St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio is the first law school in the country to launch a fully online J.D. program that is accredited by the American Bar Association, with classes beginning in the fall of 2022.

The law school announced the new program this week, after the university's board of trustees approved it on Friday. Dean Patricia Roberts said the ABA in May approved a five-year pilot program for the fully online program in May, but the school did not announce it until after the trustees' vote.

The pilot program is for a cohort of 25 students, and the law school has the option to seek approval after a year for another cohort, Roberts said.