Across the country there are 69 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association that offer part-time programs — evening or weekend classes — and normally require four years to complete. Approximately 1 in 10 graduates from ABA-approved schools attended a part-time law program, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In 2018, about 11,000 students of the 111,561 total J.D. students in the U.S. were enrolled part time, which allowed them to meet — or attempt to meet — their obligations to their employers and families.
While these schools boast about their quality education, they seldom caution that for certain people, instead of a way to a better life, those demanding years of study, the law degree, and bar membership itself can cost them all that they hold dear: family, friends and their job.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
If that is something you never expected to hear, let’s peer into the future of what going back to school and obtaining a legal education can do for you — and the possible unintended consequences.
That you can attend law school part-time is one thing. The real question is, “Should I?”
Before we look at the downside, let’s examine what a legal education can give you.
Sharpens Your Analytical Skills
“One of the most useful benefits of a legal education is how it greatly improves the ability to see and think clearly about issues — what we call, thinking like a lawyer,” says Beau Baez, a visiting professor at the University Of North Dakota School of Law.
I attended Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles, where I developed highly analytical skills — careful reading, listening and analysis — which fostered the ability to see and articulate multiple sides of an issue.
“By applying the legal principles they’ve studied to real-life fact situations, law students learn how to formulate arguments on any side of a question that are both logical and credible. This is something that becomes second nature, useful in so many aspects of daily life, as you are virtually forced into becoming more open-minded,” Baez observes.
However, there is a price to pay to learn the art of “thinking like a lawyer,” a steep price, well beyond the tuition.
Disadvantages - Do You Want to Stay Married?
“The time commitment is simply enormous, and night students will be in class generally four days a week from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Typically, assignments will be three hours of homework per classroom hour. You will also be required to read from 300 to 450 pages a week. This leaves students with little time for family and friends as — especially if you are working full-time — almost every waking moment is spent studying,” Baez points out.
Nationally recognized law school admissions advisers Ann Levine and Derek Roberti agree that law school consumes your entire life.
"Yes, it absolutely is a risk to marriage," Levine stated in an article I wrote on the subject in 2011. She repeated a law school dean's warning to a group of married law students on the first day of class:
"Look to the left. Look to the right. By the end of your first year in school, one marriage will be in trouble. In the second year, it will be in worse shape. And by the end of the third year, they will have been separated or divorced for months."
According to Baez, “They are telling it like it is. You’ve got to ask yourself, ‘What matters most? Do I want to lose my marriage, and risk emotional damage to my kids just to become a lawyer?’ ”
‘If I Get a Law Degree, I’ll Move Up Higher in the Business’
“Dennis, for your readers who are already highly successful in their chosen field, attending law school could be one of the worst career mistakes they could ever make,” he underscores.
I asked, “But evening law schools make a big point of how valuable that legal education is for the businessperson wanting to move up. How could it hurt?”
His reply was something that had never occurred to me, and I’ll bet to a lot of people reading this right now:
“There is a kind of thinking about the value of a legal education that goes like this. ‘If I get a law degree, and upgrade my skills, I will move higher within the company.’ For some, it can be a benefit, but the value of having that J.D. is often overblown, and the risk to your job is almost never discussed. Why? Because instead of helping you advance, the exact opposite is accomplished, and I’ve seen this over and over again across the 20 years that I’ve been teaching law.”
Baez cited the example of an employee at a large bank who proudly told his colleagues that he was in an evening law program. “And then the boss found out. They stopped promoting him, reasoning, ‘He will probably open his own law practice, so why invest anything more in his professional development?’”
This is 2019 Not 2000
Professor Baez cautions everyone who thinks that becoming a lawyer will easily lead to a job and great income. “Twenty years ago that was true. Today it isn’t, and the good old days aren’t coming back anytime soon.”
-
December Fed Meeting: Live Updates and CommentaryThe December Fed meeting is one of the last key economic events of 2025, with Wall Street closely watching what Chair Powell & Co. will do about interest rates.
-
This Is Why Investors Shouldn't Romanticize BitcoinInvestors should treat bitcoin as the high-risk asset it is. A look at the data indicates a small portfolio allocation for most investors would be the safest.
-
I'm a Federal Benefits Pro: I Answer These 2 Questions a LotMany federal employees ask about rolling a TSP into an IRA and parsing options for survivor benefits, both especially critical topics.
-
Waiting for Retirement to Give to Charity? Here Are 3 Reasons to Do It Now, From a Financial PlannerYou could wait until retirement, but making charitable giving part of your financial plan now could be far more beneficial for you and the causes you support.
-
Are You Ghosting Your Finances? What to Do About Your Money StressAvoidance can make things worse. You can change your habits by starting small, talking with a family member or friend and being consistent and persistent.
-
I'm an Insurance Pro: If You Do One Boring Task Before the End of the Year, Make It This One (It Could Save You Thousands)Who wants to check insurance policies when there's fun to be had? Still, making sure everything is up to date (coverage and deductibles) can save you a ton.
-
4 Smart Ways Retirees Can Give More to Charity, From a Financial AdviserFor retirees, tax efficiency and charitable giving should go hand in hand. After all, why not maximize your gifts and minimize the amount that goes to the IRS?
-
'Politics' Is a Dirty Word for Some Financial Advisers: 3 Reasons This Financial Planner Vehemently DisagreesYour financial plan should be aligned with your values and your politics. If your adviser refuses to talk about them, it's time to go elsewhere.
-
For a Move Abroad, Choosing a Fiduciary Financial Planner Who Sees Both Sides of the Border Is CriticalWorking with a cross-border financial planner is essential to integrate tax, estate and visa considerations and avoid costly, unexpected liabilities.
-
A Financial Adviser's Guide to Divorce Finalization: Tying Up the Loose EndsAfter signing the divorce agreement, you'll need to tackle the administrative work that will allow you to start over.
-
Uber Takes Aim at the Bottom Lines of Billboard Personal Injury LawyersUber has filed lawsuits and proposed a ballot initiative, in California, to curb settlements it claims are falsely inflated by some personal injury lawyers.
