Careers after going to law school part-time

September 8, 2008 8:22 AM

What are my career options after going to law school part-time?

I've been thinking about going to law school for a long time now, and have finally decided to take the plunge. However, I'll need to work while I'm going so I'll have to do a night program. At the moment my main choice of school is Fordham, because they seem to be the best NYC school that offers a part-time program.

My concern is that I've heard from various sources that part-time students aren't taken seriously when it comes to careers after graduation. I've heard a full range of opinions on this- some people say it doesn't matter at all whether you go full-time or part, and some people have said that most employers don't even bother to consider night students.

I can't say exactly what kind of law I want to go into since I'm sure my perspective will have changed by the time I finish school, but i know enough to know I do NOT want to go the Biglaw, 70-hour workweek route. Unfortunately I can't narrow it down any further than that for the purposes of this question.

So- in your experience, does going as a part-time student seriously hinder my chances of good job offers? Are part-timers taken seriously? And is the program that a place like Fordham offers to its part-time students of comparable quality to the full-time program? What are the actual differences I can expect?

Thanks, guys- there's so much conflicting information out there, and the school's obviously not going to come out and say "our night program sucks and you will languish unemployed for years after graduating" so I'd love to get some unbiased perspective.

posted by anonymous to education (8 comments total)

My concern is that I've heard from various sources that part-time students aren't taken seriously when it comes to careers after graduation. I've heard a full range of opinions on this- some people say it doesn't matter at all whether you go full-time or part, and some people have said that most employers don't even bother to consider night students.

is this law-school specific hearsay? because it doesn't ring true in many people I know (admittedly, non-lawyers). unless you volunteer the information that you went to night school (or put anything other than year graduated), how would they even know?
posted by tremspeed at 9:03 AM on September 8, 2008

What do you mean by "good job offers" exactly? What is a "good job offer" mean to you? Is it a salary amount? Is it a job as an associate? Is it a job as a staff attorney? What is good enough for you?
posted by onepapertiger at 9:05 AM on September 8, 2008

Fordham is a top-rated school with a great reputation.

One problem that may face you as a part-timer, especially if you go at night, is that it's harder to participate in those activities that burnish your resume, e.g. law review, clinical work, moot court, internships or clerkships.

If you can find a way to manage to add a few of these "extras" and maintain a solid GPA, starting with your first year, so that you have a good choice of summer jobs, you should be just as marketable as anyone else.
posted by mmf at 9:12 AM on September 8, 2008

Going to law school part-time is an impediment to a Big Firm job, primarily because, as a practical matter, Big Firm (e.g., Kirkland & Ellis, Jones Day, Sidley) hire only from the pool of summer associates. Unless your job is going to let you take 8-12 weeks off in the summer to go to work at Big Firm, you won't be a summer associate and you won't be a new associate at Big Firm.

That said, most people who go to law school--even good ones--don't go to work at Big Firm. I went to law school in the night division of a top tier law school. I clerked my first year out and then was a juvenile/appellate defender for a number of years. Basic crappy job market issues have been a bigger problem for me in finding a good, interesting job than has been my having been a night student. Of course, I was also a research assistant and a law review editor and participated in the school's clinical program. My GPA was completely average, however.
posted by crush-onastick at 10:02 AM on September 8, 2008

New York is full of Fordham night school grads in great jobs -- private sector and public sector alike. The appeal is even better for someone who doesn't aspire to BIGLAW, which is somewhat harder to access.

While no school will say its night school "sucks" -- and Fordham doesn't have to say so -- their career offices will give you accurate information if you ask specific questions. Make an appointment, do your diligence!

Also, if you're not bound to New York, you ought to consider moving to Washington and going to Georgetown, which has the most prestigious part-time program in the country. There may be one or two other part-time programs which outrank Fordham, as well, although none in New York.
posted by MattD at 11:25 AM on September 8, 2008

Is there some way you can ask the school to get you in touch with some graduates of the part- time program? You could say you want advice on balancing work and school... not that you want to grill them on their career opportunities. I'm not sure how feasible this is, but you'd probably get better advice.
posted by MadamM at 11:34 AM on September 8, 2008

I went to a school with a part time option. I was a day student but many of my friends switched over. I actually think that it won' t be a problem if you don't want to do big law anyway. Its easy to clerk for someone while being a part time student, I even did it while a full time student. Many smaller to midsize firms will be happy that you attain relevant experience clerking for a solo or small firm while getting your J.D..

However, if you secretly actually do want to do Big Law ( as in large prestigious firms) I think that being a part timer will hinder you in the short run. In the long run if you are a good lawyer and do quality work then I think its really not going to matter. After a few years out of law school no one really cares what your grades were.
posted by Twinedog at 12:12 PM on September 8, 2008

If you don't know what you want to do with your degree, why do you want to go to law school? Law school is a professional training school for people who have chosen a particular career path. It costs a lot of money and has a high opportunity cost. You should only embark on this path if you have a clear idea of what you want to do with your life and how attending law school will help you to achieve your goals. Once you've answered that question, it'll be much easier to figure out whether the particular program you're considering will work for you.
posted by decathecting at 12:37 PM on September 8, 2008