Solo Practice University® Launches “Bridges” Program With New York Law School

"Building Bridges to Professional Independence" Will Help NYLS Students Prepare for Practice

NEW HAVEN, CT (April 14, 2011) — Solo Practice University® (SPU), the #1 online educational and professional networking community for lawyers and law students, today launched its “Building Bridges to Professional Independence” program and announced New York Law School as its first law school partner. SPU provides online classes, tools, and other services to help law students and lawyers who intend to pursue an independent legal career..

Solo Practice University’s “Bridges” program will be officially unveiled at the 2011 Future Ed conference in New York City April 16, co-hosted by New York Law School and Harvard Law School. Under the program, New York Law School will supply SPU scholarships to ten of its third-year students, who will attend SPU while still in law school. In addition, NYLS will work with SPU to make discounted access available to recent graduates and alumni.

“Our new ‘Bridges’ initiative is the next stage in the evolution of legal education,” said Susan Cartier Liebel. “There is a gap between the knowledge law schools provide their students and the skills required by new lawyers; SPU’s mission is to bridge that gap. The ‘Bridges’ initiative expands that mission and gives law schools a way to supplement their students’ legal education with practical, skills-based learning opportunities.”

“We are committed to helping our students and alumni become effective practitioners. SPU offers wonderful resources, especially for those who will open their own offices or join small firms,” said Richard A. Matasar, Dean and President of New York Law School. “We urge all of our students to take an active role in networking with practitioners and learning about aspects of law practice that aren’t always covered in traditional law school courses. This initiative will expand their opportunities to do just that.”

“I commend New York Law School for its innovative approach to legal education,” said Ms. Cartier Liebel, who added that the “Bridges” initiative is open to law schools across the United States and Canada. “We are actively soliciting law school partners that are just as committed as New York Law School to ensuring their graduates have access to practical, career-oriented training opportunities during and after law school.”

The joint announcement by Solo Practice University® and New York Law School will be made during the Future Ed Conference on April 16, 2011, in New York City. The conference brings together educators, lawyers, clients, regulators, and legal entrepreneurs to design and test potential innovations in the law school curriculum, teaching methods, and the use of technology. See www.nyls.edu/futureed for more information.

About Solo Practice University®

Founded in 2009, Solo Practice University® is the #1 online educational and professional networking community for lawyers and law students. Comprised of more than 560 online individual classes presented by more than 45 faculty, Solo Practice University® provides access to expert advice, mentorship, tools, information, technology, and the professional network lawyers need to succeed in the current marketplace.

The essence of Solo Practice University® is collaboration. Experienced lawyers from a variety of practice areas teach the nuts and bolts of actual practice. Business experts in law office management, client attraction and retention, technology, social media, billing, accounting, marketing, and more, serve as instructors and mentors to those opening their own practice. More than 200 American and 15 international law schools are represented at SPU. http://solopracticeuniversity.com 

About New York Law School

Founded in 1891, New York Law School is an independent law school located in lower Manhattan near the city’s centers of law, government, and finance. New York Law School’s renowned faculty of prolific scholars has built the School’s strength in such areas as constitutional law, civil and human rights, labor and employment law, media and information law, urban legal studies, international and comparative law, and a number of interdisciplinary fields. New York Law School has more than 13,000 graduates and enrolls some 1,500 students in its full- and part-time J.D. program and its four advanced degree programs in financial services law, real estate, tax, and mental disability law studies. www.nyls.edu

More Information

Contact Solo Practice University®’s founder and CEO, Susan Cartier Liebel, at susan@solopracticeuniversity.com.