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Reviewed: 06/19/24
Are you interested in going to law school part-time? Read on to find out more about what part-time law school is, its pros and cons, and the best part-time law programs in the nation.
Considering the con of many part-time programs having lower prestige, it’s essential you know the top schools to study law part-time.
These programs are ranked based on a variety of criteria, including:
Georgetown offers a flexible evening part-time program to JD applicants. You can complete this program in four to six years, or you can request to pursue an accelerated program to complete it in three to three and a half years. Tuition fees are $2,812 per credit.
Fordham has an evening part-time program for JD students and even holds special networking events for part-time students so they don’t miss out on important opportunities.
Part-time Fordham students can complete their JD degree in only eight semesters. The tuition cost per semester is $26,709; however, part-time students can expect to pay $43,800 each semester in total.
GW Law applicants can choose a full-time or part-time law program, both of which have the same academic requirements and standards. Typically, part-time students take four years and one summer session to complete their JD degree and can enroll in 11 or fewer credits per semester.
The estimated tuition rate for part-time students at GW is $53,508. However, if you’re taking fewer than 11 credits, this rate may be lower, as the per-credit tuition rate is $2,548.
Temple offers both a daytime and nighttime part-time law program to accommodate students’ varying time commitments. Evening students take courses on Monday-Thursday evenings, while daytime students can enroll in classes throughout the day, Monday through Friday.
Both evening and daytime students will need four academic years to complete their part-time JD degree. Residents of Pennsylvania pay $23,878 in tuition fees each year, while non-residents pay $36,604. However, if you are taking fewer than 8 credits a semester, you’ll pay per credit ($1,155).
One of the best part-time law schools in Virginia, George Mason offers a part-time Flex-JD online hybrid option where students can earn their degree while attending campus for as little as two nights per week. Their Flex-JD program makes GMU the best online law school on this list!
GMU also spreads out the required courses for part-time students to keep the course load from getting too heavy.
If you’re working in public interest, you’re eligible for in-state tuition through the Flex-JD program. In-state tuition is $862 per credit hour or an estimated rate of $20,212.50 per year. However, out-of-state tuition is $1,428 per credit hour or $32,098.50 per year.
Loyola’s part-time evening JD program is geared towards professionals and mixes instruction with experiential learning to give students the best legal education. The program operates under a hybrid structure, requiring one night of on-campus study per week and one night remotely.
Students can complete the part-time program in four years, including at least two sessions over the summer. The annual flat rate for tuition is $50,090, but note that it may not include summer tuition. The summer tuition rate is $2,410 per unit.
The University of San Diego offers an evening part-time JD program for students who can’t attend day classes due to their jobs. Generally, you’ll need four years to complete the part-time degree.
Classes start at 5:30 p.m. and are held Monday through Thursday evenings. Tuition for part-time students is $47,800 per year.
UH allows JD applicants to pursue an evening part-time program and is allegedly sought out by employers due to UH students’ ability to balance all of their obligations while completing a rigorous curriculum. UH evening classes typically take place between 6:00-9:00 pm on Monday-Thursday evenings.
If you’re a Texas resident, part-time tuition for one academic year is $26,000. However, non-residents should expect to pay $36,080.
Students can complete the part-time evening program at the Carey School of Law in four years. The program is designed to accommodate those who are working full-time or balancing many different commitments.
The cost of tuition for residents is $22,968. For non-residents, tuition costs $33,810 per year.
UConn Law also offers a part-time option for students who want to pursue a JD but are otherwise committed during the day. You can take evening classes to complete your JD degree at UConn in four years.
Part-time tuition for Connecticut residents is $21,180, while out-of-state students will need to pay $42,840 per year. However, if you’re a New England Compact resident (from Vermont and Rhode Island), your tuition will cost $36,140.
As previously mentioned, not every school offers part-time law programs. But this shouldn’t discourage you from pursuing your JD part-time because there are still numerous great options for you:
With over 70 ABA-approved law schools with part-time programs, you still have plenty of options to choose from in plenty of different locations! Whether you want to attend part-time law school in the Bay Area or the East Coast, you can find programs anywhere.
While many students opt to complete law school full-time in order to begin practicing law as soon as possible, many law schools also offer part-time law programs. These programs allow students to complete their legal education even if they have other time commitments that make it difficult to undertake a degree full-time.
Students who are working full-time, have health or physical disabilities, have family obligations, or have financial hardships typically opt for part-time school over full-time.
While full-time law programs typically take three years to complete, part-time students usually take four years to complete their JD. Most part-time law programs require students to meet the same graduation requirements as full-time students, but their courses are more spread out, which is why the degree takes longer to complete.
According to successful part-time law students, part-time study is still difficult, despite the decreased course load. Considering many people opt for part-time school due to other time commitments, the addition of law school completely fills up their schedule.
As many part-time law programs offer evening classes between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. a few days a week, most students go straight to class after work or after caring for their families. As such, any time part-time students aren’t working or attending to their family is usually spent studying or in class.
Much like full-time law school, attending law school part-time is an academic adjustment and is extremely demanding. It requires excellent time management and dedication.
Now that you have a better understanding of what it means to go to law school part-time, it’s essential to go over the key benefits and drawbacks.
Let’s begin with the pros of pursuing your legal education part-time!
As part-time law programs take four years to complete instead of three, students have more flexibility with their course schedules.
Programs offer both day and evening classes and weekend classes. Some even offer online classes, such as Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Southwestern Law School, and St. Mary’s Law School, which are all top online law schools! This allows students to create the perfect schedule to balance all of their time commitments.
If you’re pursuing your JD part-time while working full-time, you may not need to take out such heavy student loans and will likely graduate with less debt. Your legal education’s cost will also be spread out over four years rather than three, reducing the financial burden of getting your JD.
It’s very important to consider financial factors as you make your law school decisions. Christina, one of our experts and a JD-MBA candidate at the Pritzker School of Law, discusses this in our webinar on how to decide on a law school:
"Understanding the cost is one of the most important things when you're thinking about law school. Law school can cost like $300,000 plus if you're going no scholarship, and if you have the money, do what works for you. But I think not thinking about money will set you back because you won't be able to do what it is you want to do after graduation if you're stuck trying to pay off loans."
While not all law schools offer part-time programs, many do. These tend to be online part-time law programs, while some are hybrid and others are fully in-person. These diverse methods of providing part-time legal education allow students to pick the best schools and programs for their needs.
While most part-time law programs have the same admission requirements as full-time law students, some have more lenient admissions criteria.
Some law schools are more forgiving with GPAs and LSAT scores for part-time students. They place greater emphasis on students’ resumes and work experience since many part-time students are professionals who have already spent time in the workforce.
However, you’ll still want to make sure you have a solid law school application. Although some schools are more lenient, law school is still very competitive, so do your best to make your application error-free.
If you’re looking for assistance with your law school application, Juris can help. We love helping hopeful law students like Matt, who left the below review, realize their full potential!
Many part-time classes are smaller than regular full-time classes, allowing students to easily network, develop useful connections, and interact with faculty.
While attending law school part-time has major benefits, it also has drawbacks you should consider.
Despite students opting to attend law school part-time for a reduced course load, it still takes up any free time these students have. As most part-timers also work full-time, they already dedicate 40 hours a week to their job and generally have to dedicate another 30-40 hours per week to law school.
For students juggling multiple obligations, their packed schedules can lead to burnout or low grades.
Since part-time students usually have full schedules, they don't always have time to participate in the important extracurriculars that full-time students do. Extracurriculars such as journals, clinics, moot courts, externships, or student organizations are important parts of the law school experience, yet many part-time students miss out on them.
As part-time law programs typically extend into the summer, these students are also unable to pursue summer clerkships, which provide essential experience to help students secure jobs post-graduation.
While many schools offer part-time programs, the majority of top-ranking schools do not, which can have an impact on your employment prospects. Employers may view these programs as less impressive due to their lower rankings and lesser time commitments.
However, prestige isn’t everything. While it can be important, make sure you consider other factors, too. Our expert counselor, Christina, expands on this:
“As you're thinking about what schools you want to go to, considering this is such an expensive undertaking and it's going to take some time and commitment, and you're going to be living in this city for three years, you want to reflect on what your career goals are, where do you see yourself in the legal field, and maybe not attaching too much importance on ranking or the prestige of a law school, and think about location just a little bit more. Because especially, a lot of schools that have strong geographical ties or a lot of people in that legal market came from those schools might prioritize those ties as opposed to rankings that you see online.”
It’s been argued that full-time and part-time students are graded to the same standards, which creates unfair competition. While full-time students generally only have one obligation (law school), part-time students have multiple, giving them less time to study and ultimately decreasing their chances of obtaining high marks.
If you’re still wondering how you can go to law school part-time while still working full-time, here are some tips to make it easier for you.
In the chaos of studying and working at the same time, it can be easy to overlook your health. But remember, the healthier you are, the less stressed you’ll feel. You’ll find it much easier to tackle all the items in your schedule if you’re also taking care of yourself.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet, and be sure to get plenty of good sleep. Remember to also stay active and keep a regular exercise regimen. Doing all these things will keep your brain and body functioning at full capacity.
It’s also important to pay attention to your mental and emotional health. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about any struggles you may have, whether a trusted friend or a professional counselor. Take time to engage in hobbies that bring you joy, and spend time practicing mindfulness.
Figuring out how to manage part-time law study means creating a solid plan. To balance all your commitments, you should not deviate from your schedule. Establishing routines and building good study habits will go a long way.
It might be helpful to use a calendar tool or agenda to organize your weekly commitments. Make sure you know when all your school deadlines are and put them into your calendar. Book off time for studying, working, and taking breaks.
It’s also a good idea to overlap tasks with your free time if you can. For example, you could do readings for school on your commute or work on assignments during your lunch breaks.
You should maintain open and honest communication with your employer about your academic pursuits. There may be study policies in place to help you adjust your work schedule so that you can better manage your time. It’s worth having a conversation with your superiors about how they can support you.
If you aren’t overwhelmed by all your commitments, you’ll likely perform better at work. So, your employer will probably want to help you figure out a balance that works well for both you and them.
Remember to keep up important relationships with family and friends, even in the midst of a hectic schedule. Humans are social creatures, so having people to support you during such a busy time is very important. Don’t let yourself become so overwhelmed by your commitments that you neglect the people you care about.
It’s also a good idea to make friends with people in your classes and get to know your professors - having a sense of community at law school can help you manage the burden. You can study together and help keep each other motivated.
To help you with further preparations for law school, check out our law school admissions checklist! This handy tool will help you figure out if you’re ready to apply to law school or, if not, what materials or elements you still need to add to your application.
In case you have any remaining concerns, here are the answers to frequently asked questions about part-time law programs.
It’s a good idea if you have other time commitments that prevent you from attending law school full-time! Applicants graduate with the same JD as full-time students and are equally qualified to practice law.
However, it can be challenging since part-time study will likely take up all free time and make it difficult to participate in extracurriculars.
Part-time law programs generally take four years or eight semesters. Some schools offer accelerated programs that take three and a half or three years to complete, but these programs include summer terms.
Georgetown University is ranked as the number one law school for part-time students in the nation.
There is some existing stigma surrounding these schools that mainly comes from the fact that most high-ranking schools don’t offer part-time law programs. However, part-time JD grads are still able to find jobs, and part-time law programs can actually boost your resume!
No, they both involve the same academic requirements and curriculums. Some even argue going to law school part-time is more difficult because these students have many commitments to maintain, and some have been out of school for many years.
Yes. Many schools no longer require the LSAT for admission, and some schools that do may be more lenient with lower LSAT scores for part-time applicants.
Depending on what your needs and interests are, part-time law school may be the right fit for you! If you have family, financial, or other time-consuming obligations, you can still obtain a JD and advance your legal career without making any major sacrifices – a win-win scenario!
