Evening Program FAQ
With commitments at work and at home, evening law school
students embark on their part-time law programs with considerably
greater responsibilities than day students, but with comparable
expectations for positions in the legal or law-related
professions.
One aspect that distinguishes St. John’s as a premier New York
law school is our evening law school program. Here are some
questions commonly asked by individuals considering evening law
school or part-time law programs:
Question: How do you go about balancing time
for class and study with obligations for family and employment?
Answer: That takes discipline to be sure, but
it can be accomplished without any undue hardships. Take study
time, for example. By taking classes three or four days a week,
you’ll have one or two evenings during the week and all weekend
long to keep up with your reading. Identify times that don’t
interfere with family contacts, like when the kids are doing their
homework, after they go off to bed or when your spouse is reading
or watching television. Also, many students spend lunch time
preparing for class.
Question: Is it possible to reduce the number
of required and elective courses in order to limit the time spent
in class and on preparation?
Answer: Yes, by taking two classes over the
summer, earning six credits, and lightening your load in the
fall.
Question: Is it possible to transfer from the
evening to the day division?
Answer: Yes. In fact, a number of our students
do, once they have overcome any daytime constraints or commitments.
However, you must complete the first year in the evening division
have a 2.5 or better grade point average.
Question: Four years seem long and drawn out.
How do you sustain your interest and energy levels to keep at it
every semester and every year?
Answer: That’s just it. Think of your legal
education in semester sections. You project your studies from
September to December, then from January to May. That way it’s a
four-month, not a four-year, consideration.
Question: What about job prospects? Isn’t there
a disadvantage entering the employment market as an evening
division graduate?
Answer: For the very reason there are no
academic or experiential differences between day and evening
students, there is no difference in the opportunities for positions
in the law or professions related to the law. As with day students,
96 percent of our evening students are placed in legal and
law-related positions nine months after graduation.