“Yes, Western New England (WNE) University School of Law requires an in-person orientation residency, even for its online hybrid J.D. program (JD Access).
Key Breakdown:
* Main Campus Location: The law school campus is located at 1215 Wilbraham Road in Springfield, MA (Westfield is an adjacent town about 15–20 miles west, where visitors/students frequently stay in hotels).
* Residential Programs: Traditional full-time and part-time J.D. students attend mandatory multi-day in-person orientations on the Springfield campus prior to the start of the semester.
* Online Program (JD Access): Even though all standard coursework is completed remotely via online instruction, the program requires a mandatory in-person opening residency. For example, 1L students are required to attend a 4-day on-campus residency (which includes orientation and the 1-credit Introduction to Law course) in late August before remote classes begin.
If someone enrolled in the online J.D. program is in the Springfield/Westfield area during late August, they are likely attending that mandatory on-campus launch residency.”
