Fast-Track Law Degrees: Essential Information for Prospective Students
Accelerated law programs are growing in popularity among those who cannot commit more than three years to law school. But not all schools offer free tuition, as some claim. This averages about $90,000 for tuition alone for three years. While that figure may come way down in your third year if you choose a public law school and qualify for state residency status, it’s still a daunting figure. However, if you are a top scorer with a high GPA, merit scholarships can be substantial.
The American Bar Association (ABA) recently identified 22 ABA-accredited law schools that offer three-year law degrees. The following is a sampling of schools that do:
Other law schools that run accelerated programs are: True, some of these programs are much longer, but the choice between three-year and four-year programs varies among schools.
Most accelerated law degree programs follow the same outline. Students go year-round, so you really get a whole year of law school into two calendar years. Often students enter this program in the summer.
Academic tests are required (LSAT) prior to applying to law school, and some schools require a higher score than others . Once in school, students participate in intensive courses and maintain a steady and rigorous regimen of study. By the end of the first year, students are often burned out and want to take a break. They must remind themselves that acceleration is key in their program.
While your classmates will be similar to those in a four-year program, remember that the learning curve is steep and the work is intense compared with what you would experience in a regular four-year program. For this reason, accelerated programs aren’t for everyone. You should not apply to one of these schools unless you are confident about your academic training.
Interview current students at these law schools if you can, to make sure you have the intellectual discipline to succeed. If you get behind, you will have a very hard time making up the loss before the end of the first semester.
These programs are very good for someone who already works in law or a law office; you can be prepared for your job faster. However, aspiring students should not take an accelerated program just because they want it over with sooner. The price may seem worth it, but only if you have that discipline. Also, a law clerk might have different requirements than another position.
Finding the Right School for a Speedy Law Degree
When exploring how to get your law degree fast, selecting the right school is crucial. Some schools offer accelerated or part-time options that allow you to pursue your degree in a flexible format or the traditional full-time way.
Some of the strongest options for those looking for a quick law degree include:
St Mary’s University School of Law, located in San Antonio, Texas, offers an interesting option for those looking to get their law degree fast. The two-year law program provides students with the option to complete their J.D. degree in 24 months through a low-residency model. Students spend approximately nine months each year studying on campus and taking courses online, allowing them to complete the same coursework in much less time than traditional programs.
University of Oklahoma College of Law (OU Law) has one of the best online law programs in the country. The school is connected to the state’s legal education history, as it was the original Oklahoma territorial school that began training the state’s attorneys in 1896. Today, OU Law maintains its rigorous, high standards while still accepting online students. Traditional on-campus J.D. students complete their degrees in three years, but online students can still finish in three years if they take a heavier course load.
The University of Denver Sturm College of Law offers a hybrid J.D. degree that helps students earn a full degree in approximately two-and-a-half years. The campus is located in northwest Denver, an area known for its innovative law programs. Students complete their first year of classes traditionally and then take hybrid courses, blending online learning with classroom lectures. This option allows students to save money on living expenses as they don’t need to pay for room and board while finishing their studies online.
These are just a few of the many well-regarded schools you can look into to get a law degree as quickly as possible. Other schools to consider include South University, which provides a three-year degree path, the University of Florida Levin College of Law with its three-year path, and Emory Law, which offers an intense two-year degree track that includes summers in the program.
The Curriculum Explained: Key Classes and Requirements
To ensure that you earn your law degree in the shortest amount of time possible, it’s important to understand the curriculum plan for an accelerated law program. While there may be some variations between schools, there are core subjects that are held in common. Typically, students will have classes covering the following subjects each semester:
Introductory Law
Legal Skills
Civil Procedure
Torts
Contracts
Criminal Law
Constitutional Law
Legal Writing
Evidence
Property
Moral Philosophy
Professional Responsibility
The schedule for an accelerated law program can involve three semesters a year as well as summer classes. Because students are often attending classes Monday to Friday, you’ll need to invest plenty of time in reading outside of class. Each credit for a course requires approximately 50 hours of reading or studying, which means that you’ll put in 150 hours on a single course through studying alone. That doesn’t include class time, of which at least two hours per week are typically required, and which may include additional seminars and classes on weekends in certain years of study.
When students are on a year-round schedule, they don’t have summer vacations, which is why they can graduate in two years with an accelerated program. However, you’ll need to get used to year-round classes and be prepared to forgo summer vacations for the duration of your studies.
Online Law Degrees: Accelerate Your Legal Education
Online law degrees: fast track your legal education to start working faster
If you want to be a lawyer, you have to have a law degree, and that requires spending around three full years in law school.
Or do you?
In recent years there has been an increase in online law degrees, which enable students to earn their diplomas considerably faster than the traditional student does. But this process doesn’t come without some questions. For one thing, are online law students actually able to take the bar exam and become licensed or do they have to take courses in a traditional law school after all?
Online law degrees may sound like the quickest way to earn your diploma, but there are some trade offs. For starters, they sometimes force you to pick up the pace. When you’re attending classes typically eight hours a day, from 9:00 AM through 5:00 PM, you don’t have to worry about cramming in the same educational experience into a much shorter timeframe. Online school, though, demands that you fit the same amount of material into your calendar hours, so odds are high that you will have to pace yourself to keep up. Essentially, you have to put in your hours as well as absorb all of the information, but you have the luxury of managing both as you wish.
Then there’s the matter of fully absorbing the information. Law is a complex field filled with an overwhelming amount of information, so that simply fitting the hours as well as the study into your schedule can be a daunting task. It’s still schooling, so the workload is still considerable regardless of where you’re doing it, really, not just about whether you’re sitting at a desk studying or reclining on your couch resting your laptop.
Additionally, a lack of supervision can be a challenge, even detrimental, to keeping up. You aren’t going to have the same type of support system at your disposal, nor are you going to be nudged in the same way as you would be in a physical classroom. If you fall behind, you’re going to have to find your way back on track on your own.
With these factors in mind, you also want to make sure you’re looking into a reliable online law degree program. You should also know that while there are some accredited online law schools, there are also some that aren’t accredited, and the latter can make already posing challenges all the more frustrating.
In the end, it’s likely that you will have the same level of work whether you take classes online or in a physical classroom, but how you do it will vary considerably. It can be intense and confusing, but it can also be faster.
Achieving Quality at Warp Speed: Balancing Promptness and Excellence in Law Education
Strategies for Balancing Speed with Quality in Law Education
For aspiring attorneys racing against time, a fast-track program alone does not guarantee quality education. In order to ensure a well-rounded understanding of the legal system, one should not overlook the importance of experiential learning. While academic work is crucial, it is equally important to gain practical experience through internships and externships. This on-the-job learning can enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are necessary for passing the bar and succeeding in a legal career .
Internships within law firms can offer insights into how theoretical learning is implemented in real-world scenarios. Specifically, these can aid students in developing analytical skills and communication prowess, which are essential for case management and client interaction.
Further, an externship can be invaluable when it comes to networking. Meeting current practitioners in the field of interest not only opens new opportunities but also provides a realistic perspective of career options. Many employers use these programs as an opportunity to find talented candidates to fill future job openings, making it a win-win scenario for both parties.
The Accelerator: Tips for Excelling in an Accelerated Law Program
The accelerated legal education experience can be overwhelming, to say the least. You’re facing coursework that many full-time students find difficult, and you have a shortened timeframe to complete it. It’s critical to stay organized and on task, and here are a few strategies that will help you succeed in a fast-paced law school program: You need to schedule every minute, from study sessions to classes to reading. Take advantage of calendars, whether you have a paper planner or use an app. You can also use spreadsheets to break down your study schedule into manageable chunks so you’re not left with too much material to read or truly absorb at the last minute. Make adjustments as necessary and stick to your plan as best you can. One of the biggest challenges of being a law student is finding time to study in the middle of your hectic professional career. You can often accomplish more in 15 minutes of focused study than over too long a period without structure. While there’s no way to find the time to study while you’re working, you have to see studying like work — and squeeze it in wherever you can. Online study programs that allow you to study wherever you are and at any time can make a difference here. Utilizing your support network is critical. Make friends, communicate with your family, stay in touch. Team up with people in the same classes and study together online with collaboration tools that allow you to talk out the material. Use online resources like these to clarify and explore concepts, and follow reputable legal news sources to keep current on the field you’re entering. All of these tips come down to one thing — knowing how to integrate school into your current busy life. It wasn’t long ago that only traditional law schools existed, and accelerated legal education programs are rapidly changing the way people pursue their legal careers. What’s important now is how to keep pace as you navigate this new frontier.
After Graduation: The Post-Law School Accelerator
After achieving a fast law degree, you must be thinking, "what’s next?" To harness the power of your quickly obtained law degree, you need to consider several factors that can help fast-track your legal career. Among those factors are networking, continuing education, and leveraging fast track programs to gain practical hands-on experience from day one, which are invaluable when transitioning from school to the practical world of law.
Networking. It’s never too late to start networking, but the sooner the better. Out of all the factors in this list, networking is perhaps the most critical. Through networking, you gain information about who is hiring, where the good opportunities are, and additional opportunities you may not have even considered. You also gain visibility as an attorney and start building a name for yourself before you’ve even graduated. You can accomplish this by reaching out to local bar associations and joining in on their networking events. You can attend law school organized networking events, bar association meetings, trial lawyer association meetings, CLE events, charities, local hangout spots for attorneys, or trade shows. The key here is to build relationships with individuals who can help advance your career when you graduate.
Continuing Education. In addition to traditional classes , find ways to obtain free continuing education credits. These can be both online and offline, with many being offered by if your state bar offers them. You should also seek out CLE programs sponsored by organizations, such as your local bar association. Finding ways to obtain free continuing education credits provides you with valuable knowledge you can use throughout your career, while also keeping you connected and visible within the community, considering many of these events also serve as networking opportunities.
Internships and Externships. Fast track programs offered through your law school will allow you to gain valuable experience you can apply to your future career. Internships allow you to go through the motions of what working at your dream job would be like and hone your skills in the process. A successful internship could lead to a job offer before you’ve even officially graduated. If you are unable to get into a fast track program, then obtaining an internship on your own within the community or federal court house, is another way to harness the power of your quickly obtained law degree and gain first-hand experience that will help you stand out among the rest and get you into the legal field a lot sooner.