Top Law Schools

I know this topic was brought up a few months ago, but there wasnt much talk.

Rising 3l at one of the top schools that has a part-time program. I'm considering switching my enrollment status to part-time so that I will have one more summer before my last law school year, and I can try to land an SA at firm through 2l/3E OCI instead of hoping for something through 3l OC.

I checked with my school and the program is possible, I am more interested in what this will look like to firms and if it might be a better option.

You can do it, but you should be a stronger candidate than you were the first time you did OCI if you want a different result. Were you able to get your grades/class rank up? If so, you might have a decent shot at landing something--if you've got the same grades/class rank, you'll probably wind up with the same result as you did last year.

You better come up with a damn good reason for doing so to tell employers and make sure you include that information in cover letters when you bid (even if they don't ask for over letters).

If you cannot come up with a good reason, don't do it.

I would suggest getting an interesting full time job and use that as your reason. If you cannot stomach an interesting full time job and part time law school, don't do it. This would be different had you been part time from the beginning.

OP here,

My situation is very different,

Last year I was a transfer student, now I have a full year of solid grades at my new schools, an RA position that was year long, and a great summer job in my field (not paying and not chance of an offer, but still great). I would be more than happy with a full time job, but might not have trouble finding one

That's not the worst idea I've ever heard. Better would be to start lining up internships and part-time jobs with government or small firms so that 1) you improve your resume; 2) you network; 3) you ween yourself off the teet of OCI, which already has given you the sour taste of failure; 4) you improve your chances of getting a job outside of OCI; and 5), as something you shouldn't at all count on, you may incidentally look better for OCI. Heck, with some good internships, maybe you might actually learn something about lawyering and be more comfortable going out on your own, push come to shove.

Seems to me you're talking about double-or-nothing on your gamble that OCI will work out better the second time than it did the first. You're (I assume) going to take on another year of debt for one more crack at OCI. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but it isn't a risk-free idea.