Part Time Law School Programs

Is Part Time Law School Right For You?

There are various reasons why someone might prefer to go to law school part time. Part-time programs usually have evening classes, allowing students to earn a JD while maintaining daytime work and family commitments. Part-time programs may be easier to pay for, with tuition and other costs being spread out over four or more years rather than the three years of a traditional, full-time program. Older applicants may also find that part-time program admissions put more weight on their professional experience and accomplishments and less on factors like LSAT scores and GPAs.

However, part-time law study has inherent limitations. A part-time JD program represents an enormous time commitment, especially for anyone who plans to continue working full time. Meeting the demands of both a daytime job and evening law classes for four years may be more difficult than making the sacrifices necessary to commit to three years of full-time study. Part-time students may also miss out on important opportunities that full-time students have, such as internships and law clinics.

A major consideration in deciding whether to study law part time is that few top schools offer part-time JD programs. Only a handful of the law schools included on our Law School Rankings page accept part-time applications.

That said, part-time law programs are the best option for some people. As a service to those prospective students, we offer the following list of part-time law programs. It is by no means a complete list. It includes top law schools that do offer part time JD study, as well as the names of some additional, well-regarded law schools located in cities where top schools have only full time programs.

Part-Time Law School Programs (in alphabetical order)