Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools) Forum

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gatorchomps

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Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by gatorchomps » Thu Nov 07, 2013 2:02 pm

Come on, part-timers--I know you're out there! 8)

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AT9

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by AT9 » Thu Nov 07, 2013 5:08 pm

I wasn't planning to apply Part Time, but a recent idea made me rethink that option.

Are students in part time programs allowed to take out loans for COL, or are they not because it's assumed the person is working anyway?

I ask because there's a possibility my current employer would allow me to work remotely and part time, in which case our COL debt would be low or non-existent if i were in a PT program and my wife could land a decent job.

gatorchomps

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by gatorchomps » Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:41 am

Not too much of an expert on the financial aid; I usually just fill out the FAFSA and take whatever they want to give me! :mrgreen:

I do know that being part-time will not have an adverse effect on obtaining federal loans. I was able to secure one when I worked and went to grad school at the same time.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/estimate - aid estimator

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by yukishirotomoe » Mon Nov 11, 2013 2:54 am

checking in...

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by gatorchomps » Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:39 am

Am I the only one facing the very real possibility of attending a Tier 4 school because it's within driving distance and has a part-time evening program?

Because yeah--that's my situation.

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by slw2r » Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:39 pm

Current part-time 1L here--yes, you're allowed to take out the full loan for COL. I didn't personally, but it's definitely allowed, at least at my school.

When I went through the admissions cycle last year there was barely any information out there about being a part-time student while having a full-time job, so anybody who's considering it, please let me know if you have any questions! I'm obviously only 3 months in at this point, but I definitely have a good idea of what the next 4 years are going to look like...

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by deliriousxix » Tue Nov 12, 2013 2:44 pm

Hi all! I'm in my third-year as a part-time student, and I am so happy with the decision I made. It has made law school so much more affordable, and I feel like employers really appreciate the diversity part-time students bring to the table. I have had nothing but positive experiences. I know I had hesitated quite a bit on my decision because of rumors and some TLSers perceptions on part-time law school. So if you have any questions, whether it be work-life balance, job prospects, the bar, etc.. Feel free to pm me! Good luck! :)

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by Snowboarder1588 » Wed Nov 13, 2013 2:00 am

deliriousxix wrote:Hi all! I'm in my third-year as a part-time student, and I am so happy with the decision I made. It has made law school so much more affordable, and I feel like employers really appreciate the diversity part-time students bring to the table. I have had nothing but positive experiences. I know I had hesitated quite a bit on my decision because of rumors and some TLSers perceptions on part-time law school. So if you have any questions, whether it be work-life balance, job prospects, the bar, etc.. Feel free to pm me! Good luck! :)
Hi there! Thanks for putting yourself out there. If you don't mind sharing, what is the nature of your current employment? Did you continue working in a job you already had prior to school or did you find a new job once you started? I've been seriously contemplating this decision, as I've applied to many PT programs.

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by abucking » Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:17 pm

Checking in part time applicant. I, too am limited to where I can apply, within driving distance from work.

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Mauve.Dino

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by Mauve.Dino » Tue Nov 26, 2013 3:44 pm

abucking wrote:Checking in part time applicant. I, too am limited to where I can apply, within driving distance from work.
Yep. I'm probably stuck going to the local T4, but if I get some amazing LSAT score, I might try applying to a T2 about two hours away.

Really, because I work full-time and can only take classes in the evenings, I'm limited to what's nearby.

So it makes reading the Harvard and Yale threads that much more difficult--I'm so jealous! :cry:

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by kris4842 » Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:03 pm

I applied to all the Part time programs in Ny and NJ. Where I go really doesn't matter since I am most likely going to stay in my job so as long as someone accepts me with some sort of scholarship Im good. :|

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by fnma2jd » Fri Nov 29, 2013 2:33 am

Checking in! Applying to SMU part-time. I work full time and am anchored to Dallas so it really my only option. Taking the December LSAT and aiming to get a score that will get a decent scholarship to make it worth it. So what made the rest of you decide to take the part time route?

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by kris4842 » Fri Nov 29, 2013 5:18 pm

I have a really great job that I wouldn't leave so that is why I only can go part time...good luck

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Mauve.Dino

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by Mauve.Dino » Mon Dec 02, 2013 8:52 am

I have a full-time job and can't afford to move, so my law school options are very limited. :cry:

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by slw2r » Wed Dec 11, 2013 9:25 pm

I currently work for a law firm as a paralegal during the day as a 1LE, so I'm hoping to continue working at my firm after graduation as an associate--I think it takes some of the grade pressure off to be working in a job that is geared towards what I will be doing as a lawyer.

I decided to look at part-time schools because I live in DC already (and my family and my husband's family live in the DC suburbs) and we have a lot of options for part-time in this area. I was already working at a firm with the type of law that I want to practice, with a lot of attorneys that also did school part-time while working full-time, so I figured that they would be sympathetic to my time constraints (which they definitely are!). Already working in this field takes a lot of the pressure off in terms of finding internships, etc., since I obviously don't have time to do an internship. I also know that even if I don't end up working for my firm after I'm done, like if we decide to move to another city, I'll have great references that actually know what I'm capable of in a law firm/billable hour situation. My boss (a partner at my firm) has also told me that she likes hiring people that were part-time students, because they have proven that they can manage their time well.

When I applied last year, I was about 75% sure that I wanted to do part-time, so I applied to almost all of the part-time schools here in the DC area (not Georgetown--looking back I'm not sure why), and then 4 full-time schools in a 4-hour radius of the DC metro area, just in case I changed my mind once all of the acceptances came in. GW was my top choice school for a variety of reasons, and that's where I ended up--I was even able to convince them to give me money after showing my offers from other schools.

One of the things that I thought about when deciding between full-time and part-time that definitely is true now that I'm in the middle of my first year is that it's nice to be able to be between two different worlds--being a student and having a full-time job/career. I look forward to going to work because I like what I do, and I look forward to going to school because I like to learn. I think doing just one or the other, it's easy to get kind of bogged down in what sucks about each one, so when you go part-time, school is a nice break from work, and work is a nice break from school.

Money-wise, it's also awesome. I was able to get a small scholarship, but other than that, I pay my tuition in cash--no loans. My husband's salary covers our cost of living and I put all of my paychecks directly into savings, so I don't take out any loans at all. That also takes a LOT of the pressure off of being in law school, because though we won't have much of a savings account once I'm done, we also won't have any loan payments to make because my current salary is able to fully cover my school expenses.

If you have any questions about being a part-time student, let me know--I'm happy to help. Especially once my finals are over :)

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by fnma2jd » Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:45 am

slw2r wrote:I currently work for a law firm as a paralegal during the day as a 1LE, so I'm hoping to continue working at my firm after graduation as an associate--I think it takes some of the grade pressure off to be working in a job that is geared towards what I will be doing as a lawyer.

I decided to look at part-time schools because I live in DC already (and my family and my husband's family live in the DC suburbs) and we have a lot of options for part-time in this area. I was already working at a firm with the type of law that I want to practice, with a lot of attorneys that also did school part-time while working full-time, so I figured that they would be sympathetic to my time constraints (which they definitely are!). Already working in this field takes a lot of the pressure off in terms of finding internships, etc., since I obviously don't have time to do an internship. I also know that even if I don't end up working for my firm after I'm done, like if we decide to move to another city, I'll have great references that actually know what I'm capable of in a law firm/billable hour situation. My boss (a partner at my firm) has also told me that she likes hiring people that were part-time students, because they have proven that they can manage their time well.

When I applied last year, I was about 75% sure that I wanted to do part-time, so I applied to almost all of the part-time schools here in the DC area (not Georgetown--looking back I'm not sure why), and then 4 full-time schools in a 4-hour radius of the DC metro area, just in case I changed my mind once all of the acceptances came in. GW was my top choice school for a variety of reasons, and that's where I ended up--I was even able to convince them to give me money after showing my offers from other schools.

One of the things that I thought about when deciding between full-time and part-time that definitely is true now that I'm in the middle of my first year is that it's nice to be able to be between two different worlds--being a student and having a full-time job/career. I look forward to going to work because I like what I do, and I look forward to going to school because I like to learn. I think doing just one or the other, it's easy to get kind of bogged down in what sucks about each one, so when you go part-time, school is a nice break from work, and work is a nice break from school.

Money-wise, it's also awesome. I was able to get a small scholarship, but other than that, I pay my tuition in cash--no loans. My husband's salary covers our cost of living and I put all of my paychecks directly into savings, so I don't take out any loans at all. That also takes a LOT of the pressure off of being in law school, because though we won't have much of a savings account once I'm done, we also won't have any loan payments to make because my current salary is able to fully cover my school expenses.

If you have any questions about being a part-time student, let me know--I'm happy to help. Especially once my finals are over :)
Thanks sharing! Do you feel like working in a law firm has made everything easier? I know you said that it makes your future job search a little less stressful but do you feel like anything has translated into academic success?

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by iza3nee » Sun Dec 15, 2013 12:15 am

slw2r wrote:I currently work for a law firm as a paralegal during the day as a 1LE, so I'm hoping to continue working at my firm after graduation as an associate--I think it takes some of the grade pressure off to be working in a job that is geared towards what I will be doing as a lawyer.

I decided to look at part-time schools because I live in DC already (and my family and my husband's family live in the DC suburbs) and we have a lot of options for part-time in this area. I was already working at a firm with the type of law that I want to practice, with a lot of attorneys that also did school part-time while working full-time, so I figured that they would be sympathetic to my time constraints (which they definitely are!). Already working in this field takes a lot of the pressure off in terms of finding internships, etc., since I obviously don't have time to do an internship. I also know that even if I don't end up working for my firm after I'm done, like if we decide to move to another city, I'll have great references that actually know what I'm capable of in a law firm/billable hour situation. My boss (a partner at my firm) has also told me that she likes hiring people that were part-time students, because they have proven that they can manage their time well.

When I applied last year, I was about 75% sure that I wanted to do part-time, so I applied to almost all of the part-time schools here in the DC area (not Georgetown--looking back I'm not sure why), and then 4 full-time schools in a 4-hour radius of the DC metro area, just in case I changed my mind once all of the acceptances came in. GW was my top choice school for a variety of reasons, and that's where I ended up--I was even able to convince them to give me money after showing my offers from other schools.

One of the things that I thought about when deciding between full-time and part-time that definitely is true now that I'm in the middle of my first year is that it's nice to be able to be between two different worlds--being a student and having a full-time job/career. I look forward to going to work because I like what I do, and I look forward to going to school because I like to learn. I think doing just one or the other, it's easy to get kind of bogged down in what sucks about each one, so when you go part-time, school is a nice break from work, and work is a nice break from school.

Money-wise, it's also awesome. I was able to get a small scholarship, but other than that, I pay my tuition in cash--no loans. My husband's salary covers our cost of living and I put all of my paychecks directly into savings, so I don't take out any loans at all. That also takes a LOT of the pressure off of being in law school, because though we won't have much of a savings account once I'm done, we also won't have any loan payments to make because my current salary is able to fully cover my school expenses.

If you have any questions about being a part-time student, let me know--I'm happy to help. Especially once my finals are over :)

That is awesome congrats to you, this is precisely what I plan to do as well. I'm also a paralegal for a firm in the DC metro area and will be going to law school part-time, likely GW too (I'm in).
Good to know there are others like me out there.
Thanks for sharing.

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kemosabe

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by kemosabe » Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:42 am

Has anyone heard back from GULC yet? I applied to both PT and FT. I was accepted into the FT program almost two weeks ago, but there has been no mention of my PT application. I'm wondering if I should keep waiting or contact admissions.

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by anon1538 » Sun Dec 15, 2013 9:15 am

kemosabe wrote:Has anyone heard back from GULC yet? I applied to both PT and FT. I was accepted into the FT program almost two weeks ago, but there has been no mention of my PT application. I'm wondering if I should keep waiting or contact admissions.
Dude, if I'm not mistaken, when you check that FT or PT box, they choose for you which program they think you best fit in. So, if you got into FT, they made the decision for you and you will not be getting another acceptance from GULC. Isn't one letter from Dean Cornblatt enough? :)

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kemosabe

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by kemosabe » Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:38 am

anon1538 wrote:
kemosabe wrote:Has anyone heard back from GULC yet? I applied to both PT and FT. I was accepted into the FT program almost two weeks ago, but there has been no mention of my PT application. I'm wondering if I should keep waiting or contact admissions.
Dude, if I'm not mistaken, when you check that FT or PT box, they choose for you which program they think you best fit in. So, if you got into FT, they made the decision for you and you will not be getting another acceptance from GULC. Isn't one letter from Dean Cornblatt enough? :)
Ha yeah I guess I can't really complain. I'll have to double check the website to confirm that's how it works. I'm sure it's there somewhere. Thanks for the info.

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by Ajax4747 » Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:43 am

I'm a San Diego native, and I was recently accepted into USD's FT program with nice $$$$ (60% tuition), but work full time for a City in SD (real estate dept.). I went on the campus tour (Gorgeous) and asked admissions if I would still be able to receive the $$$ if I switched to PT, and they just today replied yes! Beyond thrilled as I just had a kid (13 weeks) and the loss of salary + healthcare, along with my pension was a tough pill to swallow. Soooo....it looks like I get the best of both worlds.

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by Hinshelwood » Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:37 pm

Checking in. I'm applying for PT to the local law school, which is (barely) in the top 100. 20 years out of undergrad, so I've got a fairly well established career. The law degree is a natural next step in that career. So it is PT or nothing for me.

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by fnma2jd » Fri Dec 20, 2013 2:55 pm

Hinshelwood wrote:Checking in. I'm applying for PT to the local law school, which is (barely) in the top 100. 20 years out of undergrad, so I've got a fairly well established career. The law degree is a natural next step in that career. So it is PT or nothing for me.
Welcome! I'm in a similar boat, except less years out of UG. I'm loving the Airplane reference in the avatar.

Have you applied yet?

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by Hinshelwood » Fri Dec 20, 2013 3:24 pm

fnma2jd wrote:
Hinshelwood wrote:Checking in. I'm applying for PT to the local law school, which is (barely) in the top 100. 20 years out of undergrad, so I've got a fairly well established career. The law degree is a natural next step in that career. So it is PT or nothing for me.
Welcome! I'm in a similar boat, except less years out of UG. I'm loving the Airplane reference in the avatar.

Have you applied yet?
Not yet, took the LSAT in December, the plan is to have my PS wrapped up right around the time scores are released, and then apply.

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Re: Part-Time Law School Applicants 2013-2014 (all schools)

Post by countmein » Fri Dec 20, 2013 10:15 pm

I could use some help on how to tell my employer that I am interested in law school without getting a pink slip. I currently work in a field that has nothing to do with law, so there is not chance of telling them that LS will be a stepping stone to a better position within the company.

Any advice...

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