An Overview of Part-Time Law Programs

Attending law school full-time isn't always an option for students who are balancing the demands of career, family, and other responsibilities. Fortunately, many law schools offer part-time law programs.

Full-time students complete a law degree in three academic years, while part-time students generally complete a law degree in eight semesters or four academic years.

Advantages of Part-Time Law Programs

1. Evening classes: Most part-time law programs are offered in the evening, allowing students to maintain full-time employment during the day. Evening programs make law school possible for many students with employment and family obligations that would otherwise prevent them from attending.
2. Reduced course load: Part-time law programs allow students to carry fewer credits and take fewer classes, but part-timers should still expect to spend 30 to 40 hours per week pursuing their law degree in addition to their employment and other responsibilities.
3. Lower admissions criteria: The LSAT scores and GPAs of students in part-time programs are excluded from the U.S. News & World Report’s law school rankings calculus, making it possible for schools to lower admissions criteria for part-timers. Part-time admissions programs place greater weight on students’ professional experience and accomplishments.
4. Reduced financial burden: Part-time law programs are usually completed in four academic years instead of three, so students can spread the financial burden out over a greater period of time. And working during law school can help offset the costs of a legal education and allow students to take out fewer loans.

Disadvantages of Part-Time Law Programs

1. Tremendous time commitment: Even part-time law school is an enormous time commitment. First-year students are typically assigned three hours of homework per classroom hour and may be required to read from 300 to 450 pages a week in addition to class time. Law review, extracurricular activities, and on-campus interviews also place demands on a law student’s time. The demands of law school combined with the demands of family or a job leave little time for other activities.
2. Less prestige: Some employers might view these programs as less prestigious because of their relaxed admissions criteria. Attending a part-time law school program can limit one's post-graduate employment options in some cases.
3. Higher cost: Most part-time law programs require an extra year in school, so while you might pay less per year, the cost of a part-time law school education overall can be greater than the cost of a three-year program. Part-timers might also find that they're ineligible for academic scholarships.
4. Missed opportunities: Part-time students can miss out on opportunities that are afforded to full-time students, such as externships, clinics, moot court, on-campus interviews, journals, and student organizations. In addition, part-timers who work full time might not be able to perform summer clerkships, which is the most common path to big-firm employment.