From opioids and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to legal advice and ethics, Ohio judges and court staff are learning from new courses online.

The Ohio Supreme Court’s Judicial College has ramped up its online 2018 calendar, offering classes throughout the year.

“We have grown our courses in just one year from 20 to 44 online courses,” said Christy Tull, Judicial College director. “Right now, 10,000 people have completed the courses just in one year.”

The courses are available to judges, acting judges, magistrates, judicial candidates, court personnel, and guardians of adults and children.

“We see it as an opportunity to expand the access to the education we offer across the state,” said Christopher Fields, the college’s manager of education and curriculum.

“We recognize the fact that many people are not in the urban areas. It could be a challenge for them to get to one of our live courses. This is a way to deliver the class online where they can access it 24/7 from the comfort of their home,” Fields said.

The new courses are unique in that they are interactive, with, for example, quizzes or other activities throughout the course to keep court personnel engaged and ensure they are understanding the lessons.

“We’re giving judges, court personnel, and guardians the education to help them do their job and serve the public,” Tull said.

Court News Ohio got an inside look at how the courses were created on a storyboard, to show how much thought goes into developing the content.

“We’re trying our best to replicate the experience that you would have in a live course online,” Fields said. “We want to make it is simple and straightforward to get the education and move on with your lives. You are busy, particularly the guardians ad litem. They could be three hours in a live course and driving one hour each way.”

Attorneys are required to complete a minimum of 24 CLE hours every two years. Judges are required to complete a minimum of 40 CLE hours every two years. These self-study online courses can count towards the total requirement.

The complete calendar is available online.

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