T4 Choice: Hamline (PT-Weekend) vs STCL (FT)

[Para Legal]

No $$ either way.
COL is not a factor
Both are urban campuses
I am a non-trad with a child/husband.
Job prospects for DH/school prospects for kidlet are about equal.
I would be happy practicing in either Minnesota or Texas.
I want to do ADR eventually.
Weather is not a factor.

and...go!

Cheers,

Para 

P.S. Don't tell me not to go to school or bring any of the prestige arguments here. I have a choice, I am going to choose between one of these schools unless the T2 on my waitlist calls- in which case I drop everything. I'm just looking for some constructive pro-con.

Commence.

[idk10]

I have a friend at Hamline PT and she doesnt really like it.  Go for full time. 

[Sweetpri]

I think the full-time program is a better idea unless you need to have a job while you're in school...

[Nancy Reagan]

My two cents: with a baby and husband, I would think that the part time program would be at least somewhat attractive.  However, finishing law school sooner, and subsequently, earning money sooner (and paying down loans sooner if you have to) would be more attractive to me.

Maybe you have a lot of energy and can do it all?! You are clearly ambitious. Good luck and congrats to you either way!

[Para Legal]

I also think Hamline offers the ability to transfer into the fulltime program for 2L if you take class for J-Term and Summer. I am hoping to do this so I can still graduate in three years- I'm thinking a big advantage to the PT program would be a slightly lighter class load and thus perhaps a slightly easier transition to law school. I dunno.

Thanks for the feedback, y'all...anyone else?

Cheers,

Para 

[tony2102]

STCL because it is in Houston.  Why not go to a well respected school in the 4th largest legal market? 
I still havent heard back from STCL, but I think I hope to be choosing between STCL and Loyola-NO.

[OSU_Professor]

I will not speak to the part-time versus full-time issue.  But: I am a law professor.  I once taught at Hamline.  Given the non-issues you have noted in your message, I would consider the fact that Hamline is very strong in ADR, the area you suggest interests you.  Although your views may change (many students come to law school with no subject matter interest, and many others who change their mind in law school), given your interest in ADR, Hamline would make the most sense.  Good luck.  And, one other piece of "wisdom": Wherever you go, don't look back.  That is, don't starting asking yourself if you made the right decision.  Go forward, don't ponder the imponderable.

[Matokah]

Just so you know, Hamline's in St. Paul, but I wouldn't really describe the campus as any more urban than East Bank of UMN (which isn't much). 

It's in a quieter neighborhood from what I can tell, and while small, you certainly can walk around a real campus and know you're in a university setting.  I thought it was quaint but nice.

Just my .02 . . .can't really answer your question since I know nothing about STCL, but instinctively I say Hamline since I had a good experience with the people I came into contact with there.  And they have a bunch of different specialization fields which is nice.

[Para Legal]

Well, I made my choice...and it's Hamline!

Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

Cheers,

Para