Can you work in Law School part time? Forum

[AlexandraHope]

[logdog]

It depends. I worked 20 hours per week during my 2L year and was able to maintain my gpa. I would not advise it during 1L, though.

[YYZ]

No reason to risk a lower GPA. I wouldn't work.

[logdog]

No reason to risk a lower GPA. I wouldn't work.

That's a good point. It is certainly a risk. Throughout law school, I also worked maybe 12 hours per week in the law library, which was being paid to sit at the front desk and study. Now that is a good gig if you can swing it--you make a little money, plus you spend 90% of the time doing what you would have been doing at home or elsewhere in the library.

Note: I did not do the library while working the other part-time job at a small law firm.

[AlexandraHope]

Thank-you so much. I was just wondering because this man I was having a conversation with said that it was against his daughter's school policy to work 1L. I was just wondering did anybody else have a similar experience. I'll save up my senior year of undergrad. But hopefully with a high enough LSAT I want have to worry too much about money.

[A. Nony Mouse]

My school also had a rule that 1Ls weren't allowed to work. (You could get an exemption, or just work somewhere and not tell the school, of course.)

[Attax]

My school you can't as a 1L at least. I know a few 2Ls+ who work for small firms that they are trying to go to after graduation.

[jrthor10]

Pretty sure the no work during 1L is an ABA rule, but I could be wrong.

I would suggest trying to get a part-time job during 2L/3L depending on how you're doing in school. It's a good way to keep your costs down, b/c you can't spend as much money on stupid shit when you're working 20+ hours a week, plus you get a little spending money.

At some schools you can try to get the ultimate gig: a spot as a graduate student teacher in a given department. Usually these positions come with full tuition, or close to it, as a benefit since the positions are meant for graduate students on PhD track.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Not an ABA rule. The only ABA rule was the 20-hour cap on working. Schools then add other rules on top.

[tealeaves12]

Would those of you who say working as a 1L is not allowed (or allowed) at your school/your friends' school mind saying which school?

[SPerez]

The ABA repealed their rule capping work for law students this past summer, I believe.

Some schools might still have their own rules, e.g. outright prohibition for 1Ls and 20 hr/wk cap for 2L/3Ls for full-time students.

Dean Perez
Texas Tech Law