New "Flex" Scalia Law Part-Time JD

Students can attend classes as few as two nights per week

Over my many years of blogging, I've heard from quite a few VC readers who live and work in the D.C. area and were interested in getting a law degree at George Mason Law (Scalia Law), but (a) didn't want to give up their current job; and (b) due to work and family obligationscouldn't swing the 5(!) nights of in-person class a week we required.

So I thought it was worth mentioning that the law school has a new "flex" JD program, in which students can attend classes in person as few as two nights per week, and still receive their part-time JD in the standard four years.

Comments

[Jimmy the Dane]

Five nights a week, while presumably holding down a full time job, for four years straight would be impossible for most people. That is like offering a PT program to check off a box on an accreditation list, but not really offering a real PT program.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

I worked more than 30 hours each week during standard (three-year, daytime) law school.

I would not describe that approach as ideal, but it worked. To some degree, the associated focus might have made me a better and more successful student.

[DaivdBehar]

Artie. You attended law school? How come your posts are so unlawyerly? I am using "lawyerly" as a compliment here, rational, calm, evidence based.

[Jimmy the Dane]

There is a big difference to part time work usually performed by a student then the reverse which is holding down a full-time job. (casual vs. professional usually.) I don't know anyone who works full-time which does a solid 40 hours. Combine in commuting, business travel, and expected work outside of normal hours and those jobs are easily 50 hours/week.

But perhaps if you have the kind of job where you put in 35-40 hours a week, clock out, and aren't expected to work anymore outside of that, it is possible. Really anything is possible though especially if you only need to sleep 5-6 hours a night (which is enough for some people) or if you don't mind putting your private life on hold for 1/2 a decade.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

My workload during law school ("full-time" school, roughly 35 hours of work) was similar to that which I experienced as a new associate at a law firm.

If I recall correctly, law school classes involved roughly 15 hours each week. Add an hour of study for each hour in class, 30 hours. Compared to my original profession, law school resembled a vacation. An enjoyable one.

[KenveeB]

I presume both the poster and the school agree with you, considering they changed the five-night program and changed it to a two-night program, which was the entire purpose of the post.

[DaivdBehar]

Get rid of all in person requirements. We do not need any more lawyers. What is useful is to have an expert in another field learn the law to defend against the most toxic occupation in the country, more toxic than organized crime.

For example, does a train conductor need legal training? You bet. He has been sued 50 times when a dufus in a Camaro tries to beat his train at a crossing, and a severed head lands in his cab. Now a dirt bag lawyer is suing on behalf of the scumbag estate. The dirt bag lawyer needs to be resisted to the utmost and fully deterred along with the scumbag judges enabling this bunko operation. They do better as train conductors than as lawyers, but everyone needs to learn how to resist this criminal enterprise.

The average small business has 400 lawsuits at any one time. The CEO needs to know how to crush these criminals coming at him. To deter.

[DaivdBehar]

And the defense bar owes its job to the plaintiff bar. They will not want to deter them in any way. Defendants are on their own.