Touro University to Establish a Law School in Great Falls, Montana
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Touro University to Establish a Law School in Great Falls, Montana
Innovative Hybrid Program Designed to Address Critical Attorney Shortage in Montana
May 29, 2026New York, NY –The American Bar Association has given approval for Touro Law Center to establish a law school campus in Great Falls, Montana, Touro University President Dr. Alan Kadish announced today. Responding to a documented and growing shortage of legal professionals across the region, the proposed program will offer a hybrid learning model, combining in-person instruction with online coursework, making legal education accessible to working professionals, rural residents, and career changers throughout the state. Touro will start recruiting and enrolling for the inaugural cohort to begin in August 2027.
Touro Law Center in Great Falls will join an already existing Touro presence in the community. Touro University has an established College of Osteopathic Medicine in Great Falls and is launching a Nursing Program there as well.
“Touro University has long been defined by our commitment to filling educational gaps in rural and underserved areas,” stated University President Dr. Alan Kadish. “Opening this campus is more than just an expansion; it is a profound expression of our mission to provide high-quality legal education to those who will serve the communities that need them most."
Great Falls and the broader Montana region are facing a significant shortage of practicing attorneys. Many of the region’s current lawyers are nearing retirement age, while fewer young legal professionals are choosing to establish careers in rural communities. The result is a growing gap in access to legal services in critical areas including family law, estate planning, probate litigation, and land use law.
Touro Law Center began its community outreach efforts by engaging with state elected officials, the Great Falls Development Alliance, the Cascade County Bar Association, and practicing attorneys throughout the region to understand local legal needs and gauge interest in the program. Those conversations underscored both the urgency of the attorney shortage and the community’s enthusiasm for a locally accessible law school.
City of Great Falls Mayor Cory Reeves stated, “Touro’s commitment to Great Falls continues to grow, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome Touro Law Center to our community. By establishing this innovative law program here, Touro is directly addressing a critical attorney shortage and paving the way for the next generation of Montana's lawyers to learn, work, and stay in our community.”
The Great Falls campus of Touro Law Center will feature a hybrid curriculum — a format that is both innovative and intentional, modeled on Touro’s existing FlexTime JD program that is offered at the main campus on Long Island as well as the branch campus in Manhattan. By blending in-person instruction with online coursework, earning a law degree is a practical endeavor for individuals who may not be able to step away from existing careers and family obligations. This model is expected to significantly broaden the pipeline of future attorneys choosing to practice in Montana and surrounding rural communities.
“This initiative is the direct result of a collaborative partnership with Montana state and local leaders, as well as members of the Montana bar and bench, ensuring our presence and curriculum meet the specific needs of the region’s legal landscape,” stated Touro Law Dean Elena Langan. “We are creating a pathway for the next generation of legal professionals to build their careers in their communities.”
Touro Law will join Touro’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, opened in 2018 in Great Falls, Montana. The Law Center will eventually share a campus with the medical school, expanding on the Touro community already in the region.
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TOURO UNIVERSITY
Touro University is an international system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education chartered in 1970. Touro was founded primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage and to serve the larger American and global community. Over 21,000 students are currently enrolled at Touro University at over 38 schools in seven states and four countries: New York, California, Florida, Illinois, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and Touro University Nevada; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois are separately accredited institutions within the Touro University system.
TOURO LAW CENTER
Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center is located adjacent to both a state and a federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, and has a branch campus in Manhattan. Touro Law’s proximity to the courthouses, coupled with programming developed to integrate the courtroom into the classroom, provide a one-of-a-kind learning experience for law students, combining a rigorous curriculum taught by expert faculty with practical courtroom experience. Touro Law is dedicated to providing hands-on learning that enables students to gain experience while offering much-needed legal services in the community.
Touro Law, which has an alumni base of more than 8,000, offers full- and part-time JD programs where students can earn a degree in 3 or 4 years. Additionally, Touro offers a hybrid, four-year FlexTime JD Program at both Long Island and Manhattan campuses, combining in-person and online learning. Touro Law offers several dual degree programs and an LLM program for U.S. law graduates as well as a two-year JD program for foreign law graduates. Touro Law Center is part of Touro University.
Patti Desrochers
Assistant Dean of Communications
pdesroch@touro.edu
(631) 761-7062