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Are there any law schools that have part time programs for working professionals?

There are, but you should consider whether a part-time program is worth it. Depending on your current salary, you may end up just as much in debt from a part-time program as you would from quitting and taking out loans to go full-time. And if your job involves any level of serious commitment or stress, it can affect your performance, which in turn affects your legal employment outcomes. On top of all that, none of the T13 offer part-time programs.

Short answer: yes, but it's usually not worth it.

cavalier1138 wrote:There are, but you should consider whether a part-time program is worth it. Depending on your current salary, you may end up just as much in debt from a part-time program as you would from quitting and taking out loans to go full-time. And if your job involves any level of serious commitment or stress, it can affect your performance, which in turn affects your legal employment outcomes. On top of all that, none of the T13 offer part-time programs.

Short answer: yes, but it's usually not worth it.

I probably won't go unless I get a full scholarship, which I don't know if they do with part-time program.

YinFireHare wrote:Are there any law schools that have part time programs for working professionals?

Yes there are such part time programs and yes they even award scholarship. Most of them are not within the top 20, however. In some cases it may be worth it. This spring I had a friend just complete his part time program and to a lot of folks surprise (not mine) he landed big law at Munger. Some may say that he is the exception to the rule. In a lot of ways he is. Munger is a pretty big deal in most circles and he did it from a part time program at Loyola Law School. Not even a fulltime student at Loyola got Munger and the last one that did was years ago. However, when it comes to scholarship he did not start with any or not much. After a year of grades Loyola did push money his way....that probably had a lot to do what the fact that he had the option to transfer (a lot of times law schools will pay you to stay of your grades are high enough). For him a part time program made sense because he had a family (two young kids) and was starting school in his mid 30's. He had a pretty good job so a full time program wouldn't work for his family.

On a side not I have also seen students enroll in part time programs to slow down the stress of law school. These students are in part time programs but they don't actually have a job. With fewer classes - albeit spread of more time - they can command a higher GPA. A lot of these students will after their second year in a 4 year part time program take their high GPA and transfer to a T20 or T14. Students I have seen do this have parents that are funding law school and are younger or privileged so neither time or money are obstacles..Must be nice but I -for one - didn't have it like that.

YinFireHare wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:There are, but you should consider whether a part-time program is worth it. Depending on your current salary, you may end up just as much in debt from a part-time program as you would from quitting and taking out loans to go full-time. And if your job involves any level of serious commitment or stress, it can affect your performance, which in turn affects your legal employment outcomes. On top of all that, none of the T13 offer part-time programs.

Short answer: yes, but it's usually not worth it.

I probably won't go unless I get a full scholarship, which I don't know if they do with part-time program.

They don't. I've heard that some schools offer a bit of aid to part-time students, but the general rule is that part-time students don't get any scholarships.

cavalier1138 wrote:

YinFireHare wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:There are, but you should consider whether a part-time program is worth it. Depending on your current salary, you may end up just as much in debt from a part-time program as you would from quitting and taking out loans to go full-time. And if your job involves any level of serious commitment or stress, it can affect your performance, which in turn affects your legal employment outcomes. On top of all that, none of the T13 offer part-time programs.

Short answer: yes, but it's usually not worth it.

I probably won't go unless I get a full scholarship, which I don't know if they do with part-time program.

They don't. I've heard that some schools offer a bit of aid to part-time students, but the general rule is that part-time students don't get any scholarships.

This is just not true. I am sure schools are less generous than full time, but I know plenty of people that have gotten good scholarships to part-time programs at multiple schools in multiple cities

trebekismyhero wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:

YinFireHare wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:There are, but you should consider whether a part-time program is worth it. Depending on your current salary, you may end up just as much in debt from a part-time program as you would from quitting and taking out loans to go full-time. And if your job involves any level of serious commitment or stress, it can affect your performance, which in turn affects your legal employment outcomes. On top of all that, none of the T13 offer part-time programs.

Short answer: yes, but it's usually not worth it.

I probably won't go unless I get a full scholarship, which I don't know if they do with part-time program.

They don't. I've heard that some schools offer a bit of aid to part-time students, but the general rule is that part-time students don't get any scholarships.

This is just not true. I am sure schools are less generous than full time, but I know plenty of people that have gotten good scholarships to part-time programs at multiple schools in multiple cities

509s at most schools with PT programs seem to indicate otherwise.

cavalier1138 wrote:

trebekismyhero wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:

YinFireHare wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:There are, but you should consider whether a part-time program is worth it. Depending on your current salary, you may end up just as much in debt from a part-time program as you would from quitting and taking out loans to go full-time. And if your job involves any level of serious commitment or stress, it can affect your performance, which in turn affects your legal employment outcomes. On top of all that, none of the T13 offer part-time programs.

Short answer: yes, but it's usually not worth it.

I probably won't go unless I get a full scholarship, which I don't know if they do with part-time program.

They don't. I've heard that some schools offer a bit of aid to part-time students, but the general rule is that part-time students don't get any scholarships.

This is just not true. I am sure schools are less generous than full time, but I know plenty of people that have gotten good scholarships to part-time programs at multiple schools in multiple cities

509s at most schools with PT programs seem to indicate otherwise.

If you look at GW, Fordham, DePaul, Brooklyn, they are less than FT, but over half the PT students are getting scholarships, some as high as 90%. To say as a general rule they don't get any scholarships is just false. I am not arguing going to school PT is a good idea. But you don't need to bs either

Went to a TTT part-time evening program. Most people that I hung around with were 30+, quite a few 40+. They're not your typical student. Some went because they were doing some legal stuff for their companies, so their companies paid them to go and they would in turn transition into an actual legal position. Some had family businesses (car dealership, staffing company, even a dairy) so they were going to work for those businesses. Some had family in the legal business (or good connections), so they ended up working for a parent, uncle, friend, or something of the sort. Some were augmenting their careers such as bankers. Some were switching careers, had tons of savings or rich spouse or trust fund, and could afford to go solo (or partner with a classmate). Some were business-minded so they went solo and were kind of successful (in shitlaw, some can be quite successful with very little legal competency).

So in that part-time program, I would say many of my peers described above were successful afterward. Now of course there were many who hoped to work for a firm - they couldn't find a job to save their lives. And if you're one of these, I definitely would listen to the TLS party line. Even a full scholarship might not be worth it. And some did receive full scholarship (or claimed to have received) but it's all anecdotal.

Former part-time student here, worked full-time 1L. Had a full scholarship before I transferred out.

I'm currently a PT student at Brooklyn, and I received an almost full scholarship. I know others in my section have as well.

I work at a NYC firm and quite a few of the past and present paralegals chose to do the PT route. There's one person right now who's doing PT at Brooklyn. There's a paralegal who left a couple of months ago who was PT at Fordham - he left to do his summer associateship at Fried Frank. My understanding after talking to them and hearing about other PTers is that it's super tough to balance work and school. They pretty much have no lives, and sometimes did their schoolwork while at work.