Part-time Program

The part-time program at Lewis & Clark Law School allows students to spread their course load and expenses over four years. Admission criteria, full-time faculty, and academic opportunities are identical to our full-time program.

The major distinction between a part-time and full-time student is in the number of hours the student carries in a semester. The course load for full-time students ranges from 14 to 17 hours per semester. Part-time students enroll in 9-12 hours per semester. 

Since most part-time students are employed full-time, the law school attempts to cluster courses so students have some free time each week to study and use the library.

In the first year, most part-time students will end up taking courses in the evening hours, usually between 5-8 p.m. After the first year, students may transfer from one program to the other and use the summer school program to accelerate progress toward graduation. In addition, after the first year, students may combine day and evening courses as they find appropriate whether they are a part-time or a full-time student.

 For a snapshot of what it means to be working and going to law school at the same time, please take a few minutes to view a short YouTube video about the experience of one of our current students: