A part-time program is usually designed to provide an opportunity to a student to achieve a legal education, who for whatever reason, is unable to devote his full time to the study of law. This part-time law program requires study in residence for eight semesters (four academic years) plus summer sessions.
What is an ABA-Approved law school?
An Aba-approved law school refers to any institution which is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and offers law programs to the students as full-time or part-time. There are public and private institutions in the US that are offering part-time or full-time law programs, There are a total of 199 institutions that have been accredited by ABA.
Why choose a part-time program?
The faculty and the curriculum for the part-time and full-time programs are usually the same, however, the part-time law programs are only designed to allow students to attend the classes in the evening or Sunday basis and complete the J.D degree over four academic years.
Here is the List of ABA-Approved Part-Time Law Schools in the U.S.
The U.S. has a wide range of schools offering part-time law programs for students. Some of the best ABA-approved schools with part-time law programs are listed below:
ARKANSAS, LITTLE ROCK, UNIVERSITY OF LAW
The University of Arkansas UA Little Rock William H. Bowen is a public law school that offers a part-time law program. UA is both an American Bar Association accredited and a member of the Association of American Law Schools. This law school awards the Juris Doctor degree in its full-time or part-time programs. Bowen offers the only part-time program in Arkansas.
Tuition Fee:
- Law School fees: $2,752
- Law tuition fees: $19,530
Duration: 4 Years
Admission Requirement:
A student seeking admission to Arkansas, University of Law must have:
- Completed all university, college, and major course requirements for the pre-law concentration.
- Completed 12 hours in the specialization list of pre-law
- Earned a cumulative GPA of 3.50 without grade renewal
- Received an LSAT score of at least 159.
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 147-192 in the Best law school ranking
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as No. 53-69 in the Best law part-time law school ranking
Total enrollment for part-time law school:
Total students are 29,068 which include:
- Undergraduate: 24,265
- Graduate: 4,415
Do they offer a part-time law program online? The University of Arkansas UA Little Rock does not offer a part-time law program online.
ATLANTA’S JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School is a private for-profit law school founded back in 1933 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was named for John Marshall, the fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. AJMLS is accredited by the American Bar Association and offers full-time as well as part-time law programs.
Tuition Fee:
$14,699 per semester
Duration: Four years
Admission Requirement:
Admission requirements include:
| 75% GPA | 3.38 |
| Median GPA | 2.78 |
| 25% GPA | 2.46 |
| 75% LSAT | 149 |
| Median LSAT | 149 |
| 25% LSAT | 146 |
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 147-192 in the Best law program school ranking
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as No. 147-192 in the Best law program school ranking
Total enrollment for the part-time program: 125
Do they offer a part-time law program online? Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School does not offer a part-time law program online.
More:
Best Law Schools for students with Learning Disabilities
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Florida International University is a public research university with its main campus located in University Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida. This institution was founded in 1965 but opened its doors to students in 1972. Florida International University offers both a full-time law program (2 years) and a part-time law program (3 years).
Tuition Fee:
- Part-time: $15,936 (in-state)
- Part-time: $26,275 (out-of-state)
Duration: Three years
Admission Requirement:
Admission requirements include:
| Acceptance rate | 33.3% |
| LSAT score (median) | 156 |
| LSAT score (25%-75%) | 152-157 |
| GPA (median) | 3.63 |
| GPA (25%-75%) | 3.38-3.76 |
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 98 (tie) in the best law school ranking
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as No. 34 (tie) in the best part-time law school ranking
Total enrollment for part-time: 460
Do they offer a part-time law program online? Florida International University does not offer a part-time law program online.
CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW
Situated in San Diego, California, the California Western School of law is a private law school offering a tremendous opportunity for students seeking full-time or part-time scheduled classes in a law program. This institution is one of the successor organizations to California Western University, while the other one is Alliant International University. This school of law is accredited by the American Bar Association and offers full-time as well as part-time law programs.
Tuition Fee:
$43,440
Duration: Four years
Admission Requirement:
Admission requirements include:
- Valid LSAT score(s)
- Two letters of recommendation
- All post-secondary transcripts
- An undergraduate transcript must show either completion of a bachelor’s degree or projected degree completion prior to law school matriculation
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 147-192 as the best law program school ranking
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as 51(tie) as the best part-time law program school ranking
Total enrollment for part-time law program: 261 Students
Do they offer a part-time law program online? California Western School of law does not offer a part-time law program online.
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
The Catholic University of America is a private research university located in Washington D.C. This institution is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is also the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic Bishops. The Catholic University of America is accredited by the American Bar Association and offers full-time as well as part-time law programs.
Tuition Fee:
$38,690
Duration: Four years
Admission Requirement:
Admission requirements include:
| Acceptance rate | 51.4% |
| LSAT score (median) | 153 |
| LSAT score (25%-75%) | 150-156 |
| GPA (median) | 3.41 |
| GPA (25%-75%) | 3.19-3.58 |
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 94 in Best law schools ranking
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as No. 38 as the best part-time law schools ranking
Total enrollment for part-time: 1436
Do they offer a part-time law program online? The Catholic University of America does not offer a part-time law program online.
CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW-IIT
Chicago-Kent College of Law is an institution affiliated with the Illinois Institute of Technology. Being the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois, Chicago-Kent College of law is ranked 91st among U.S. law schools. This law school also has a trial advocacy program which was ranked in 2015 by U.S. News and World Report as the fourth-best program in the U.S. This college is accredited by the American Bar Association and offers full-time as well as part-time law programs.
Tuition Fee
First-year tuition: $39,790 (23 credits)
Per credit hour rate: $1,730
Total J.D. program tuition cost: $150,510 (87 credits)
Duration: Four years
Admission Requirement:
Admission requirements include the following:
- Application for admission
- $60 application fee
- Personal statement
- Résumé
- Official law school transcript
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 94 in the Best law schools ranking
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as No. 13 among part-time law program schools ranking
Total enrollment for part-time: 185-195
Do they offer a part-time law program online? Chicago-Kent College of Law does not offer a part-time program online.
MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH, UNIVERSITY OF LAW
The University Of Massachusetts School Of Law is a public law school located in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the only public law school in Massachusetts and the successor to the Southern New England School of Law. This law college is accredited by the American Bar Association and offers full-time as well as part-time law programs.
Tuition Fee:
- $22,302 (in-state)
- $28,983 (out-of-state)
Duration: 4.5 years
Admission Requirement:
Admission requirements include:
- Earned a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education.
- Either an LSAT or GRE score is required for all JD applications
- A valid reportable score must be received directly from LSAC or ETS
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 147-192 in Best Law school programs
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as No. 53-69 in Part-time Law school programs
Do they offer a part-time law program online? The University Of Massachusetts School Of Law does not offer a part-time law program online.
The UNIVERSITY OF PACIFIC- McGEORGE SCHOOL OF LAW
Approved by the American Bar Association, the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law is a private institution. It is located in the Oak Park neighborhood of the city of Sacramento California. This institution is a part of the University of the Pacific. This school of law is accredited by the American Bar Association and offers full-time as well as part-time law programs.
Tuition Fee:
$37,444
Duration: Four years
Admission Requirement:
Admission requirements include:
| Acceptance rate | 59.5% |
| LSAT score (median) | 153 |
| LSAT score (25%-75%) | 148-156 |
| GPA (median) | 3.32 |
| GPA (25%-75%) | 3.06-3.57 |
Law School Program Rankings: Ranked as No. 133 (tie) as the best law school programs ranking
Law School Specialty Rankings: Ranked as No. 31 as the best part-time law school programs ranking
Total enrollment for part-time: 402
Do they offer a part-time law program online? University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law does not offer a part-time law program online.
These are some of the best ABA-approved law schools offering part-time law programs all across the U.S. These programs provide massive opportunities for the knowledge seekers who are unable to attend full-time law classes
About The Author
Hassan Zaka
I am an experienced technical writer with an ACCA qualification. I have written on various topics including finance, business, and technology. My writing style is clear and simple, and I am skilled in using infographics and diagrams.
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