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.
View the
Evening Program Brochure.
Here are some questions commonly asked by individuals
considering evening law school or part-time law programs:
How do you go about balancing time for class and study
with obligations for family and employment?
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.
Is it possible to reduce the number of required and
elective courses in order to limit the time spent in class and on
preparation?
Yes, by taking two classes over the summer, earning six credits,
and lightening your load in the fall.
Is it possible to transfer from the evening to the day
division?
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.
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?
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.
What about job prospects? Isn’t there a disadvantage
entering the employment market as an evening division
graduate?
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.