Law school in two years

[Nickledime85]

I would never do law school in 2 years, even if I could. Not only would it be more expensive than usual, but you would get virtually no experience to make you a competent attorney. I agree that you would probably need your 2L summer for WE.

[letylyf]

California Western does, I think. Of course it's not that you have to finish in two years, just that you can if you're desperate.

Really?

Yeah, I just looked it up to make sure. http://www.cwsl.edu/main/default.asp?nav=academic_programs.asp&body=academic_programs/part_time.asp

When I visited their campus, I talked to a student who was doing that, and he said he really liked it. As far as work experience goes, it isn't as though summering at a firm or taking summer classes in switzerland is exactly solid-type 'work experience.' I wouldn't do it, though, I think burn-out would be entirely too close.

I think your 2L summer is incredibly important. It gives firms or other places a chance to try you out before committing. I don't know how you'd do it with a 2-year program. You'd be applying to work at a firm permanently with little to no experience, especially if the 2-year program requires you to go in the summer.

Well, I have no intention of summering at a firm anyway, since it wouldn't be worth it given that it would just lose me all my grants, and there are other opportunities out there for summers I'd never have again, so like I said, I don't see the huge importance. I know I'm not even in law school yet, but it seems to me summering at a firm is kind of pointless anyway since it's nothing like being an associate.

[Special Agent Dana Scully]

California Western does, I think. Of course it's not that you have to finish in two years, just that you can if you're desperate.

Really?

Yeah, I just looked it up to make sure. http://www.cwsl.edu/main/default.asp?nav=academic_programs.asp&body=academic_programs/part_time.asp

When I visited their campus, I talked to a student who was doing that, and he said he really liked it. As far as work experience goes, it isn't as though summering at a firm or taking summer classes in switzerland is exactly solid-type 'work experience.' I wouldn't do it, though, I think burn-out would be entirely too close.

I think your 2L summer is incredibly important. It gives firms or other places a chance to try you out before committing. I don't know how you'd do it with a 2-year program. You'd be applying to work at a firm permanently with little to no experience, especially if the 2-year program requires you to go in the summer.

Well, I have no intention of summering at a firm anyway, since it wouldn't be worth it given that it would just lose me all my grants, and there are other opportunities out there for summers I'd never have again, so like I said, I don't see the huge importance. I know I'm not even in law school yet, but it seems to me summering at a firm is kind of pointless anyway since it's nothing like being an associate.

It's not pointless--sure  you aren't doing real associate work, but it gives you the oppportunity to really see what it's like inside a firm.  Additionally, by working with others who have been there a while (legal secretaries,paralegals, etc) you can kind of get a feel for a particular firm and their work philosophies.

Plus, I definitely wouldn't wait until 3L to interview for your first firm job. Yale or not, firms will most likely grill you on why you didn't do a SA during 2L summer.

[queencruella]

California Western does, I think. Of course it's not that you have to finish in two years, just that you can if you're desperate.

Really?

Yeah, I just looked it up to make sure. http://www.cwsl.edu/main/default.asp?nav=academic_programs.asp&body=academic_programs/part_time.asp

When I visited their campus, I talked to a student who was doing that, and he said he really liked it. As far as work experience goes, it isn't as though summering at a firm or taking summer classes in switzerland is exactly solid-type 'work experience.' I wouldn't do it, though, I think burn-out would be entirely too close.

I think your 2L summer is incredibly important. It gives firms or other places a chance to try you out before committing. I don't know how you'd do it with a 2-year program. You'd be applying to work at a firm permanently with little to no experience, especially if the 2-year program requires you to go in the summer.

Well, I have no intention of summering at a firm anyway, since it wouldn't be worth it given that it would just lose me all my grants, and there are other opportunities out there for summers I'd never have again, so like I said, I don't see the huge importance. I know I'm not even in law school yet, but it seems to me summering at a firm is kind of pointless anyway since it's nothing like being an associate.

You have to get SOME work experience. No job wants to hire someone who has absolutely nothing on the resume related to law when there are other applicants out there who probably have a summer unpaid work doing public interest or working for a judge and a paid internship with a firm or government agency. They key is getting the experience and if you have to go both summers, then you aren't going to get the full-time experience that other job applicants have.

[letylyf]

Ha, I'm not advocating someone do totally un-law related stuff for two summers. I'm just saying, if you have no interest in a firm job, summering at a firm and loosing your grants is kind of silly.

And you have to admit there could be definite advantages in doing law school in 2 years - for someone who already has a job lined up, say, or whose company is sending them to law school to supplement their current duties. It's not an equally bad idea for everybody.

[TurboGirl]

Did anyone mention Michigan yet...they have a summer start program too allowing you to finish in 2.5 yrs

[mugatu]

California Western does, I think. Of course it's not that you have to finish in two years, just that you can if you're desperate.

Really?

Yeah, I just looked it up to make sure. http://www.cwsl.edu/main/default.asp?nav=academic_programs.asp&body=academic_programs/part_time.asp

When I visited their campus, I talked to a student who was doing that, and he said he really liked it. As far as work experience goes, it isn't as though summering at a firm or taking summer classes in switzerland is exactly solid-type 'work experience.' I wouldn't do it, though, I think burn-out would be entirely too close.

Since no one has pointed it out to you yet: 

Is it hard to finish in two years? Cal Western has atrimester program where you can finish in two years...do any other schools have this?

From the OP.

Good work, though. 

[letylyf]

[slacker]

I would never do law school in 2 years, even if I could. Not only would it be more expensive than usual, but you would get virtually no experience to make you a competent attorney. I agree that you would probably need your 2L summer for WE.

When 2009 rolls around and you've actually been in school for 2 years, I have a feeling you might feel differently.

[Butters Stotch]

I would never do law school in 2 years, even if I could. Not only would it be more expensive than usual, but you would get virtually no experience to make you a competent attorney. I agree that you would probably need your 2L summer for WE.

Did you factor in the savings in housing expenses that might be realized, and the fact that one would (presumably) start earning a "lawyer" paycheck sooner, when you made this conclusion? 

I submit that it could very well wind up being less expensive to graduate sooner, depending on the situation of the individual.