The 12-week, non-credit online course features graded assessments, legal-community networking, a certificate, and admissions and tuition benefits for participants who later apply to Southwestern’s J.D. program. 

LOS ANGELES, October 20, 2026 — Southwestern Law School is accepting applications for its 1L Trial Run Program, a new online program that lets prospective students experience the structure, rigor, and pace of a first-year Criminal Law course to help them evaluate whether to pursue a J.D. The inaugural 24-student cohort begins in mid-January 2027. 

Students who successfully complete the course will earn Southwestern’s Applied Legal Reasoning: Criminal Law certificate and a digital badge. They will also receive a fee waiver for Southwestern’s J.D. application and, if subsequently admitted to and enrolled in one of Southwestern’s J.D. programs, a tuition credit equal to the amount paid for 1L Trial Run. Students who complete the course with distinction will receive accelerated J.D. application review and a three-unit summer tuition benefit. These opportunities extend across Southwestern’s J.D. pathways, including its Online J.D. program. 

The experience extends beyond coursework. Virtual events and discussions will connect participants with practicing attorneys, alumni, faculty, and current law students, exposing them to professional work such as client counseling and courtroom advocacy. Participants will also receive guidance on preparing a competitive law school application. 

Taught primarily through asynchronous weekly modules, the course covers criminal responsibility, major crimes, defenses, punishment, and the policies that shape criminal law. Participants will analyze cases and statutes, apply legal rules to complex facts, and develop legal arguments. They will participate in class discussions, complete graded assignments, and take a final examination, giving a real sense of the pacing and expectations of online legal study. The goal is not simply to observe a law school class but to do the actual work and assess whether the subject matter and learning format are good fits. 

“Many prospective law students are asking themselves whether law school is worth the investment, whether they will enjoy the course of study, and whether now is the best time for them to start,” said Darby Dickerson, Southwestern’s President and Dean. “So we developed a program that will allow individuals to test out law school in an online environment before committing to a J.D. program.” 

Professor Catherine L. Carpenter, a nationally recognized criminal-law scholar and three-time recipient of Southwestern’s Excellence in Teaching Award, will teach the course. She has taught Criminal Law to first-year students for more than four decades, and her scholarship and national leadership have helped shape criminal law and legal education. 

“1L Trial Run Program students will read the same appellate cases, develop the same rigorous analysis, and experience the same type of graded examinations as their JD counterparts,” Carpenter said. “They will experience the structure of weekly modules, how discussion works, how assignments and assessments are paced, and whether that way of learning fits with how they work and live.” 

“Prospective law students without connections to the profession often have no accurate way to know what law school demands of them,” said Professor Natalie Rodriguez, Vice Dean for Academics and Online Education. “The 1L Trial Run Program is a direct answer to that.” Rodriguez added: “We also know that some students, including those considering a career change and caregivers, need to balance many factors when considering whether now is the best time to start law school. Southwestern’s 1L Trial Run Program can help them make a more informed decision.” Participants use the same learning platform as Southwestern’s Online J.D. students. 

1L Trial Run participants are non-degree students. The course does not award J.D. credit, admission does not guarantee future admission to Southwestern or any other law school, and the program is not eligible for federal financial aid. 

The priority application deadline is Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Southwestern will host a live online information session on Thursday, October 29, at 5 p.m. Pacific time. Details about eligibility, tuition, course dates, applications, and information-session registration are available at swlaw.edu/1Ltrialrun. 
 

About Southwestern Law School 

Founded in 1911, Southwestern Law School is an independent law school in Los Angeles with an ABA-approved J.D. program. Its J.D. pathways include full-time, part-time, accelerated two-year, and primarily asynchronous online options. Southwestern combines legal education with practical training, experiential learning, and connections to the profession. Learn more at swlaw.edu. 

Media Contacts 

Steven Lopez 

Chief Communications and Marketing Officer 

slopez@swlaw.edu 

Professor Natalie Rodriguez 

Vice Dean for Academics and Online Education 

narodriguez@swlaw.edu 

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