Law school: Part-time?

Graduate School Law School
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<p>I had a post in this forum before about whether or not taking time off before law school is a good idea. I made a decision to put law school on hold indefinitely. Financially, it will be hard no matter when I go. If I go right after undergrad all of my income will come from loans. If I go later in life I will have to worry about all kinds of things undergrad loan payments (I might be able to get these deferred, although they will still accrue interest), car, insurance, etc., but at least I would have a decent income. My main reason for not wanting to go to law school right after I graduate is that after 5 years of an engineering education I will definitely be tired of school. I tiredness hit me last semester…hard. I was having some doubt, and whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt. If I’m tired of school right now law school is not the remedy.</p>

<p>Attending law school part-time in the future is an option and I would like to hear from any attorneys or current law students who are going through this. By the time I end up in law school I will have many expenses to take care of…the main one probably being a mortgage. I don’t want to live out of an apartment any longer than I really need to. How did you manage the school work, your job, and home life? </p>

<p>Also, how possible it is to go from full-time employment to full-time law student? This would seem to hurt financially. I guess I would have to live a very inexpensive lifestyle in order to save up some money.</p>

<p>I’m just trying to get as much input as possible. Law school may turn out to be the wrong path me. I might end up liking my engineering job really well and that could take me on a different path. My brother (ChemE) has plans to get a MBA. I’ve also considered that and I need to weigh both choices. MBA vs. Law….which one will offer me more professional growth and better quality of life (type of job, income, working hours, etc.). Right now, law seems to be more interesting but that can all change.</p>

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<p>justin, I went to law school at night, but it is not really a "part-time" program. In many ways, it is far more grueling than a full-time day program. If you like working an 8-hour day, eating cafeteria food for dinner, sitting in class from 6-10 pm, going to bed, and starting over 4 nights a week, for 4 years --- Summers included -- then a night program is just what the doctored ordered.</p>

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<p>Justin,</p>

<p>You can also do an MBA program part-time, which will only take two thirds as long; plus, you're more likely to get your employer to pay for a good chunk of the expenses.</p>

<p>You're likely to do different work after obtaining an MBA than you would with a law degree; people with MBA's work in all facets of business. There's no bar exam after an MBA; in a state like California, where a significant minority never manage to pass the bar, that can prove to be a factor.</p>