience using technology to solve problems and know how to take advantage of every tool will be more successful. Chancellor Pierre believes the combined impact of these strategies and partnerships will lead to better-prepared practice-ready lawyers and ultimately, due to creativity around harnessing the power of technology, expanded access to legal services. True equity.
