FAQs

Online registration is handled through Vanderbilt's system, which you can access from all Immersive listings currently open for registration. Payment online may be made securely by credit card. For any questions about registration and payment, please contact Cat Moon at c.moon@vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-6591. To register for Immersions currently open, go HERE.

The Institute's curriculum consists of independent Immersion experiences, which are live (in-person) learning events that take place over a two-day (weekend) period at the Wond'ry on the Vanderbilt campus. Each Immersion is an independent learning opportunity, which means that you can attend a single Immersion or multiple Immersions based on your interest. We are in the process of creating a Certificate in Law and Innovation, which we anticipate will be earned through attending a minimum number of Immersions over a set course of time. See the following query for more information about the Certificate Program. Visit the Curriculum page for more information about scheduled Immersions.

Please visit the Certificate page for more information about the Certificate in Law and Innovation.

Due to COVID protocols, Immersions are currently offered in virtual (online) format only.

Once protocols are lifted, we plan to offer a combination of virtual and in-person Immersions, to meet the needs of as many Institute colleagues as possible.

We initially designed the Immersion curriculum exclusively as in-person because the content depends on synchronous engagement with a learning cohort. Pedagogically, the in-person experience offers the most valuable learning opportunity. It is very hard to recreate the level of collaborative experience and interactive engagement we deem necessary in an asynchronous, virtual delivery system. With this said, with the restrictions demanded by COVID protocols, we are creating all Immersion content for virtual, synchronous delivery and including asynchronous components that complement the work we do together in live sessions.

Defined as "deep mental involvement," immersion perfectly captures our approach to teaching legal professionals about innovation. It also means the act of immersing in — and in this instance, it's an immersion in a process and community focused intently on the topic at hand: leading legal innovation. Our format and terminology also is inspired by Immersion Vanderbilt, a part of the undergraduate Vanderbilt experience: "a deeper, more complex education that integrates classroom knowledge with experience."

A critical component of deeper learning is the opportunity to meaningfully reflect on and apply what you've learned. A community of fellow learners can help support and facilitate this process, which is why we're creating a virtual community for all PoLI Institute students: the PoLI Forum. All graduates of Immersions will be included in the Forum, which operates on a cloud-based platform and provides a space where Immersion cohorts will have the opportunity to interact with one another, all other cohorts, and Institute faculty in a virtual space. We'll also use the Forum to share information and ideas that build on Immersion content and support your efforts to navigate legal innovation.

We have a very simple approach: innovation is change that creates value. Legal innovation is change that creates value within the legal landscape. Innovation is like water — it can redefine a landscape in small, incremental ways, much as water dripping on a stone will eventually wear away the surface, permanently changing it. Innovation also can happen quickly, with substantial impact, much as the floods following a hurricane can completely redefine the banks of tributaries flowing from the sea. Our curriculum embraces innovation from tiny and slow to broad and bold and delivers methods and tools to implement change that creates value across a spectrum of impact. We empower the lone wolf working within an organization and the Chief Innovation Officer charged with leading change initiatives.

The tuition for each (2-day) Immersion session is $2200. Discounts are available for those who join a cohort working towards a Certificate in Law and Innovation, and for multiple registrations from the same organization. Please contact Cat Moon for more information about pricing and discounts.

Immersion tuition covers all curriculum costs related to the weekend session, including breakfast, lunch, and a pre-dinner event on Friday evening. All travel and lodging expenses are the responsibility of Institute participants. We request discounted rates from hotels within walking distance to Vanderbilt and provide this information upon registration. Parking is available for $15/day in the 25th Avenue Garage directly across the street from the Wond'ry.

We welcome your questions! Please contact Cat Moon, Director of the PoLI Institute, at c.moon@vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-6591.