06
Mar
is it possible to go to law school while having a full time job?
Author: admin // Category: Commercial Construction
I currently work in commercial construction development and would like to go to law school. My end result would be to practice construction law or something of that nature. Is there anyone in Ga that has done this that could give me some advice?
Thanks!
By: Im just me
About the Author:
March 8th, 2009 at 11:47 am
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There are part-time law school programs. I don’t know which GA law schools offer them, but since even some of the better law schools in my area have them, I’d have you start by looking at Emory, U Georgia, Georgia State, and Mercer U.
In general, part-time law school is pretty intense, more so that other part-time degree programs. So make sure you are careful to balance it all: work, school and life.
No matter which law school you pick, make sure it’s ABA accredited, and try to go to the best ranked law school you can get into. Law is a field where the prestige of your JD program does matter, so do consider things like school rankings in your decision.
March 10th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
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The American Bar Association (ABA) mandates that a full time law student not work more than 20 hours a week and law schools make you sign an affidavit to that effect. That being said, even if it were permissible to work full time there is no way you could keep up with the rigors of law school while working full time.
March 14th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Kansieo.com
Yes, attending part-time is your only option. You need about 10 hours per week minimum for each class you take, and then you have to add group studies which can take another 4-5 hours a week. That’s a HUGE load on top of full-time work. It IS done, and if you are staying in the same industry it might make sense. Be careful of the accreditation of any school, and ask to see the placement of candidates upon graduation (an important sign of how well the school is regarded).
March 14th, 2009 at 4:18 am
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Part-time programs are designed for students who need to work while attending law school. They are not necessarily any less competitive than full-time, and some top schools like Georgetown have part-time programs. The students tend to be older and have families. Two law schools in Georgia offer part-time programs: John Marshall Law School and Georgia State University, both in Atlanta. Many other law schools nationwide have part-time programs, too. A part-time program usually takes four years to complete. You wouldn’t be allowed to work more than 20 hours a week if you attended full-time, so part-time is the only option.
There are many ABA-accredited schools you could apply to. Unless there’s a good reason to do otherwise, you should probably attend the highest-ranked or best-regarded school you can. Sometimes local reputation matters more than national rankings, though. You should not attend a non-ABA-accredited school unless you know for certain what you want to do and you know your degree will be acceptable for that purpose.
It’s not likely there’s a law school you could attend with a full program specifically in construction law. There may be several courses offered at some schools, though, and you may be able to take relevant classes in other schools of the university, such as architecture or urban planning.