Nay-Sayers

[dbmuell]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I think I'm still going to give it a shot for the fall semester, as I have a very flexible employer and an understanding significant other. Per the advice above, I will certainly be checking myself to make sure that I am not getting overburdened. This should be an interesting go of it.  At least I know that if I pull this off, I really will be cut out for law school :-)

[queencruella]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I think I'm still going to give it a shot for the fall semester, as I have a very flexible employer and an understanding significant other. Per the advice above, I will certainly be checking myself to make sure that I am not getting overburdened. This should be an interesting go of it.  At least I know that if I pull this off, I really will be cut out for law school :-)

I'm doing an internship with a small firm this summer and one of the attorneys I worked with was a non-trad with a family and went to school full-time and got permission to work during 1L and finished up cum laude, so some people are able to handle it.

[nic-alodeon]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I think I'm still going to give it a shot for the fall semester, as I have a very flexible employer and an understanding significant other. Per the advice above, I will certainly be checking myself to make sure that I am not getting overburdened. This should be an interesting go of it.  At least I know that if I pull this off, I really will be cut out for law school :-)

I say do what you think you can do. No one knows your capabilities but you. However, the others are right about one thing...the school you are attending assumes that your only job will be 1L. By virtue that they are not expecting you to work, be prepared to miss out on some things (study groups when its down to the wire, counseling sessions with profs, etc.). My brother in law was a non-trad who graduated third in his class after working every single semester. Some do it. It depends on how bad you want it and how bad you actually need to work. The question you will have to wait to answer is "Can you?". Godspeed my friend.

[linquest]

I have to agree with Jolie's comments as someone who was also a bit over-confident about how much time and effort law school would need.  It's doable, but you also want to balance what kind of value that part-time work adds.  Is it enough money to justify the time away from school?  Does it add to your legal resume?  Are you willing to risk getting lower grades for the job?

Also keep in mind that law school is not just classes and studying.  Extracurriculars, internship/job-hunting, networking with attorneys...these also take time.  Are you willing to forego some of these when your work schedule gets in the way?

[jarhead]

thinking about it, i think you should let the part time job go. as someone said the wages you make will not be worth what you have to give up to make them. throw yourself into your first year do the best you can, and then reevaluate the part-time work for 2L when you will at least be in a better position to know if it's something that you can make work or not.

[msvickee38]

All of these nay-sayers are probably afraid the non-trads will take their seat in law school. Don't listen to the nay-sayers.