Top Law Schools

In college, I was able to work 20 hours a week, by doing my best to arrange my classes in chunks of time, sometimes back to back, something like this:

M - class from 8-945 / Work 10-5
T - class from 9-4 (some breaks in between for lunch/ OH)
W - class from 8-10 / Work 10 -5
Th - class from 9-4 (some breaks in between for lunch/ OH, study at library in between classes)
F - class from 8-945 / Work 10 -5

Scheduling varied, but I was able to take full courseload while arranging them in blocks, that would leave me sufficient workable hours. Is it possible at all to do this in law school? I've been reading how 1L classes (idk about 2L or 3L) are structured a certain way, so it seems that if I were to work a 9-5 type of job, I'd only have maybe 2-3 hours in the afternoon to consider workable hours.

Does anyone have advice on this? or how their school/work schedule worked out? I'm also considering evening/weekend jobs, but I thought an office job (even if it's just admin) might be better for my resume. Is it advisable to work/how can I make this happen, if it is?

Don't know if you are aware, but the ABA limits full-time law students (any year) to working a max of 20 hours per week. Some schools have even stricter limits, and I think a few may even not allow 1Ls to work at all.

Every school I've heard of has no choice in 1L schedule, except possibly some electives second term (like Northwestern). You get assigned to a section and that section has the 1L mandatory classes at certain times/days.

^What about 2L or 3L years, are they more flexible with scheduling? Oh, I didn't know about the ABA limits, but it was the same on my college campus, 20 hours max. I had mandatory breaks during the hours I worked, so it always added up to less than 20

You know what will look better than some meaningless office job on your resume? A good GPA. You know what won't matter if you don't have a good GPA? Some meaningless office job.


Just study instead of work.

katesearches wrote:^What about 2L or 3L years, are they more flexible with scheduling? Oh, I didn't know about the ABA limits, but it was the same on my college campus, 20 hours max. I had mandatory breaks during the hours I worked, so it always added up to less than 20

You'll get to pick your own classes your 2L and 3L years, but scheduling is a crap shoot. Some people will take classes just so they can have a certain schedule (such as no classes on Friday), while others take classes they want to take regardless of when it is. Plus, your 2L and 3L year can be even more crazy than 1L year because of other commitments outside of class, such as being on a journal or moot court.

I know several students at my school work in the library (possible as a 1L), or work for Lexis/Westlaw or as a TA (only as 2Ls & 3Ls). They get paid but can still do school work.

But I agree with kalvano that getting good grades is better than working unless you absolutely have to work. If possible, try to work as much as possible this summer and save as much money as you can so that you don't have to work.

you dont pick classes for 1L. depending on your school, you cant work either. so your choice should be- do i want to fully commit 100% to law school or work?

1l is too important. If you are doing full time, don't work.

Alright, thanks for everyone's input. I guess I'll have to give this idea up.