Offered part-time job as a 1L but don't want to work during 1L

[lipper]

ABA limits full-time students to working no more than 20 hours per week.  Some schools have stricter standards.

A first year student gave me the tour at UConn in April. She claimed that she worked 30 hours a week and that she was a full-time student. Don't ask me how or why. Actually, she said something about needing the money, so I guess that's the why. One of her jobs was working in the admissions office and giving tours, so the law school was apparently well-aware of the number of hours she worked. She must have been some sort of exception.

If I was going to work at all, I would only do 5-10 hours a week. I'm not an idiot. I prob won't even do that. (Not saying she's an idiot. She apparently has different goals in mind. Also, she was very nice.)

After the first semester, usually law schools allow their students to work 10 hours a week.

[LostMyMonkeys]

I will be working part time (15-20 hours a week) and going to school full time. I am a little worried about it, but think it's managable. My first go around at law school I worked full time (40+ hours a week) and went to classes part time. So I had 3 classes then (including LWR) and this time I will have 5 (including LWR). One thing that I think is on my side is that I have had all these courses before so while I may not remember all the nuances of duty, breach causation and damages, or the intracacies (sp?) of the rule of remainders, it most certainly won't be foriegn material to me and I will have an easier time with it than I did the first time and that of my peers (In theory anyway, not that I am some genious, just that I made honor roll taking those classes before so I at least have some idea how the law works)
Anyway, I really need to work some because I have a mortgage and child care and car payments. Oh, and I like to eat on occasion. We'll see what happens after the the first year.. I also have to take 3 courses in summer school (mandatory for spring entering students) so no full time work then, either.

Eh well.

[Jumboshrimps]

I think it depends on how efficient a student you are. My first semester, though far from relaxing, took much more effort than it did time from me. Besides, I have to disagree with those who say school is vastly more important than legal work. If that's the case, why the hell are we in school? If you do the job well and gain contacts through it, your grades will be meaningless. So I say, unless you're one of those people who needs inordinate amounts of time in order to cover all the material in school, passing up a job (real law) in order to focus on law school (fake law) is ridiculous.

[ab3]

UNLESS you're in need of the $$$, I would not do it.  I have a few people in my class and they work as well.  Frankly I'm not sure how they do it although I know some of them take a lot of these energy drinks and things like that!

I was offered a job at my school as well in my 1L but after thinknig about it I realized I didn't want to take even the slightest risk of jeopordizing anything in my first year since the grades are so important.  It's not worth it.  Just take into account what's important.

[Jumboshrimps]

UNLESS you're in need of the $$$, I would not do it.  I have a few people in my class and they work as well.  Frankly I'm not sure how they do it although I know some of them take a lot of these energy drinks and things like that!

I was offered a job at my school as well in my 1L but after thinknig about it I realized I didn't want to take even the slightest risk of jeopordizing anything in my first year since the grades are so important.  It's not worth it.  Just take into account what's important.

...and what's important is getting experience and skills and building a network.