“I just got a great job as a paralegal,” Mike told me during office hours.
“They said I can stay on and even work full-time while I go to law school, which would be nice. Maybe I could even graduate debt free if I keep working. But law school is pretty much three years, full-time, right?” he asked.
Not necessarily.
These days there are so many options other than traditional three-year full-time programs. Here are some of the other options.
Part-time programs: Many law schools have part-time programs where you attend law school in the evening, for four years instead of three. This enables you to work full-time, attend classes at night and keep working throughout law school.
For Mike, this could be the perfect option.
Some programs now have a hybrid component, where one evening is remote, so you don’t have to race to classes every night after work. The advantage of a part-time program is that if you have a job or want to earn money to defray law school costs, you can both work full-time and attend law school without giving up three years in which you are not working full-time. The disadvantage is that you will most likely be extraordinarily busy if you are working full-time and going to law school. However, I’ve known many people who have made this work.
Hybrid programs: Some law schools allow for partial distance learning. You may be able to attend remotely and only need to be on the campus for part of the year. These options have grown tremendously in recent years and are rapidly continuing to expand. The advantages are that if you live far away, or have job and family obligations, it could be a workable way to attend law school. The disadvantages could involve a lack of in-person time for networking, socializing or meeting with faculty or administrators, although most schools will offer you many of these opportunities.
3-3 programs: Some applicants, unlike Mike, want to speed up law school rather than slowing it down. For those applicants there are 3-3 programs. Students attend 3-3 programs for six years, rather than the traditional seven years it would take to complete college and law school. This is at the same school — so you would attend both undergrad and law school there, and they would accelerate your program. At some schools, you may be admitted to 3-3 when you apply to the college, at others you can indicate interest but would be admitted during college, after you have an LSAT score.
There are many pros and cons to these programs. You get to save a year of school and start law school a year earlier. However, in some instances you may have to give up study abroad, double majors or other options which you might ordinarily do in undergrad.
Spring entry programs: Most law schools start in the fall. A few, however, offer spring entry programs where you can start in the spring semester. The advantage of spring entry is that if you graduated from college a semester early, you may be able to start law school right away, rather than waiting until the fall semester. The disadvantage could be that you are out of sync with certain hiring programs or internships, so check with the school to see how that works and what they offer.
The American Bar Association has more information on its website about some of these options: approved distance J.D. programs and approved part-time programs.
More options are becoming available for those who do not want to attend a full-time, three-year program. Possibly, one of these alternatives might work for you.
