re: Going to law school while working full time - anyone done it?

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Hope you like to read

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Is that all there is to it?

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that's a big chunk of it, read, read, read, read, read, opine in class, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat

Find a school with an evening program in your state like Loyola and SULC have.

1L with a full time job is a fricking nightmare unless you go part time.

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Did you go to a highly regarded school? There aren’t many part time law programs from what I have seen. The closest one to me is ranked by US News in the 52-69 range of part time law schools. They only ranked 69, which is an odd number, and leads me to believe that’s the total amount of qualifying programs and therefore my best option would be a bottom tier school.

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No. There aren’t many part time programs that are highly ranked. Also, you are kind of limited to your geographical location if you already have a good job.

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2) To piggyback off of my first question, did you find that prospective employers put more of a value on the law school you went to or the real life work experience you had accumulated?

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The job I had in operations while I was attending school had a position waiting for me in the legal department when I graduated. I just transitioned within the same company. In my opinion, an employer will highly value your real world experience. You’ll have a leg up on one of them young baws that have no real world experience.

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3) How miserable was the experience? I know it will be hard, but what was you’re experience like and how did it effect your life?

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It was pretty miserable. I had a wife and kids so you will be in a better position. Imagine working from 8-5 and then going to school from 6-9 Monday through Thursday. I’d take off Friday night. On Saturday I’d wake up early and start preparing for the next week which ended up being a full 8 hour day. On Sunday, I’d do about 4 hours of work and take the rest of the day off. Rinse and repeat for four years. I worked half days for about two months when I prepared for the Bar.

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ranking of law school doesn't mean jack shite

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That's a load of crap, I went to a T10 and know how easy it was to get my first job and hired over 40 associates over the years and know how much emphasis firms put on highly rank schools. This obviously depends on who you want to work for and in what type of job.

That said the OP will be limited to local law schools that have part-time programs. While most full-time law schools will not let you work during your 1L year part-time programs are different and are often attended by people that are working full or near full time. Depending on how many hours you carry the workload with a full-time job could be brutal. No matter how quick you pick up on things you still have to read the cases and prep for class.

IME unconventional law students tend to either do very well or crash and burn quickly, you will know after the first semester whether you can handle the load with work or not. I generally say go to the best school you can get in and afford but if you are looking at schools ranked fairly closely unless the lower one is out of T14 or breaks into a lower-tier it won't make that much different. If you want to work for the same or similar firms/agencies as the attorneys you work with determine where they went to school and you will get and idea what tier/ranking you need to look at.

If you want to get a law degree there is no reason not to just mentally prepare for the extra workload above and beyond your job.

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Mr. Pettifogger, why don't you tell us about Federal Rule of Evidence 403

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I hear ya on that. I’d prepare for one case that would be covered early in class. I’d volunteer to answer some questions for that case and it was highly unlikely they’d call on you the rest of class. Also, you learn pretty quickly after the first two weeks which professors you’d have to prepare for.

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why don't you tell us about Federal Rule of Evidence 403

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Your honor, I object to the admission of this evidenced based on the fact that juries are dumb.

It is better to use that argument in camera. jurors don't seem to take kindly to facts at least when it regards them.

It sounds like you have a real job, so it would probably be impossible to work full time and go to law school full time.

You could probably do a part-time/night program. But you better make sure your wife supports you and your relationship is strong. I saw law school start and end many marriages/relationships.

tried this in the mid 70's while working a full time job. 10 hours a semester for 3 years seemed doable... I found the time commitment to read the books to be about twice the class commitment. I got about 2/3 through, had first child, and ran out of hours in the day, dropped out. got some useful knowledge but very expensive in the time commitment.

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I generally say go to the best school you can get in and afford but if you are looking at schools ranked fairly closely unless the lower one is out of T14 or breaks into a lower-tier it won't make that much different. If you want to work for the same or similar firms/agencies as the attorneys you work with determine where they went to school and you will get and idea what tier/ranking you need to look at.

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Good advice. I think choosing between 2-3 schools may be altered a bit when you're mid-career already and not planning to completely switch lanes, which you seem to be suggesting.

For example, I would not tell someone to choose Georgia State over Emory if they're 22 and have no clue what/where they want to practice. But for someone who wants to add law to forensic accounting or move up in a government agency, that might be a reasonable choice despite the significant ranking difference. In general I think this type of exception to the rule is going to apply most commonly to schools around major cities that get recruited well despite being 2nd tier. You also tend to have more mid-career professional types at those schools.

I did. I whipped a Fed Ex truck throughout Nola while going to school. Look at me know.