Part-time J.D. Program

Student Testimonials

	Jennifer Cullen

"SCU did an unlimited number of things to enable those of us who were working students to earn a law degree and make the part-time law school process go smoothly. For me, this meant things like permitting me to reschedule final exams when I had work-related conflicts, providing several semesters-worth of course schedules in advance so evening students could understand what courses would regularly be offered at night as opposed to those courses that were likely to be offered less frequently in the evening (which helped a working student plot what and when to sign up for courses of interest), and approving my taking a course at another school so that I could complete units at a pace that was different than the ordinary semester of a full-time student.

If I were in the shoes of a person contemplating entering law school, and further contemplating the decision of whether to stop working to attend school full-time versus keeping a job and becoming a part-time student, I would decide to pursue the law school endeavor exactly the way I actually did—I wouldn't change a thing. To me, the entire undertaking was more possible—not less—because I continued working and had the status of a part-time student. I was able to minimize the overall costs and/or debt, spend three and a half years learning and being exposed to a ton of interesting topics that were completely new to me, and come out the other end with an opportunity for a new career. SCU's part-time program fully made the law school endeavor go smoothly for me, from start to finish."
—Jennifer Cullen '06

Christopher Boscia

"I knew that the part-time program made sense economically for me. What I didn't know was that by the end, I would count among my friends entrepreneurs, social activists, business executives, patent agents, medical doctors, and recent college graduates. I learned the law and joined a great network of fellow graduates who will make a difference in our community."
—Christopher Boscia '09

"Being a part-time law student I had to learn to juggle many different things at once. I had to work full time because of the financial constraints of living in the bay area and I wasn't able to leave my job during law school to gain any 'legal experience.' The people and networking that SCU provided assisted me after graduation to seek and find legal work by marketing the transferable skills that I gained by working full time while attending law school. The education that I received from the faculty, staff, and my fellow students was more than academic - they taught me how to balance the rigors of work while maintaining a high standard of ethics."
—Gregory M. Czarkowski B.A. '96, J.D. '99, litigation partner, Sayar Czarkowski Fausto LLP

"The part-time program was a practical solution for me. As was the case for many of my classmates, I needed to be able to balance earning an income with gaining a legal education--but I also wanted a quality legal education at a well-established, ABA-accredited institution. After I researched the Bay Area law schools, I knew that Santa Clara would meet my needs. Working full-time while earning a law degree was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever done—but I am proud of that accomplishment.

I knew that there was no difference in the quality of instruction I received. The faculty regularly rotates through the evening schedule, and many of my professors expressed how much they enjoyed teaching the part-time students. This is undoubtedly due to the class composition. I was surrounded by engineers, doctors, bankers, sales professionals, teachers, and entrepreneurs (just to name a few). With such a diverse mix of experience, class discussion was always engaging. The professors would often take advantage of that experience and call upon us to share our unique insight. On the rare occasions that I took a class with the full-time students, I actually missed my part-time classmates. A great camaraderie developed among us. We continue to stay in touch.

This degree enhanced my career in that my analytical skills and writing ability improved dramatically. I believe in the portability of the law degree--the skills learned in law school can be immediately applied in a variety of settings—including alternative careers like mine.

While attending law school part-time is probably not the ideal way to attain your law degree, it is, nonetheless, a great solution for those students that have existing careers and other obligations. Prepare yourself for the intense academic challenge, but enter with the knowledge that you can do this. Take advantage of the resources available to you, including the support of Santa Clara's outstanding faculty. They want to make sure that you succeed, and you owe it to yourself to let them help you achieve your goals. From the outset, work with the Law Career Services Office to prepare for the transition to your legal career. As a part-time student, mapping out your legal education, and incorporating opportunities for practical skills development is essential."
—Bryan Hinkle '02, director, Office of Career Planning, University of San Francisco School of Law