For those who have been wanting to go to law school but could not eliminate all of the other obligations in their lives to allow for full time enrollment, this could be the answer.
What is the Flexible Scheduling option?
The Flexible Scheduling option is for those interested in pursuing a JD who do not have the option of going to law school full time with the associated prohibition on working.
It allows flexibility in that you may choose to reduce your course load by one or more classes.
What the Flexible Scheduling option is not:
It is not an easier option for gaining admission to the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. The same admissions standards and review process apply to the entire pool of applicants to the JD program, whether applying with an interest in the flexible scheduling option or not.
It is not a part-time program. There are not courses for flexible schedule students separate from the regular JD curriculum.
It is not an evening program. While some late afternoon or evening classes are offered at the law school, those are primarily upper division courses. Not all first year classes are offered in the late afternoon. Thus, attendance during the day is necessary to complete your requirements.
Important things to know about the Flexible Scheduling option:
- Full-time work is strongly discouraged while pursuing the JD.
- The first-year curriculum must be completed in no more than 21 months. All first year classes are not offered every semester, and first year classes are offered in the fall and spring semesters only.
- All requirements for the awarding of the JD must be completed within seven years of starting the program.
- Students in the Flexible Scheduling option will not be ranked with their class until they have completed the necessary credit hours to have caught up with their class. It is likely that a student will not "catch up" as to hours completed and will not be ranked. See the Statement of Student Policies.
- The amount of money paid for tuition and fees over the course of the years in the program will be more for those who take fewer credits each semester and spread the work over a longer period of time. See tuition and fees information.
- There will be daytime events, faculty office hours, make-up classes, and other important functions that will not be rescheduled.
- In order to qualify for financial aid and in order to graduate within the required seven years, you must take a minimum of six credit hours per semester.
Is the Flexible Schedule option right for you?
In order to complete the JD under the flexible scheduling option, you must have some flexibility in your schedule.
Because there are economies of scale for taking more classes in any term, the longer a student takes to complete the degree the more it will cost. It is worthwhile to assess the total amount to be spent on tuition against the income loss that is likely to result from a decision to delay entry to the profession.
The Flexible Scheduling option may allow you to attend classes only two or three days per week, but the attendance requirements for all JD students apply. See the Statement of Student Policies.
Many in legal education believe that a more complete learning experience is had by those who commit to full-time study in the first year of law school and thus are able to immerse themselves in not only the classroom discourse but also in the interactions with classmates and faculty outside of the classroom. Students in the Flexible Scheduling Option should seek to be as engaged in all aspects of law school life as much as possible.
Review the options for financial aid to cover your expenses for your first year of study to determine whether keeping some level of employment is absolutely necessary. During second and third year, many law students work outside of law school. The first nine months are typically the time that causes concern for someone considering leaving a job. Financial aid may provide the answer.