Can an online law school class approximate the experience of being a summer associate at a law firm? We'll soon find out.

At least two campuses have launched summer programs designed to help students develop the real-world skills they would normally pick up working at law firms or in internships, as many of those training opportunities have evaporated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York Law School has partnered with Venable for its eight-week Summer Associate Simulation Program, which is modeled after the summer associate experience at a large law firm. The 200 enrolled students have been placed into "practice groups," are attending online classes, and will work on simulated legal matters tied to the coronavirus outbreak.